2011 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 2011 Saab 9-3. That ranks 12th out of 13 9-3 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (25 complaints, 83%), typically at around 96,500 miles. Complaints mention 1 crash. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 30owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 1complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2011 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 | 25 | 83% | 96,500 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 10% | — | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 3% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 1 | 3% | 25,600 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 3% | 14,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2011 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.
driver side seat belt not retracting, there is a recall but does not include this vin number.
Drivers side airbag spontaneously deployed while in motion on a city street going in a forward, straight motion.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 saab 9-3. The contact stated that while driving, the air bag sensor warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer and local dealer was not notified of the…
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 saab 9-3. The contact detected a strong odor of coolant inside the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the vehicle was leaking coolant and screws were missing that connected the transmission to the motor. The vehicle was not…
Pump on rear xwd failure
Other Saab 9-3 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 30 | 3 |
| 2010 9-3 | 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 2011 Saab 9-3?
Owners most often report air bags, seat belts, engine problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 25 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2011 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 2011 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 2011 has far fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.