Saab 9-3 Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 367 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the Saab 9-3 across 13 model years. The 2006 model year has the most (87). The words owners use most often: “takata air bags” (25% of reports).
- 367air bags complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 24mention a crash
- 36mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- 14%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Takata air bags: mentioned in 93 of 367 complaints (25%)
At what mileage do air bags problems happen?
Based on 82 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 367 complaints, 24 mention a crash, 36 an injury.
Saab 9-3 air bags complaints by model year
| Model year | Air Bags complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 9-3 | 25 | 83% | 96,500 |
| 2010 9-3 | 22 | 73% | 52,000 |
| 2009 9-3 | 17 | 40% | 95,000 |
| 2008 9-3 | 71 | 39% | 52,000 |
| 2007 9-3 | 65 | 42% | 65,563 |
| 2006 9-3 | 87 | 49% | 93,000 |
| 2005 9-3 | 12 | 13% | 23,391 |
| 2004 9-3 | 20 | 10% | 79,000 |
| 2003 9-3 | 15 | 7% | 70,000 |
| 2002 9-3 | 2 | 5% | 6,720 |
| 2001 9-3 | 4 | 7% | 92,800 |
| 2000 9-3 | 10 | 20% | 135,000 |
| 1999 9-3 | 17 | 27% | 130,200 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (2)
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Model years: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
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.
Air bags
Model years: 2000, 2001
Problem: Vehicle description: certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with requirements of fmvss no. 208, "occupant crash protection." the air bag alert labels may not be permanently affixed as required by this standard.
Risk: These vehicles do not comply with the requirements.
Fix: Dealers will clean the sunvisor surface and apply a new air bag alert label on both sunvisors. Owner notification began july 30, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact saab at 1-800-955-9007.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I have been trying to get this recall done for many years and with no luck. Most recently June 26th 2026 I was informed my recall was not fixable again and I hope for the last time. Enough is enough! Van Bortel Chevrolet in Macedon Ny tried again today which is there 2nd attempt. I had to buy a…
Hello, I know the Takata airbag has to be replaced on my car. However now I do live abroad, in Gothenburg Sweden in Europe. How do I get the replacement done? Should I go to GM here in Europe? Thanks
The contact owns a 2008 Saab 9-3. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 14V318000 (Seat Belts) and 16V063000 (Air Bags); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted; however, the dealer declined to service the vehicle…
The driver's side, side air bag deployed spontaneously. There was no apparent reason or cause, ie no side impact of any kind, no door slamming or other provocation. The car was parked in a garage for six hours before I sat in the car, closed the door, then BLAM! Temperature was moderate, where as…
unexpected and unrequested deployment of driver side seat air bag. i was driving the vehicle at a speed of 0-5mph attempting to back the vehicle into a parking spot when the driver seat air bag deployed. a report was made with the local police department. no indicator or failure lights were…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Saab 9-3s have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 367 owner complaints about air bags for the Saab 9-3. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Saab 9-3 air bags?
Yes: 2 safety recalls list air bags. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the Saab 9-3?
The most frequent phrase is “takata air bags”, in 93 of 367 complaints.
Other Saab 9-3 problems
- Electrical System problems (188)
- Suspension problems (173)
- Seat Belts problems (163)
- Engine problems (116)
- Engine and Engine Cooling problems (103)
See all Saab 9-3 problems.