What breaks most · 1990 to 1998 model years
Saab 9000 problems by year
Owners have filed 101 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Saab 9000 across model years 1990 to 1998. Three years stand out: 1993 for powertrain and transmission complaints, 1992 for powertrain and transmission complaints and 1994 for air bags complaints. The quietest years are 1990, 1991 and 1995.
- Years to check closely: 1993, 1992, 1994
- Fewest complaints: 1990, 1991, 1995
- Complaints on file
- 1011990 to 1998, all trims
- Worst year
- 199329 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 25 fires · 3 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 100kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 17Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 0 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (2) | |
| 8 | 0 | 1 | Fuel system (2) | |
| 19 | 0 | 4 | Powertrain and transmission (6) | |
| 29 | 1 | 5 | Powertrain and transmission (9) | |
| 14 | 0 | 4 | Air bags (4) | |
| 8 | 0 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (2) | |
| 10 | 1 | 0 | Engine and cooling (4) | |
| 6 | 0 | 1 | Speed control and throttle (3) | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | Suspension (1) |
What fails on the 1993 Saab 9000
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 31% |
9 | 1 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 14% |
4 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 1993 Saab 9000 |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 14% |
4 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 1993 Saab 9000 |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 10% |
3 | 0 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 1993 Saab 9000 |
| Seat belts | 10% |
3 | 0 | Check recalls for seat belts on NHTSA.gov |
| Wheels | 7% |
2 | 0 | — |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 7% |
2 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 1993 Saab 9000 |
| Air bags | 7% |
2 | 0 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
One of the gears broke in the differential, causing left front wheel to lock and steering to became unstable. Owner has defective parts. *ak
-
When making a left turn at very low speeds right side of axle broke, making vehicle inoperable. Contacted dealer, and the dealer was not willing to fix the problem. *ak
-
Consumer applied brakes at 55-60 mph, there was a loud noise and pedal went to the floor. Dealer determined that brake line was crushed due to engine movement.*ak
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Saab 9000 years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 1993, 1992, 1994 carry the most filings on the Saab 9000. The 1993 alone has 29 complaints, led by powertrain and transmission.
What is the most common Saab 9000 problem?
On the 1993 model year, the most-reported component is powertrain and transmission with 9 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Saab 9000 problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Saab 9000 complaints that include mileage is about 100,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.