370 of the
1,689 complaints filed about the Saab 9-3
are about the airbag system —
22% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2006.
I have been trying to get this recall done for many years and with no luck. Most recently June 26th 2026 I was informed my recall was not fixable again and I hope for the last time. Enough is enough! Van Bortel Chevrolet in Macedon Ny tried again today which is there 2nd attempt. I had to buy a software card to give them the tool they didn’t have to fit in there tech 2 scanner and even with the card they were unable to fix. It’s a major safety issue I have been more than patient with and can’t even begin to tell you over the years how much time and money spent trying to fix. I think at this point they need to replace car with similar or purchase from me.
NHTSA complaint #11746834 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Hello, I know the Takata airbag has to be replaced on my car. However now I do live abroad, in Gothenburg Sweden in Europe. How do I get the replacement done? Should I go to GM here in Europe? Thanks
NHTSA complaint #11703471 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2008 Saab 9-3. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 14V318000 (Seat Belts) and 16V063000 (Air Bags); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted; however, the dealer declined to service the vehicle. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
NHTSA complaint #11611827 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The driver's side, side air bag deployed spontaneously. There was no apparent reason or cause, ie no side impact of any kind, no door slamming or other provocation. The car was parked in a garage for six hours before I sat in the car, closed the door, then BLAM! Temperature was moderate, where as the car is often parked on a city street in direct sun. Air bag deployment was a loud bang followed by smoke from an explosive, and a sting on my neck and shoulder where the bag hit me. Bits of foam from the seat interior, where the air bag was located, blew around the car interior. I suffered temporary hearing loss in my left ear due to the loud bang. I was also quite startled. No other people were at risk. No other air bags have deployed since I've owned the car, approx. 20 yrs., purchased used. I will consult an authorized repair shop, insurance agent, and a dealer service center for more info. A Saab dealer service center told me a new replacement air bag would be available from Sweden at a cost of $700. That would be in addition to the cost of repairing the seat, door frame panel, and other items. There were no prior dash board or related fault code messages. The car has never been in an accident or impacted in any way to the best of my knowledge (I saw a Carfax report at purchase).
NHTSA complaint #11605808 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
unexpected and unrequested deployment of driver side seat air bag. i was driving the vehicle at a speed of 0-5mph attempting to back the vehicle into a parking spot when the driver seat air bag deployed. a report was made with the local police department. no indicator or failure lights were present, the vehicle is able to be inspected at this time for further information. It is unknown about any other inspections by anyone other than the local police department.
NHTSA complaint #11436277 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Warning message that airbag is not working. Loud hissing sound immediately in front of dashboard, as if air is escaping. We cannot drive the car for fear of the airbag inflating. We are going to have to towed to a repair shop to be fixed and will keep all paperwork.
NHTSA complaint #11435100 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I left my home with my daughter in the afternoon to go to the bank and hardware store. I drove to the bank to make a deposit. We had to wait for quite awhile in the drive-through line at the bank, so I turned off my engine a couple of times rather than having the car idle. After making the deposit at the bank, I pulled out of the bank lot and began driving to the hardware store. I had driven for about two minutes and was driving along at approximately 25-30 miles an hour, and suddenly there was a terrible explosion at my left ear and massive pain in my left arm. I thought the car had been shot at and my arm hit. I was terrified we were still being shot at and looked at my daughter whose hands were over her ears. I could tell by that time that I was not bleeding and so was worried that the bullet had hit her. I could hear only faintly out of my left ear. There was smoke and the smell of an explosion. I could see by this time that an airbag had come out of my driver's seat and thought that it had been hit too. My daughter told me she was o.k. and to pull the car over so that we could see what had happened. I was shaking with fear and pain in my arm but finally calmed down enough to park the car and get out to see what had happened. It became clear that the car had not been shot at and that the driver's side seat airbag had simply spontaneously exploded without any warning whatsoever. The driver's seat side seam was completely ripped, multiple pieces of seat foam were lying about, and the air bag in the seat was out and ripped. The seat was still smoking. Luckily I had had my window completely down, or the explosion would have been louder in the car, and my arm and left side could have been more badly injured. I called my longtime Saab repairman who told me that what happened to me was extremely rare. He said I would need a new seat and that the computer system would need to be reset for the airbag system to work again. Insurance will examine soon. I may try GM too.
NHTSA complaint #11417447 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TODAY, SHORTLY AFTER STARTING THE CAR, AN AIRBAG DEPLOYED. THE CAR WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY AND NOT IN MOTION, AND THERE WAS NO IMPACT. THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED FROM THE OUTBOARD SIDE OF THE PASSENGER SEAT. I WAS SEATED IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT. THE PASSENGER SEAT WAS UNOCCUPIED AND ITS SEAT BELT WAS UNFASTENED, HOWEVER A LAPTOP AND SOME OTHER LIGHTWEIGHT OBJECTS WERE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT.
NHTSA complaint #11398304 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I WAS DRIVING MY 2003 SAAB 9-3 SE CONVERTIBLE TO THE NEARBY PUBLIX SUPERMARKET. THE CAR HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT OR HIT. I PARKED IT IN THE LOT WITH THE TOP DOWN AND WENT INTO THE STORE FOR APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES. IT WAS A WARM DRY DAY IN FLORIDA ABOUT 85 DEGREES. I CAME OUT AND PUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND TURNED IT TO START THE CAR, AND THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG EXPLODED FOR NO KNOWN REASON. I CALLED GM, THEY TOOK THE CAR TO A GM FACILITY AND INSPECTED IT, AND THEN CAME BACK A WEEK LATER AND SAID THE UNEXPLAINED DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAG WAS NOT A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT AND THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR IT. I FIND THAT DIFFICULT TO BELIEVE. THE AIRBAG SHOULD NOT DEPLOY ARBITRARILY WHEN THE IGNITION KEY IS TURNED.
NHTSA complaint #11389024 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
IN NEUTRAL PARKED IN TRAFFIC AT A RED LIGHT / INTERSECTION WAITING FOR GREEN, THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG IN MY SEAT DEPLOYED/ EXPLODED CAUSING INJURY AND BRUISING TO LEFT ARM.
NHTSA complaint #11338755 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING, THE AIR BAG SENSOR WARNING LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER AND LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000.
NHTSA complaint #11326728 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIND A DEALERSHIP TO FIX MY RECALL BUT GENERAL MOTORS STATED THEY DO NOT FIX IT. I AM RECEIVING CALLS AND LETTERS EVERY OTHER WEEK. WHO WILL FIX THIS ISSUE ??? I AM LOCATED IN THE WILKES BARRE PA 18705 AREA. PLEASE ADVISE THANK YOU
NHTSA complaint #11282967 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I CALLED ELKINS CHEVROLET IN MARLTON NJ AS LISTED ON MY RECALL FORM. I CALLED THEM TWO TIMES. THE FIRST TIME THEY TOLD ME THE PART IS NOT AVAILABLE. I THEN RECEIVED A FEW MORE RECALL NOTICES STILL LISTING THEM AS THE SERVICE CENTER. I CALLED AGAIN AN WAS THEN TOLD THE ONLY WORK OF CHEVROLETS. BOTH TURNED OUT TO BE BOLD FACED LIES!
NHTSA complaint #11271518 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V063000 (AIR BAGS). AFTER CONTACTING MALCOLM CUNNINGHAM CHEVROLET (2031 GORDON HWY, AUGUSTA, GA), THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THEY DID NOT SERVICE SAAB VEHICLES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.
NHTSA complaint #11253359 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TAKATA RECALL, I TOOK MY 06 SAAB 93 AERO INTO BELLEVUE WASHINGTON CADILLAC DEALERSHIP TO GET MY AIR BAG RECALL FIXED, AFTER I HOT THE RECALLED AIRBAG REPLACED THEY RESET MY ECM AND NOW MY AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON INTERMITTENTLY AND DRAINS MY BATTERY DEAD OVER NIGHT! I HAVE CALLED BELLEVUE CADILLAC AND THEY REFUSE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE DAMAGE THEY DID TO MY CAR BY REPLACING THE RECALLED AIRBAG WITH ANOTHER BAD AIRBAG! THEY LISTED IN THEIR COMPUTERS THAT THEY FIXED MY CAR AND NEVER DID SO NOW I AM STUCK WITH ANOTHER BAD FAULTY AIRBAG AND NOW A BATTERY DRAIN ISSUE FROM IT. MY CAR HAS BEEN LITERALLY UNDRIVEABLE SINCE THE DAY THEY REPLACED THE RECALLED AIRBAG. THE CAR ALSO HAS A FAILED GAS GAUGE DUE TO ELECTRICAL ISSUES FROM THE FACTORY WHICH WAS NEVER RECALLED, THE FUEL SENDING UNITS ARE BAD AND NEVER WORKED PROPERLY SINCE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED WHICH ALOT IF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME SAABS HAVE EXPERIENCED ALL OVER THE WORLD!
NHTSA complaint #11180544 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I GOT INTO MY PARKED VEHICLE AS NORMAL, CLOSED THE DOOR AND FASTENED MY SEATBELT. I THEN DEPRESSED THE CLUTCH PEDAL AND INSERTED THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION. AS I TURNED THE KEY TO START THE CAR, THE DRIVERS SEAT SIDE IMPACT AIRBAG DEPLOYED SPONTANEOUSLY CAUSING TEMPORARY LOSS OF HEARING, A RINGING SOUND IN THE EARS, AND INJURY TO MY LEFT ARM. I REMOVED THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION AND EXITED THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, AND OFF/NOT RUNNING, IN A PARKING LOT AT A LOCAL SHOPPING MALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT HIT, DAMAGED, OR USED IN ANY OTHER WAY OUT OF ORDINARY OPERATION. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS, SOUNDS, OR SIGNS OF DISTURBANCE IN THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. I WENT TO THE HOSPITAL SHORTER AFTER TO BE TREATED FOR MY INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO ITS PRIMARY PLACE OF REST, MY HOME.
NHTSA complaint #11131905 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 SAAB 9-3. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG ERRONEOUSLY DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING OR IMPACT. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD NOT CRASHED OR DRIVEN OVER A ROAD BUMP WHEN THE DEPLOYMENT OCCURRED. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED AN INJURED RIGHT ARM, SHOULDER, AND TORSO, WHICH DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND LOCAL DEALER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 154,000.
NHTSA complaint #11112450 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.