FaultScore

Worst years for a Saab 900

Owners have filed 549 complaints about the Saab 900 with NHTSA across model years 1979 to 2000. More of them are about the electrical system than anything else.

Avoid

1995 Saab 900

159 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly transmission & drivetrain.

Cleanest on record

1997 Saab 900

27 complaints — the lowest FaultScore of the graded years.

Every Saab 900 year, graded

The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded
Year Grade Complaints Crashes Fires Median miles Most reported
2000 1 0 0 Tires
1999 4 0 0 Electrical System
1998 C 26 0 0 86,250 Airbags
1997 A 27 0 0 107,000 Transmission & Drivetrain
1996 B 78 0 5 99,000 Electrical System
1995 D 159 11 5 80,000 Transmission & Drivetrain
1994 C 88 5 2 Engine & Cooling
1993 8 4 2 Electrical System
1992 25 2 1 Airbags
1991 15 0 0 Brakes
1990 21 4 2 Brakes
1989 34 2 4 Engine & Cooling
1988 18 1 1 Engine & Cooling
1987 12 0 2 Engine & Cooling
1986 18 1 2 Electrical System
1985 5 0 1 Electrical System
1984 4 0 1 Electrical System
1983 2 1 0 Transmission & Drivetrain
1982 1 0 0 Airbags
1981 1 0 1 Engine & Cooling
1979 2 1 0 Suspension

What breaks on a Saab 900

Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.

Worst in 1995

Engine & Cooling 74 13.5%

Worst in 1995

Worst in 1995

Brakes 45 8.2%

Worst in 1995

Airbags 42 7.7%

Worst in 1998

Worst in 1994

Suspension 25 4.6%

Worst in 1995

Windows, Mirrors & Wipers 24 4.4%

Worst in 1995

Body & Structure 22 4.0%

Worst in 1995

Lights 22 4.0%

Worst in 1995

Seat Belts 21 3.8%

Worst in 1995

Equipment & Accessories 20 3.6%

Worst in 1996

Fuel & Propulsion 19 3.5%

Worst in 1996

Seats 14 2.6%

Worst in 1994

Exactly what failed on a Saab 900

The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.

Manual Transmission 23 15.1%
Frontal 21 13.8%
Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip 19 12.5%
Engine 17 11.2%
Gasoline 14 9.2%
Automatic Transmission 13 8.6%
Ignition 12 7.9%
Front Underhood 12 7.9%
Module 11 7.2%
AIR Conditioner 10 6.6%

Complaints filed over time

Every complaint about every Saab 900, by the month it reached NHTSA.

Jan 1995 peak 24 Feb 2024

Saab 900 problems by state

Where owners filed from. Heavier states are usually just bigger markets, but a part that fails in heat or salt shows up here first.

Compare the Saab 900

Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.