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2000 Saab 9-3 Recalls & Complaints

2

open safety recalls on record

Critical

72 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.79 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Critical05V399000

Electrical System:Ignition:Module

OVERHEATING OF THE IGBT OCCURS MOST OFTEN AT ENGINE START-UP, BUT IT MAY ALSO OCCUR WHILE THE ENGINE IS RUNNING.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL INSPECT TO SEE WHAT VERSION IDM IS IN THE VEHICLE AND REPLACE THE IDM IF IT IS A VERSION BUILT PRIOR TO THE INTRODUCTION OF QP3. AN INTERIM LETTER WILL BE MAILED TO OWNERS IN OCTOBER 2005, INFORMING THEM OF THE CONDITION. PARTS ARE NOW AVAILABLE AND OWNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED TO BRING THEIR VEHICLES IN TO THE DEALERS TO HAVE THE IDM REPLACED BY LETTER DATED MARCH 13, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SAAB AT 1-800-955-9007.

CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH B205/B235 4-CYLINDER GASOLINE ENGINES AND B308 6-CYLINDER GASOLINE ENGINES MAY EXPERIENCE OVERHEATING AND BURNOUT OF THE ISOLATED GATED BIPOLAR TRANSISTOR (IGBT) WITHIN THE IGNITION DISCHARGE MODULE (IDM) DUE TO INCREASED SUSCEPTIBILITY TO ELECTRICAL LOADS.

Serious01V168000

Air Bags

THESE VEHICLES DO NOT COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL CLEAN THE SUNVISOR SURFACE AND APPLY A NEW AIR BAG ALERT LABEL ON BOTH SUNVISORS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JULY 30, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT SAAB AT 1-800-955-9007.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 208, "OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION." THE AIR BAG ALERT LABELS MAY NOT BE PERMANENTLY AFFIXED AS REQUIRED BY THIS STANDARD.

Complaint volume

72 this model-year 8 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

5Crashes
1Fires
11Injuries
0Deaths

Across 72 complaints. Severity Index 0.79.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Electrical System · Ignit…12 · 17%Air Bags10 · 14%Electrical System · Ignit…9 · 13%Electrical System9 · 13%Engine And Engine Cooling8 · 11%Seat Belts3 · 4%Fuel System, Gasoline2 · 3%Engine And Engine Cooling…2 · 3%
  1. Electrical System:Ignition:Module — 12 reports
  2. Air Bags — 10 reports
  3. Electrical System:Ignition — 9 reports
  4. Electrical System — 9 reports
  5. Engine And Engine Cooling — 8 reports
  6. Seat Belts — 3 reports
  7. Fuel System, Gasoline — 2 reports
  8. Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine — 2 reports
  9. Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Belts And Associated Pulleys — 2 reports
  10. Vehicle Speed Control — 1 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1999 (3) · 2000 · 2001 (4) · 2002 (4) · 2003 (5) · 2004 (6) · 2005 (3) · 2006 (3) · 2007 (3) · 2008 (3) · 2009 (3) · 2010 (4) · 2011 (4)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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