2010 Saab 9-3 recalls and problems

The 2010 Saab 9-3 has 3 recalls and 30 owner complaints on file with NHTSA; the most reported problem area is air bags.

2010 Saab 9-3
Photo: 2010 Saab 9-3 by Makizox, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
How the 2010 compares
Fewest complaintsMost complaints

Lowest complaint count among 12 9-3 model years — 11th most.

3recalls
30complaints
0crashes
0fires
0injuries
50,000median miles

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not verified and not adjusted for sales. Ranking compares this model's own years only.

Does your car have an open recall?
Recalls apply to specific vehicles. Only a VIN lookup on NHTSA's official site shows whether yours is affected and still unrepaired.
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3 recalls

Air Bags

Feb 3, 2016 · NHTSA campaign 16V063000 · 113,716 vehicles

Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2006-2011 Saab 9-3 vehicles manufactured May 31, 2002, to February 15, 2011, 2006-2009 Saab 9-5 vehicles manufactured June 7, 2005, to May 28, 2009, and 2008-2009 Saturn Astra vehicles manufactured April 11, 2007, to July 24, 2008. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.

Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy & notes

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator on Saab 9-3 and 9-5 vehicles and will replace the driver's frontal airbag module on Saturn Astra vehicles, free of charge. The recall began on March 1, 2017. Owners may contact Saab customer service at 1-800-955-9007 or Saturn customer service at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 28810.

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Seat Belts

Jun 12, 2014 · NHTSA campaign 14V318000 · 28,789 vehicles

Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2011 Saab 9-3 Convertible vehicles manufactured July 30, 2003, to February 15, 2011. In the affected vehicles, the driver's side front seat belt retractor may break, causing the seat belt webbing not to retract.

Risk: In the event of a crash, a seat belt that has not retracted may not properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing their risk of injury.

Remedy & notes

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's seat belt retractor, free of charge. The recall began on October 6, 2015. Owners may contact Saab customer service at 1-800-955-9007. GM's number for this recall is 14222. Note: Special Coverage 10086 will replace the passenger side seat belt retractor if it fails, free of charge, for the life of the vehicle.

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Fuel System

Jan 19, 2011 · NHTSA campaign 11V015000 · 4,400 vehicles

Problem: Saab is recalling certain model year 2010 and 2011 passenger vehicles manufactured from June 2010 through December 2010. Certain fuel pumps installed as original equipment May have internal components with incorrect specifications.

Original NHTSA wording

SAAB IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010 AND 2011 PASSENGER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 2010 THROUGH DECEMBER 2010. CERTAIN FUEL PUMPS INSTALLED AS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT MAY HAVE INTERNAL COMPONENTS WITH INCORRECT SPECIFICATIONS.

Risk: The subject fuel pumps can seize causing the engine to stall which increases the risk of a crash.

Original NHTSA wording

THE SUBJECT FUEL PUMPS CAN SEIZE CAUSING THE ENGINE TO STALL WHICH INCREASES THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy & notes

Saab will notify owners and replace the defective fuel pumps free of charge. The safety recall began on March 3, 2011. Owners May contact Saab at 1-800-955-9007.

Saab's recall campaign number is 15029.owners May also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to <a href=http://www.safercar.gov>http://www.safercar.gov</a> .

Recall text as published by NHTSA and the manufacturer.

What owners complain about

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA; one complaint can name several areas. Not verified by NHTSA.

Complaints by year filed

2011: 1 complaints20112012: 1 complaints20122013: 2 complaints20132016: 18 complaints2016182017: 5 complaints20172018: 1 complaints20182019: 1 complaints20192024: 1 complaints20241

NHTSA investigations

Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

EA21002 · opened Sep 17, 2021 · open
Summary

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been n…

2010 vs. other Saab 9-3 years

Owner complaints by model year; the darker bar is the 2010. Click a bar to switch year.

Questions

Does the 2010 Saab 9-3 have recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns covering the 2010 Saab 9-3, the latest from Feb 3, 2016 (air bags). A recall applies to specific vehicles: enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours is affected and still open.

What are the most common problems with the 2010 Saab 9-3?

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA most often mention air bags (22), fuel system (3), engine (2). Complaints are consumer reports and are not verified by NHTSA.