2006 Saab 9-5 Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Sep 17, 2021 · 23 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other 9-5 years
About as many complaints as other years 6th of 14 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 23 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 Saab 9-5. That ranks 6th out of 14 9-5 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (13 complaints, 57%), typically at around 5 miles. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.

Saab 9-5
Saab 9-5 sedan photographed in USA.. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: IFCAR, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2006 Saab 9-5 problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Air Bags13 · ~5 mi
Electrical System2
Engine2 · ~61,000 mi
Exterior Lighting2 · ~149,812 mi
Engine and Engine Cooling1 · ~24,500 mi
Equipment1
Power Train1 · ~112,500 mi
Service Brakes, Electric1 · ~44,000 mi
Service Brakes, Hydraulic1 · ~10 mi
Steering1 · ~112,500 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Air Bags1357%5——
Electrical System29%———
Engine29%61,000——
Exterior Lighting29%149,812——
Engine and Engine Cooling14%24,500——
Equipment14%———
Power Train14%112,500——
Service Brakes, Electric14%44,000——
Service Brakes, Hydraulic14%10——
Steering14%112,500——
Tires14%187,000——
Vehicle Speed Control14%———
Visibility14%———

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2017, with 6 complaints
2006: 1200612008: 2200822010: 1201012013: 2201322014: 1201412015: 3201532016: 5201652017: 6201762018: 1201812019: 120191

n = 23 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2006 Saab 9-5 recalls (2)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator moduleFeb 3, 2016 · NHTSA campaign 16V063000 · 113,716 vehicles

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.

Seats:front assembly:head restraintApr 9, 2008 · NHTSA campaign 08V160000 · 57,389 vehicles

Problem: Saab is recalling 57,389 my 2002-2008 9-5 series vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 201, "occupant protection in interior impact." during compliance testing, one of the upper interior occupant protection test points exceeded the standard's requirements.

Risk: In the event of a vehicle crash, personal injury to occupants may occur.

Fix: Dealers will install a-pillar trim with improved energy-absorbing capability free of charge. The recall began on november 25, 2008. 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.

Takata recall.i no longer have this vehicle,it was actually my daughters car but i was the co signer for her loan.this vehicle was traded in at van horn in fon du lac ,wi at least a year and a half ago.we have called people including contacting gm online saying we no longer have this car yet we…

Air Bags · received Jul 25, 2019 · NHTSA complaint 11234819

2006 saab. Consumer writes in regards to driver airbag inflator safety recall. *ld *js

Air Bags · received May 22, 2018 · NHTSA complaint 11097409

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SAAB 9-5. THE CONTACT RECIEVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V063000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART FOR THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE…

Air Bags · received Sep 18, 2017 · NHTSA complaint 11023987

Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2006 saab 9-5. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v063000 (air bags) however, the contact was unable to get the repair completed due to lack of available dealers to service the vehicle. The contact stated that the manufacturer…

Air Bags · received Sep 6, 2017 · NHTSA complaint 11021772

TAKATA RECALL - AIRBAG ON ABOVE CAR WAS REPLACED UNDER RECALL ON 5/25/2017. NOW, THE AIRBAG LIGHT KEEPS TURNING ON SPORADICALLY. THE GARAGE - JUST SAAB [redacted] - WHO REPLACED THE AIRBAG CLAIMED THE FIRST TIME WHEN I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THEM THAT IT WAS "RESISTANCE" THAT CAUSED THE LIGHT TO COME…

Air Bags · received Aug 29, 2017 · NHTSA complaint 11020280

Other Saab 9-5 years

← 2005 9-5 · 2007 9-5 →

See all Saab 9-5 problems by year, every Saab model, or the VIN decoder.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2006 Saab 9-5?

Owners most often report air bags, electrical system, engine problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 13 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2006 Saab 9-5?

Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2006 Saab 9-5 a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other 9-5 model years, the 2006 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.