2008 Saab 9-5 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other 9-5 years
- About as many complaints as other years 7th of 14 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 20 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 Saab 9-5. That ranks 7th out of 14 9-5 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (19 complaints, 95%), typically at around 30,000 miles. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 20owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 0complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2008 Saab 9-5 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 | 19 | 95% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 2 | 10% | 40,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2008 Saab 9-5 recalls (2)
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.
Seats:front assembly:head restraint
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.
I had my airbag replaced on recall several years ago. I now have an error alert on my dash indicating an air bag problem. My service technician tells me there are no parts available. What alternatives are available for me, besides drive an unsafe car or junk it (probably illegal to sell )
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2008 saab 9-5. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v063000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The…
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 saab 9-5. The contact received 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 contact had not…
Recall initiated in feb 2016, notification received from gm in may of 2016, repair is still not available after 10 months from date of recall.
Takata recall - although the recall began february 3, 2016, it has still not been completed. Given the danger of being hit with shrapnel, the situation should be remedied immediately!
Other Saab 9-5 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 9-5 | 9 | 0 |
| 2010 9-5 | 2 | 0 |
| 2009 9-5 | 2 | 1 |
| 2008 | 20 | 2 |
| 2007 9-5 | 17 | 2 |
| 2006 9-5 | 23 | 2 |
| 2005 9-5 | 11 | 2 |
| 2004 9-5 | 19 | 2 |
| 2003 9-5 | 47 | 4 |
| 2002 9-5 | 65 | 6 |
| 2001 9-5 | 104 | 4 |
| 2000 9-5 | 119 | 3 |
| 1999 9-5 | 118 | 2 |
| 1998 9-5 | 1 | 0 |
See all Saab 9-5 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 2008 Saab 9-5?
Owners most often report air bags, electrical system problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 19 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2008 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 2008 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 2008 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.