AI Damage2000 Saab 9-5: common problems
Owners of the 2000 Saab 9-5 filed 119 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 119
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 48% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 13% of all complaints
- 3 Engine and cooling 12% of all complaints
- 4 Fuel system 12% of all complaints
- 5 Visibility 6% of all complaints
- 6 Air bags 4% of all complaints
- 7 Exterior lighting 2% of all complaints
- 8 Steering 2% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 57 complaints (48% of all).
- Service brakes: 16 complaints (13% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 14 complaints (12% of all).
- Fuel system: 14 complaints (12% of all).
- Visibility: 7 complaints (6% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.3 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cyl
- 3 L · petrol · turbo · 6 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speednamed in 1 complaints
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 119 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 57 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Child seat | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Parking brake | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 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.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 25 mph, the vehicle was involved in a rear end collision, and the airbags did not deploy. The contact was wearing a seat belt, but minor injuries were sustained. There was extensive damage to the front of the vehicle. The police were alerted, and a report was taken.
Dt: the consumer's wife was in serious car accident and the side air bags did not deploy. Consumer's vehicle was hit on hit the passenger's side, and was hit so hard that the back passenger's door was stuck to the vehicle that hit it.
The impact was front end - I hit a steel and cement pole at 25 mph and the air bag never deployed. My head crashed the windshield and I sustained a severe head injury with amnesia, loss of conciousness, aphasia, left sided weakness, fractured ribs, and severe post concussive syndrome.
Driving slowly in heavy traffic, I noticed a loss of power when I attempted to merge with freeway traffic. The gas gauge needle was dropping quicker than normal, and the gasoline fumes became apparent after cracking a window. The engine stalled for the third and last time as I exited the freeway.
Driving in heavy traffic after leaving work, I noticed no loss of power until I attempted to merge with freeway traffic. Soon enough, though I did notice that the gas gauge needle was dropping quicker than normal, and the gasoline fumes became apparent after cracking the windows.
We had the car hooked up to the machine and tested and got a misfire code (p0325) and once the check engine was cleared it worked again for a few minutes. The car will then stop operating, the engine stays running but when you try to accelerate the car does not move, goes into limp mode.
The contact was driving approximately 30 mph when the temperature gauge indicated that the vehicle was overheating. The vehicle was safely driven to the side of the road and the engine was shut off. After waiting for the engine to cool, the contact dispensed oil into the reservoir.
2000 saab 95 automobile has poor performance and loss of power. Saab dealer replaced direct ignition cassette (dic) in 2006 under recall and the problem has developed again. The dealer will not replace a second dic. This is both expensive and dangerous for highway operation. The part has problems.
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 3,153 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 9% most complained about).
On average one model year of the 9-5 has 40 complaints (14 years in the data). This year has 119, above average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2000 Saab 9-5?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, service brakes, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 119. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: stalls while driving (19%), warning lights, check engine (16%), loss of power / limp mode (9%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2000 Saab 9-5?
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 2000 Saab 9-5 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 2000 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.