AI Damage2008 Saab 9-3: common problems
Owners of the 2008 Saab 9-3 filed 184 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and engine. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 184
- involving a crash
- 5
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 39% of all complaints
- 2 Engine 36% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel/propulsion system 7% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 6% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 5% of all complaints
- 6 Seat belts 5% of all complaints
- 7 Suspension 5% of all complaints
- 8 Vehicle speed control 2% of all complaints
- Air bags: 71 complaints (39% of all).
- Engine: 66 complaints (36% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Fuel/propulsion system: 13 complaints (7% of all).
- Electrical system: 11 complaints (6% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 10 complaints (5% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
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 1 complaints
- 2.8 L · petrol · turbo · 6 cylnamed in 2 complaints
- automatic, 5-speed
- automatic, 6-speed
- manual, 6-speednamed in 2 complaints
Drive: FWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 184 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 | 71 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 66 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| Suspension | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 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.
Driver therefore has no working seatbelt and was told by the dealership that it was not covered under warranty. Gm installed the defective seat belt in multiple vehicles that have already been recalled. Thank you for your consideration. Has been an issue since 2015.
At 65 mph, the gear shift knob, shift cover and assembly separated from the car - the base-metal stick shift was all that remained, and thus the safety latch that prevents car from being shifted into reverse, instead of a forward moving gear, normally attached to the exterior, was now missing.
2008 saab 93 2.0t sedan stalled (no sputter or buck, but just a loss of power) while driving. Resulted in a collision. Initial dealership mechanics have "no findings" - they will have a field engineer investigate tomorrow.
I have been trying to get this recall done for many years and with no luck. Most recently June 26th 2026 I was informed my recall was not fixable again and I hope for the last time. Enough is enough! Van Bortel Chevrolet in Macedon Ny tried again today which is there 2nd attempt.
The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 14V318000 (Seat Belts) and 16V063000 (Air Bags); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted; however, the dealer declined to service the vehicle.
at about 98,000 miles the starts to fail transmission fails Also when the car gets too cold in the winter it refuses to start and it is not a battery issue. the cylinders get to cold to start. When the warm weather comes back around it starts again.
Driver seat belt fails to retract. When retraction failure occurs, it is obvious to the seat occupant immediately. If a crash were to occur with a seat belt in this condition, the result could increase the risk of injury to the driver. The seat belt retraction failure has been reproduced and confirmed.
**when driving and shifting** the vehicle cannot handle the extra unclean air entering the system and will stall out while going anywheres from 0-60+ mph, once the engine shuts off all power steering also shuts down.
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 2,209 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 6% most complained about).
On average one model year of the 9-3 has 90 complaints (15 years in the data). This year has 184, above average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Saab 9-3?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, engine, fuel/propulsion system. Total complaints: 184. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (10%), stalls while driving (9%), won't start (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2008 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 2008 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 2008 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.