2010 Saab 9-3

No clear pattern

0% of complaints about the 2010 Saab 9-3 arrived in its first year of service. That is an unusual figure for a 2010 vehicle, but with only 31 complaints on record the sample is too small to call it a pattern — the margin of error covers the range where ordinary vehicles sit. The figures below are reported without a verdict. The most-reported system is air bags (22 complaints), typically at 6.5 yr or about 52,000 miles.

Complaints: 31
Median age at failure: 6.5 yr
Median mileage: 50,000 n=9
Crash / fire / tow: 0% of reports
Safety recalls: 4

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

16V063000 2016-02-03

Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module

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.

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.

14V318000 2014-06-12

Seat belts:front:retractor

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.

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.

11E009000 2011-02-28

Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump

TI AUTOMOTIVE IS RECALLING CERTAIN FUEL PUMPS, PART NUMBERS TU456 AND TU303, SOLD UNDER VARIOUS BRAND NAMES AS AFTERMARKET AND REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR THE MOTOR VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE DEFECTIVE FUEL PUMP MAY SEIZE, STOPPING THE FUEL FLOW TO THE ENGINE CREATING A STALLING CONDITION.

A VEHICLE CRASH COULD OCCUR SHOULD THE ENGINE STALL WHILE IN USE.

11V015000 2011-01-19

Fuel system, other:delivery:fuel pump

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.

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

In owners’ own words

Air bags 66,000 mi 6.5 yr in service

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 SAAB 9.3. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V063000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 66,000. UPDATED 05/10/16*LJ *TR

Air bags 30,000 mi 6.5 yr in service

G.M. HAS NO INFORMATION WHEN A SAFE REPLACEMENT WILL BE A AVAILABLE. NOT ACCEPTABLE, THE OLDER THE CAR IS THE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE IT IS FOR THE DEFECT, ANOTHER DEATH HAS JUST BEEN REPORTED IN A HONDA AND G.M. EXPECTS ME TO DRIVE THE CAR. HOW MANY MORE PEOPLE HAVE TO DIE BECAUSE CERTAIN COMPANIES ARE ALLOWED TO BUILD GARBAGE? I HAVE AN IDEA MAKE THEM MAKE THEIR CARS AS SAFE AS A TESLA.

Air bags mileage not reported 6.5 yr in service

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 SAAB 9-3. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V063000 (AIR BAGS) AND FELT THAT THE PART EXPECTED AVAILABILITY DATE WAS UNREASONABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

Other 9-3 model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2010 Saab 9-3

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

In owners’ own words

Other 9-3 model years

How to read this