2010 Saab 9-3 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other 9-3 years
- Far fewer complaints than other years 12th of 13 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 30 complaints with NHTSA about the 2010 Saab 9-3. That ranks 12th out of 13 9-3 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (22 complaints, 73%), typically at around 52,000 miles. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 30owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 0complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2010 Saab 9-3 problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 22 | 73% | 52,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 2 | 7% | 12,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 2 | 7% | 52,425 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 7% | 10,500 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2010 Saab 9-3 recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2006-2011 Saab 9-3 vehicles manufactured May 31, 2002, to February 15, 2011, 2006-2009 Saab 9-5 vehicles manufactured June 7, 2005, to May 28, 2009, and 2008-2009 Saturn Astra vehicles manufactured April 11, 2007, to July 24, 2008. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator on Saab 9-3 and 9-5 vehicles and will replace the driver's frontal airbag module on Saturn Astra vehicles, free of charge. The recall began on March 1, 2017. Owners may contact Saab customer service at 1-800-955-9007 or Saturn customer service at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 28810.
Seat belts:front:retractor
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2011 Saab 9-3 Convertible vehicles manufactured July 30, 2003, to February 15, 2011. In the affected vehicles, the driver's side front seat belt retractor may break, causing the seat belt webbing not to retract.
Risk: In the event of a crash, a seat belt that has not retracted may not properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing their risk of injury.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's seat belt retractor, free of charge. The recall began on October 6, 2015. Owners may contact Saab customer service at 1-800-955-9007. GM's number for this recall is 14222. Note: Special Coverage 10086 will replace the passenger side seat belt retractor if it fails, free of charge, for the life of the vehicle.
Fuel system, other:delivery:fuel pump
Problem: Saab is recalling certain model year 2010 and 2011 passenger vehicles manufactured from june 2010 through december 2010. Certain fuel pumps installed as original equipment may have internal components with incorrect specifications.
Risk: The subject fuel pumps can seize causing the engine to stall which increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Saab will notify owners and replace the defective fuel pumps free of charge. The safety recall began on march 3, 2011. Owners may contact saab at 1-800-955-9007.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture (EA21002) — opened Sep 17, 2021, still open.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2010 Saab 9-3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 11V015000 (Fuel System, Other) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The…
Fuel pump deficiency. When i start the car in the morning to warm up before using it i notice and ear that it stall. After a second it accelerate to a normal rpm. It happens all the time since new (2010). I never received a fuel pump recall notice!
Had a compression test after weak starting. All 4 cylinders read 100.need valve replacement and understand this is a known problem in 2007-2011 saab 4 cylinder cars. No warranty or recall regarding this use of flawed valves
The nhtsa announced a recall pertaining to the drivers side seatbelt not retracting. Recall #14v318000. As of 3/10/17, my 2010 saab 9.3 sedan is experiencing the same issue as the recall but, the recall only stipulates the convertible model. My question relates to how did the nhtsa determine it was…
I have called viking saab and registered on their web site months ago to have my airbag replaced as they are the only authorized saab place in houston, texas, to replace it. They have not contacted me. I don't know what else to do. When i called there they told me to register on their web site. I…
Other Saab 9-3 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 9-3 | 30 | 3 |
| 2010 | 30 | 3 |
| 2009 9-3 | 43 | 2 |
| 2008 9-3 | 184 | 2 |
| 2007 9-3 | 155 | 2 |
| 2006 9-3 | 179 | 2 |
| 2005 9-3 | 95 | 2 |
| 2004 9-3 | 207 | 5 |
| 2003 9-3 | 212 | 4 |
| 2002 9-3 | 37 | 4 |
| 2001 9-3 | 59 | 4 |
| 2000 9-3 | 50 | 2 |
| 1999 9-3 | 64 | 3 |
See all Saab 9-3 problems by year, every Saab model, or the VIN decoder.
Similar Saab models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2010 Saab 9-3?
Owners most often report air bags, engine, fuel system, other problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 22 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2010 Saab 9-3?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2010 Saab 9-3 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other 9-3 model years, the 2010 has far fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.