1999 Saab 9-5 Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 70 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 1999 Saab 9-5, 59% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 73,449 miles. The words owners use most often: “ignition cassette” (44% of reports).
- 70electrical system complaints
- 73,449median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $1,100typical repair cost reported by owners
- 36%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.
- Ignition cassette: mentioned in 31 of 70 complaints (44%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical electrical system repair on the 1999 Saab 9-5 at $1,100, and half of them between $760 and $1,550.
Based on 10 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2004–2008), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 62 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 70 complaints, 1 a fire, 1 an injury.
Saab 9-5 electrical system complaints by model year
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists electrical system for the 1999 Saab 9-5. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
All of these repairs in about a two year period: abs module, oil cooler, throttle body, upper radiator hose, and both dic cassettes. This is completely unacceptable for what was originally a $40k car. I have loved saab's since my childhood, but this one car has completely turned me off of them…
My 1999 saab's direct ignition cassette has failed -- a very common occurrence in this model, for which a recall was issued. That recall, however, excluded 1999 model years for reasons unknown to anyone i have spoken with. My car is essentially identical to a 2000 saab 9-5, which is covered under…
Ignition cassette failure. *tr
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1999 Saab 9-5s have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 70 owner complaints about electrical system for the 1999 Saab 9-5 (59% of the 118 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1999 Saab 9-5 electrical system?
No recall currently lists electrical system for this vehicle.
At what mileage do electrical system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 73,449 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix electrical system problems on the 1999 Saab 9-5?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,100 (half paid between $760 and $1,550), from 10 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 1999 Saab 9-5?
The most frequent phrase is “ignition cassette”, in 31 of 70 complaints.
See all 1999 Saab 9-5 problems or electrical system problems across all 9-5 years.