AI Damage2007 Saab 9-3: common problems
Owners of the 2007 Saab 9-3 filed 155 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and suspension. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 155
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 42% of all complaints
- 2 Suspension 15% of all complaints
- 3 Engine 12% of all complaints
- 4 Service brakes 8% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 8% of all complaints
- 6 Seat belts 5% of all complaints
- 7 Engine and cooling 4% of all complaints
- 8 Seats 3% of all complaints
- Air bags: 65 complaints (42% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Suspension: 24 complaints (15% of all).
- Engine: 18 complaints (12% of all).
- Service brakes: 13 complaints (8% of all).
- Electrical system: 12 complaints (8% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cylnamed in 2 complaints
- 2.8 L · petrol · turbo · 6 cylnamed in 1 complaints
- automatic, 5-speed
- automatic, 6-speed
- manual, 6-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 155 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 | 65 | 2 | 0 |
| Suspension | 24 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 2 | 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.
Air bag sensors were hit but airbag failed to deploy. I was seatbelted but did hit the steering wheel face first and was taken to the hospital by ambulance from the scene. I did suffer a concussion and facial bruising and a full set of cuts in my mouth.
His car was totaled and we had significant front end damage and our airbags did not deploy. Both my wife and I are still recovering from our injuries and under current medical care.
The contact stated that the driver's side seat belt failed to retract whether the vehicle was in operation or not. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 14v318000 (seat belts); however, the parts to do the repair were unavailable.
Biggest issue was once the weather became very cold, car would not start. Ended up being a victim of the bad intake valves provided by gm. Now, after a complete valve job and having the car run great from march 2017 to dec 2017..it appears it may have a cracked block. Car never overheated.
The contact stated that the driver's seat belt was inoperable. The contact stated that the seat belt pretensioner failed to retract the seat belt after coming to a stop. The vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign number: 14v318000 (seat belts). The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed.
In addition, the springs that connected to the front struts had premature rust and corrosion, which caused it to fracture without warning. An independent mechanic diagnosed that the front coils springs and eight valves needed to be replaced.
Drivers side front coil spring rusted and broken causing loud clunking when driving. I am looking for an explanation on why safety recall 15917 only includes the years 2003-2006 when clearly the issue from reading online surpasses those years by far.
Nearly immediately the headlights kept going out. I found myself replacing them often and twice was pulled over by police when I hadn't realized and had just replaced the passenger side headlight. Also got one key at the time of purchase.
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 2,564 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 7% most complained about).
On average one model year of the 9-3 has 90 complaints (15 years in the data). This year has 155, above average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2007 Saab 9-3?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, suspension, engine. Total complaints: 155. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: knocking, grinding or other noise (6%), rust, corrosion (5%), stalls while driving (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2007 Saab 9-3?
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 2007 Saab 9-3 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 2007 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.