Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 1 NHTSA owner-reported complaint for the 1998 Saab 9-5, most frequently naming the brakes category. 10 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
When owners filed reports about this model year
Not enough dated records to plot a meaningful trend — 1 month of data.
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
THE ABS CONTROL MODULE DIED INSTANTLY WHEN THE CAR HAD DONE LESS THAN 100,000 KM. THE INITIAL COST WAS $2500 BUT THE DEALER AGREED TO SUPPLY THE ECU SEPARATELY SINCE THE ABS HYDRAULIC SYSTEM WAS INTACT. ECU COST IS ABT $1000 AND CONTROL TURBO, ODOMETER, CRUISE CONTROL, SPEEDOMETER, TRACTION CONTROL AND ABS. DID NOT BUY THE PART BECAUSE IT MAY FAIL AGAIN SINCE THERE WAS NO EXPLANATION OR REASON FOR THE FAILURE. *NM
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
NOISE FROM THE TIMING CHAIN AND OIL SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE. *KB
STRUCTURE
ALTERNATIVE TOWBAR INSTALLATION . *TT
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
REDUCED PERFORMANCE AND DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES FOR THE TURBO CONTROL VALVE. *EH
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
NEW ROUTING OF BELT CIRCUIT. *EH
VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
PROCEDURES ON PREVENTING JUDDERING OF SIDE WINDOWS ( UNSMOOTH OPERATION ) FOR VEHICLES UP TO AND INCLUDING VIN X3001194 AND W3075121. *YC
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
RECALL CAMPAIGN INFORMATION ON AFFIXING AIRBAG LABEL. *TT
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2011 | 9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2010 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2009 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 2008 | 20 | 2 | 1 | 47.9 |
| 2007 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 45.1 |
| 2006 | 23 | 2 | 1 | 43.2 |
| 2005 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 48.6 |
| 2004 | 19 | 2 | 0 | 46.3 |
| 2003 | 47 | 4 | 0 | 43.8 |
| 2002 | 65 | 6 | 1 | 58.9 |
| 2001 | 104 | 4 | 1 | 53.5 |
| 2000 | 119 | 3 | 1 | 54.1 |
| 1999 | 118 | 2 | 1 | 51.3 |
| 1998Viewing | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1994 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1972 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1971 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1970 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 1969 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1968 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1967 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1965 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.