1997 Saab 9000 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 1997 Saab 9000, 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
- Driver assistance342.9%
- Engine228.6%
- Brakes114.3%
- Seat belts114.3%
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
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE AT A STOP VEHICLE REVVED AT A HIGH RATE. CONSUMER SWITCHED TO NEUTRAL/SHUT OFF VEHICLE TO TEMPORALLY STOP THE PROBLEM. ON ONE OCCASION CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED. DEALERSHIPS MECHANIC TRIED TO REPAIR VEHICLE 3 TIMES, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK
I WAS DRIVING TO WORK GOING 25MPH WHEN THE CAR STARTED ACCELERATING. I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE AND I WAS BARELY ABLE TO STOP. SINCE I WAS IN TRAFFIC, I CONTINUED TO A STOP SIGN WHERE THE CAR STOPPED AFTER A SHORT LUNGE FORWARD. I CHECKED TO BE SURE THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS OFF AND I CHECKED THE DASHBOARD AND THERE WERE NO WARNING MESSAGES FLASHING. WHEN I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE AND WITH MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELELERATOR, THE CAR GAINED SPEED QUICKLY AND I WAS ONLY ABLE TO SLOW IT DOWN BY KEEPING MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. I PULLED INTO A PARKING SPACE, SHIFTED THE AUTOMATIC CAR INTO "PARK" WHERE THE CAR STARTED RACING/REVVING AT A VERY HIGH RATE OF SPEED WHEREBY I IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF THE CAR. I HAD THE SAAB TOWED TO MY DEALER. THE DEALER SAID THAT THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG AND THAT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO DO ANYTHING FOR ME. THEY TOLD ME TO DRIVE THE CAR TO THEM IF THE PROBLEM HAPPENED AGAIN--I TOLD THEM THAT THEIR RECOMMENDATION TO DRIVE TO THEM WOULD PUT MY PASSENGERS AND ME AT RISK. THAT EVENING, I CALLED SAAB USA'S CUSTOMER SERVICE NUMBER WHERE I FILED A FORMAL COMPLAINT WITH SAAB (SAAB'S FILE # FOR MY COMPLAINT IS 1-32268057).AND WAS TOLD THAT THE DEALER SHOULD HAVE KEPT THE CAR FOR SEVERAL DAYS TO TEST IT OUT MORE THOROUGHLY GIVEN THE RISK THAT EXISTS IF A FUTURE PROBLEM OCCURS. I ALSO EXPRESSED MY FEAR OF DRIVING THIS CAR AGAIN WITH ME AND MY FAMILY IN IT. THE WOMAN AT SAAB USA SAID SHE WOULD CALL THE DEALERSHIP AND GET BACK TO ME GIVEN MY CONCERN. I HAVE HEARD NOTHING AS OF TODAY, MAY 25, 2002. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THIS CAR AND SAAB HAS DONE NOTHING TO ALLEVIATE MY FEARS AND THEY ARE OFFERING NO SOLUTION EXCEPT TO SAY THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. I PAID FOR THEIR DIAGNOSIS AND I WOULD PAY ANYTHING REASONABLE TO CORRECT A PROBLEM WHICH COULD HAPPEN AGAIN. I HAVE ALSO OWNED SAABS SINCE 1983 AND IT IS SAD THAT SAAB'S RESPONSE TO THIS PROBLEM IS TO SEND ME AWAY.*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
ENGINE DIED IN A 7 YEAR-OLD CAR WITH APPROXIMATELY 45,000 MILES. *AK
PROBLEMS WITH ABS ON A 1997 SAAB 9000 CS.*MR THE ABS ECM UNIT WAS REPLACED AT 45900, AT 55393 MOST OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM HAD TO BE REPLACED, THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THAT THIS TYPE OF BRAKE WORK SHOULD NOT OCCUR AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE, ALSO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND RADIATOR HAD TO BE REPLACED. *JB *NM
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
PROBLEMS WITH ABS ON A 1997 SAAB 9000 CS.*MR THE ABS ECM UNIT WAS REPLACED AT 45900, AT 55393 MOST OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM HAD TO BE REPLACED, THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THAT THIS TYPE OF BRAKE WORK SHOULD NOT OCCUR AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE, ALSO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND RADIATOR HAD TO BE REPLACED. *JB *NM
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 04C002000 FOR THE STRAP. PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE. *AK
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 .