AI DamageSaab Aero: problems, complaints, bulletins
Summary for the Saab Aero across 2 model years: 15 owner complaints and 0 NHTSA service bulletins, plus repair videos. Pick a year for details.
Model years
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 40% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel system 20% of all complaints
- 3 Tires 20% of all complaints
- 4 Engine and cooling 13% of all complaints
- 5 Air bags 7% of all complaints
- 6 Exterior lighting 7% of all complaints
- 7 Seats 7% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 6 complaints (40% of all).
- Fuel system: 3 complaints (20% of all).
- Tires: 3 complaints (20% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 2 complaints (13% of all).
- Air bags: 1 complaints (7% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 15 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 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 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.
Within a year of buying four (4) new sets of these tires, three (3) of them have already failed. Noticeably, all the failures started out as a bulge in the sidewall. If these bulging went undetected they would have resulted in fatal blow out whiles driving.
My 2000 saab 9-5 aero wagon has a problem of occasionally not starting. You can tune the ignition switch and power comes on but the engine will not turn over. If you allow it to sit awhile, then it seems to start. I replaced the crankshaft sensor, but it still does this. I noticed there may have been recalls.
The airbag warning light comes on without notice, and horn stops working, took to dealer who said it was the clock spring and this is a typical problem. It is a safety issue as the airbag is needed to prevent injuries. I have heard of other people being injured by this.
I was driving on the highway, when I noticed a sudden loss of power. The steering and brakes were difficult to use and the check engine light was flashing. I managed to get to the side of the road.
Car leaking dark fluid...took car into different saab service center stated seen issue a lot since last time I took car into different since saab dealership no one could figure out the idm was defective until after recall head gasket went bad and coolant sensor melted...is this due to defect in car or is this just the…
Saab 95 has bad di cassette unit that may cause fire (quote from dealer), and has caused stalling on other cars (quote from dealer). Software fix was available but no made available until after failure, and expensive repair
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Other models of this make
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.