1999 Saab 900 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1999 Saab 900, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Electrical133.3%
- Suspension133.3%
- Transmission133.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
ENGINE SHUT OFF WHILE CAR WAS RUNNING THREE TIMES. FIRST TWO TIMES CAR WAS IDLING, THIRD TIME CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN AT 60 MPH. ENGINE SHUT OFF WITH NO WARNING AND WOULD NOT RESTART. SAAB DEALER CLAIMED IN THE FIRST TWO INSTANCES THAT THIS COULD NOT POSSIBLY HAPPEN WITH CAR RUNNING. IN FIRST INSTANCE, DEALER REPLACED IGNITION SWITCH. IN SECOND INSTANCE, DEALER REPLACED GEAR POSITION SWITCH. IN THIRD INSTANCE, DEALER REPLACED CHAFED WIRING HARNESS TO PASSENGER SEAT. WE ARE NOT CONVINCED THAT SAAB HAS FIXED THIS MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM, AND ARE EVEN MORE WORRIED THAT A CHAFED WIRE FOR THE HEATED SEAT CAN CAUSE AN IMMEDIATE ENGINE SHUTDOWN ON ANY SAAB 9-3.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
FRONT END DRIFTS ACROSS THE ROAD, STRANGE NOISES IN FRONT END, RIMS AND TIRES WEAK, GLASS ROOF NOISE, PAINT DEFECTS( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 205,65, 16 )
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
ENGINE SHUT OFF WHILE CAR WAS RUNNING THREE TIMES. FIRST TWO TIMES CAR WAS IDLING, THIRD TIME CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN AT 60 MPH. ENGINE SHUT OFF WITH NO WARNING AND WOULD NOT RESTART. SAAB DEALER CLAIMED IN THE FIRST TWO INSTANCES THAT THIS COULD NOT POSSIBLY HAPPEN WITH CAR RUNNING. IN FIRST INSTANCE, DEALER REPLACED IGNITION SWITCH. IN SECOND INSTANCE, DEALER REPLACED GEAR POSITION SWITCH. IN THIRD INSTANCE, DEALER REPLACED CHAFED WIRING HARNESS TO PASSENGER SEAT. WE ARE NOT CONVINCED THAT SAAB HAS FIXED THIS MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM, AND ARE EVEN MORE WORRIED THAT A CHAFED WIRE FOR THE HEATED SEAT CAN CAUSE AN IMMEDIATE ENGINE SHUTDOWN ON ANY SAAB 9-3.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .