AI Damage2002 Saab 9-3 Convertible: common problems
Owners of the 2002 Saab 9-3 Convertible filed 9 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 9
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 22% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 22% of all complaints
- 3 Structure 22% of all complaints
- 4 Engine and cooling 11% of all complaints
- 5 Exterior lighting 11% of all complaints
- 6 Latches, locks, linkages 11% of all complaints
- 7 Powertrain 11% of all complaints
- 8 Service brakes 11% of all complaints
- Air bags: 2 complaints (22% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 2 complaints (22% of all).
- Structure: 2 complaints (22% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (11% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 1 complaints (11% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 9 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Although the accident resulted in more than $8,000 to our vehicle and the impact zone was a t-bone type impact to the driver side door, the driver side airbag failed to deploy. As of this writing, our car remains at the dealership and has yet to be repaired.
Slowly approaching stoplight, and drivers side, side airbag goes off for no apparent reason. Driver was struck in side of head, and upper body, some hearing loss suffered also.
On august 13, 2006, my wife was driving our 2002 saab 9-3 convertible when the engine caught fire. She was able to get out of the car safely, but the car was destroyed.
2002 saab 9-3 with 54k miles caught fire while my wife was driving it on sunday, august 13, 2006.
Dealer reported rear brakes were rusted to the point of not being able to operate. Service manager said that saab had a history of brakes deteriorating at low miles. Caller complained about saab, dealer could not offer any help.
A crack formed on the inside layer of the glass right where the driver's side convertible top latch in the frame is located. The dealer declared that this occurred as a result of an impact as opposed to stress from the frame and refused to correct it under the warranty.
2002 saab 9-3 convertible, about 13,000 miles caught on fire. Drove to office, turned off engine, & parked car. Got out of car & noted unusual smell despite that guages indicated "checking ok"ay.
On hot days, temperature in excess of 90 degrees, the outside rear door handles do not release and open doors. In the event of an accident or medical emergency, the failure to open may lead to serious death, injury, and damage to the vehicle if emergency workers have to pry open the rear doors.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 11,366 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 31% most complained about).
On average one model year of the 9-3 Convertible has 12 complaints (5 years in the data). This year has 9, below average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Saab 9-3 Convertible?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, electrical system, structure. Total complaints: 9. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (33%), airbags did not deploy (11%), door locks, latches, handles (11%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2002 Saab 9-3 Convertible?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2002 Saab 9-3 Convertible from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2002 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.