AI Damage1991 Saab 900: common problems
Owners of the 1991 Saab 900 filed 13 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 13
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 23% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 15% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel system 15% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 8% of all complaints
- 5 Engine and cooling 8% of all complaints
- 6 Equipment 8% of all complaints
- 7 Exterior lighting 8% of all complaints
- 8 Seats 8% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 3 complaints (23% of all).
- Air bags: 2 complaints (15% of all).
- Fuel system: 2 complaints (15% of all).
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (8% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 1 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 cyl
- 2.1 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- automatic, 3-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 13 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 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.
91 saab 900s replaced fuel tank twice.all three tanks leaked gasoline.
Seat back on both front seats have failed. Reclining mechanisim does not return the seat backs to the correct position. The position of the seat back impairs the drivers ability to operate the vehicle correctly. I have located two cables on both seats that have snapped and are the cause.
I am told that these failures occurred in this year model saab--cracked fuel tank.
The design of the emissions system caused the vehicle to stall and experience idle problems.
When appying the abs brakes the pedal intermittently becomes hard and resists application. When this occurs, the vehicle veers to right or left, cause unknown. Dealer cleaned contacts within the abs computer system which did not remedy the problem. Please give any further details. Ak
When applying the abs brakes on wet pavement the pedal will travel to the floor causing extended stopping distance. Please give any further details.
Vehicle makes creaking noise when turning and going over large bumps at slow speed.
Air bag warning light will illuminate indicated some sort of malfunction. Owner states no problem. Please describe details. Tt
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 9,843 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 27% most complained about).
On average one model year of the 900 has 17 complaints (22 years in the data). This year has 13, below average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Fuel 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 1991 Saab 900?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, air bags, fuel system. Total complaints: 13. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbag warning light (15%), stalls while driving (8%), warning lights, check engine (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1991 Saab 900?
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 1991 Saab 900 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 1991 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.