2009 Saab 9-3 recalls and problems

The 2009 Saab 9-3 has 2 safety recalls and 43 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at any Saab dealer.

Recalls
2
Complaints
43
Crashes / fires
1 / 0
Injuries / deaths
0 / 0

Recalls may cover only some 2009 Saab 9-3 vehicles. Check your VIN at NHTSA ↗ to see open recalls for your exact car.

2009 Saab 9-3 recalls

Recall 16V-063: Air Bags

Reported Feb 3, 2016 · 113,716 vehicles affected · General Motors LLC

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.

Recall 14V-318: Seat Belts

Reported Jun 12, 2014 · 28,789 vehicles affected · General Motors LLC

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.

2009 Saab 9-3 problems reported by owners

Problem areaReports
Air Bags17
Engine12
Fuel/Propulsion System4
Service Brakes2
Seat Belts2
Exterior Lighting1
Service Brakes, Hydraulic1
Engine and Engine Cooling1
Suspension1
Structure1
Steering1
Wheels1

Most reported parts

  • Suspension › Front › Springs › Coil Springs — 1
  • Structure › Body — 1
  • Tires › Pressure Monitoring and Regulating Systems — 1

Typical mileage at the time of the problem: 70,000 miles (median of owner reports).

Problems that are not covered by a recall are paid repairs; labor rates follow local mechanic pay — see what auto mechanics earn in each state.

Recent 2009 Saab 9-3 complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA, as written (personal details removed). Complaints are not verified by NHTSA.

Engine · at 78,000 miles · reported Mar 14, 2019
My 2009 saab 9-3 started and ran fine on the way to work, but at lunch it started for a couple seconds and shut off. The car cranks, but is audibly too free spinning. A local shop said compression in the engine was very low, and after multiple calls it seems that my car has the infamous "soft intake valves" problem that has been a widespread plague for these cars for model years 07-11. This car only has 78,000 miles on it, and has always had the oil changed with the correct GM spec oil. I would think an engine should last much longer than this.
Engine · at 70,000 miles · reported Jan 5, 2018
My car has fallen victim to the soft intake valve issue. My car was parked in my driveway, it ran perfectly well the night before. I attempted to move it on christmas eve morning 12/24/2017 but it would not start. I then had it towed to my local saab mechanic, automotion in billerica, ma- the owner said this is a well known issue he has seen on a number of occasions; he said he saw it so many times he purchased new equipment to be prepared for the volume of customers. This is being well documented at the saabcentral forum found at www.saabcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=329066 my 2009 9-3…
Engine · at 80,000 miles · reported Dec 6, 2017
The intake valves are worn on the engine this started around 80,000 miles and has progressively gotten worse. The car will not start on very cold days. If it does, it idles very rough and hard. Date below is an estimate of when this started.
Fuel/Propulsion System · at 80,000 miles · reported Oct 13, 2017
I have owned my 2008 saab 9-3 for about a year now and I have had an ongoing rough running issue that seems to be getting worse. When I start my car up in the morning it runs very rough. Ihave gotten it diagnosed and it is misfiring dramatically like 6000 on one cylinder and 1081 on another . I have done some research and had this problem diagnosed, several times, as having bad intake valves. After doing more research on this problem, I have come to find this is a rather common issue with this specific year make and model. This is concerning because I have had this repair quoted at over…
Air Bags · reported Apr 20, 2017
Takata recall I was informed in a letter that GM is working on airbag recall for my car. It stated that in case of an accident my airbag can explode and I may die. They also said that in another letter they will specify when the replacement part is available. It has been a while and I have not heard anything back so I decided to do my own research. After calling local cadillac dealer here in nashville, I was informed that the only place in tennessee that still does saab warranty work in in memphis. After calling that dealership, they said that the parts have been available for a while. I…

Other Saab 9-3 years

Compare all Saab 9-3 years · All Saab models

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2009 Saab 9-3 have any recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2009 Saab 9-3: 16V-063 (air bags), 14V-318 (seat belts). Not every vehicle is affected, so check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What is the most common problem with the 2009 Saab 9-3?

Owners report air bags problems most often (17 reports), followed by engine (12). The typical mileage when problems were reported is about 70,000 miles.

Are Saab recall repairs free?

Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at authorized Saab dealers, whether you are the first owner or bought the car used.