FaultScore

2005 Saab 9-3 seat belt problems

22 of the 114 complaints about the 2005 Saab 9-3 are about the seat belts — 19% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 94,000 miles.

C

22

Complaints

1

Crashes

0

Fires

0

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Seat Belts 20 90.9%
Buckle Assembly 1 4.5%
Front 1 4.5%

Seat Belts across every Saab 9-3 year

2003 12 8.6%
2004 80 57.6%
2005 22 15.8%
2006 15 10.8%
2008 10 7.2%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

Parkland, FL

SEAT BELTS

 The contact owns a 2005 Saab 9-3. The contact stated that the front passenger's side seat belt failed to latch. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V318000 (Seat Belts). The vehicle was not repaired. There was no further information provided. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA complaint #11536267 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 130,000 miles Washington, DC

SEAT BELTS

NHTSA 14V318000 WAS A RECALL FOR SEAT BELTS THAT FAILS TO RETRACT. WHEN I GET INTO MY CAR AND PULL IT OUT TO FASTEN IT OFTEN REMAINS SLACK. THAT EVENT CAUSED ME TO DO RESEARCH AND FIND THE RECALL. BUT IT DID NOT EXTEND TO MY CAR WHICH HAS THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THE RECALL WAS TOO NARROW.

NHTSA complaint #11202805 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Webster Groves, MO

SEAT BELTS

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 14V318000 (SEAT BELTS) AND 16V063000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIRS WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIRS. WEST COUNTY VOLVO (14410 MANCHESTER RD, MANCHESTER, MO) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WERE TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED.

NHTSA complaint #11073037 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 119,000 miles Tequesta, FL

SEAT BELTS

THE DRIVER'S SEAT-BELT HAS STOPPED RETRACTING. THE ITEM HAS A RECALL BUT PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE

NHTSA complaint #11058400 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 128,000 miles Buffalo, NY

SEAT BELTS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SAAB 9-3. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETRACT WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V318000 (SEAT BELTS). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 128,000.

NHTSA complaint #10904619 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 120,000 miles Waukesha, WI

SEAT BELTS

MUCH LIKE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 14V318000 (GM RECALL NUMBER 14222), THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT DOES NOT RETRACT. THIS OCCURS EVERY TIME THE BELT IS PULLED OUT. IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE BELT WOULD NOT BE CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE DRIVER TO RETRACT, SINCE IT IS TOO LOOSE.

NHTSA complaint #10816874 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Pittsburgh, PA

SEAT BELTS

RECALL 14222/15027. RECEIVED SAFETY RECALL NOTICE TO REPLACE DRIVER'S SIDE SEATBELT MECHANISM. UPON MAKING SERVICE APPOINTMENT WITH LOCAL GM DEALER THEY STATED THEY DO NOT HAVE A TECHNICIAN TO DO IT. I TRIED CALLING THE 800 NUMBER ON THE RECALL NOTICE AND GOT A RECORDING THAT THE NUMBER WAS NO LONGER IN SERVICE. HOW CAN I FIND OUT WHO CAN PERFORM THIS RECALL SERVICE?

NHTSA complaint #10816415 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Minneapolis, MN

SEAT BELTS

THE DRIVER SEAT BELT INTERNAL CABLE BROKE. I TOOK IT TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THERE IS A RECALL. BUT, THE PARTS ARE BACKORDERED OVER 10 MONTHS. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. NOTHING I CAN DO. GM HAS NOT PROVIDED A DATE WHEN THE PARTS WILL BE AVAILABLE.

NHTSA complaint #10764630 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 119,000 miles Boston, MA

SEAT BELTS

THE RETRACTOR FOR THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT IN MY 2005 SAAB 9-3 AERO CONVERTIBLE BROKE. THIS DEFECT IS ALREADY SUBJECT OF A RECALL BY GM. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER, BUT DID NOT RECEIVE NOTICE OF THIS RECALL. I HAVE CONTACTED GM, THE LOCAL DEALER, AND PARTS DISTRIBUTOR SEVERAL TIMES, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE ITEM IS ON INDEFINITE BACK ORDER AND IS UNLIKELY TO BE AVAILABLE ANY TIME IN THE FUTURE. I BELIEVE THIS SIGNIFICANTLY COMPROMISES THE SAFETY OF THE CAR AND IS AN ATTEMPT BY GM TO AVOID THE RECALL AND REPAIRING THIS SAFETY DEFECT. WHAT CAN BE DONE TO MAKE SURE GM COMPLIES WITH THE RECALL REQUIREMENTS?

NHTSA complaint #10760460 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 10,000 miles Guilford, CT

SEAT BELTS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V318000 (SEAT BELTS) EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR REPAIR. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY STILL DID NOT HAVE THE PARTS TO SATISFY THE RECALL. INTERMITTENTLY, THE CONTACT HAD AN ISSUE WITH RETRACTING THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT AFTER USE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000.

NHTSA complaint #10725508 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 45,000 miles Auburn, NY

SEAT BELTS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A FAILURE WITH THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTING. AS THE FAILURE PROGRESSED, THE SEAT BELT BECAME EXTREMELY TIGHT UPON RELEASE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 04V226000 (SEAT BELTS). THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000. UPDATED 7/9/15

NHTSA complaint #10712709 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 150,000 miles Orlando, FL

SEAT BELTS

DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT DOES NOT RETRACT.

NHTSA complaint #10667957 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 70,000 miles Naperville, IL

SEAT BELTS

NUMEROUS SAAB OWNERS INCLUDING MYSELF HAVE DEFECTIVE SEAT BELTS FOR THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGERS SEATS. THESE SEAT BELTS BREAK AND DO NOT RETRACT PROPERLY AND THEY MUST BE MANUALLY FED BACK INTO THE CAR BODY IN ORDER TO TIGHTEN. IF THIS IS NOT DONE THE SEAT BELT WILL FAIL TO HOLD THE OCCUPANTS IN THE SEAT DURING NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS AS WELL AS IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT WHICH DUE TO THIS DEFECT MAY BECOME FATAL.

NHTSA complaint #10625932 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 56,000 miles Columbia, MO

SEAT BELTS

I GOT IN MY CAR TO GO TO WORK AND AS I PULLED THE BELT OVER MY SHOULDER THE RETRACTING MECHANISM SNAPPED. THE BELT WAS COMPLETELY SLACK WITH NO PROTECTIVE CAPACITY. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR NEW IN 2005. I WAS TOLD IT WAS A RECALL ITEM. I ORDERED THE BELT, IT WAS BACKORDERED ("COMING IN FROM SWEDEN"). I MADE THE APPOINTMENT FOR REPLACING IT, TOOK IT IN AND CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS A RECALL. THEY SAID IT WAS ACTUALLY A "CAMPAIGN" TO REPLACE FAULTY BELT MECHANISMS. TEN MINUTES LATER THEY CHANGED THEIR MINDS, STATING THAT THEY JUST FOUND OUT (?) IT DIDN'T COVER THE CONVERTIBLE...ONLY THE SEDANS. I PAID $431.80 FOR THE BELT AND $337.50 FOR THE LABOR TO INSTALL IT. I FELT THAT, AS I OR MY WIFE COULD HAVE BEEN INJURED OR WORSE HAD IT FAILED IN A COLLISION, THE RESPONSIBILITY SHOULD LIE WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE DEALERSHIP IS WEST COUNTY (SAAB) VOLVO, 14410 MANCHESTER ROAD, MANCHESTER, MO 63011.

NHTSA complaint #10605202 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 116,000 miles Columbus, OH

SEAT BELTS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETRACT. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 116,000.

NHTSA complaint #10593497 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 20,000 miles Naper, IL

SEAT BELTS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELT PRETENSIONER WOULD NOT FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE SEAT BELT PRETENSIONER WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.

NHTSA complaint #10537345 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 65,000 miles Edison, NJ

SEAT BELTS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT RETRACT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000.

NHTSA complaint #10505259 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 103,000 miles Canterbury, CT

SEAT BELTS

I JUST PURCHASED A SAAB AND I NOTICED I HAVE THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT ISSUE SOMEONE ELSE COMPLAINED ABOUT. THE SEAT BELT HAS NO TENSION AND WOULDN'T STOP MY FORWARD MOMENTUM IN AN ACCIDENT. SEARCHING ONLINE I NOTICED THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE IN SAABS FROM AROUND THIS TIME AND THERE ARE RECALLS ON OTHER YEAR MODELS.

NHTSA complaint #10500971 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 93,000 miles Wausau, WI

SEAT BELTS

MY SEAT BELT RETRACTOR DOESN'T WORK AT ALL. IT IS VERY WEAK AND DOESN'T MAKE THE SEAT BELT TIGHT TO MY CHEST. EVERYONE ELSE WHO HAS A 2005 SAAB HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I JUST THINK IF I GET IN A MAJOR ACCIDENT, IT COULD KILL ME.

NHTSA complaint #10472039 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 95,000 miles Shelby Township, MI

SEAT BELTS

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER FOLDING THE SEAT BACK THE SEAT BELT BECAME LOCKED IN PLACE AND HE WAS UNABLE TO RELEASE IT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND REFERRED HIM TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 95,000.

NHTSA complaint #10404027 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 20,000 miles South Bend, IN

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

THE PLASTIC AROUND THE TONGUE OF THE DRIVERS SEAT BELT HAS A VERTICAL CRACK PRESENTING A POTENTIAL POINT OF FAILURE IN AN ACCIDENT WHEREBY THE WEBBING WOULD BE PUSHED THROUGH THE PLASTIC SURROUNDING THE TONGUE AND CAUSING THE OCCUPANT TO BE UNRESTRAINED.

NHTSA complaint #10165431 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 29,612 miles Havre DE Grace, MD Crash

SEAT BELTS:FRONT

SEAT BELT REPAIR PROBLEM RE 2005 SAAB 9.3 VIN [XXX] PURCHASED DEC '04, INVOLVED IN ACCIDENT AUG '05. NO REPAIR PARTS STOCKED IN USA, THEREFORE ORDERED FROM SWEDEN. AFTER SEVEN WEEKS ON ORDER, MOST REPAIR PARTS RECEIVED AND REPAIRS FINALLY HAVE BEEN STARTED MORE THAN EIGHT WEEKS SINCE ACCIDENT. HOWEVER SEAT BELT REPAIR KIT IS STILL ON BACK ORDER. AM ADVISED THAT SAAB'S ORIGINAL SUPPLIER OF SEAT BELT UNITS HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED AND A NEW SUPPLIER HAS NOT BEEN CONTRACTED. SEEMS TO ME THAT AUTO MANUFACTURERS SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO STOCK SAFETY ITEMS AND SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO LET SUPPLY OF SAFETY ITEMS LAPSE WITHOUT REPLACEMENT SOURCES, PARTICULARLY ON LATE MODEL CARS (MINE IS OF THE CURRENT 2005 MODEL YEAR). LOCAL DEALER TRYING UTMOST, BUT SAAB USA AND SAAB SWEDEN APPEAR NOT TOO RESPONSIVE. *JB UPDATED 07/18/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #10140754 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 2005 Saab 9-3 problems

← Full 2005 Saab 9-3 report