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2005 Saab 9-3 Recalls & Complaints

3

open safety recalls on record

Critical

114 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.46 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Critical11E009000

Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump

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

Remedy & full details

TI AUTOMOTIVE WILL NOTIFY OWNERS OF RECORD AND WILL REPLACE ANY DEFECTIVE FUEL PUMP WITH A NEW OR REWORKED FUEL PUMP FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 22, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TI AUTOMOTIVE AT 1-866-867-3759 OR LOG ON TO WWW.RECALLRESPONSE.COM.

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.

Serious14V318000

Seat Belts:Front:Retractor

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.

Remedy & full details

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's seat belt retractor, free of charge. The recall began on October 6, 2015. Owners may contact Saab customer service at 1-800-955-9007. GM's number for this recall is 14222. Note: Special Coverage 10086 will replace the passenger side seat belt retractor if it fails, free of charge, for the life of the vehicle.

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.

Serious05V236000

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Power Assist:Vacuum:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings

IF THIS CONDITION WERE TO OCCUR WHEN MINIMUM STOPPING DISTANCE IS REQUIRED, A CRASH COULD OCCUR.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW REDESIGNED CHECK VALVE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 17, 2006. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT SAAB AT 1-800-955-9007.

CERTAIN SPORT SEDAN AND CONVERTIBLE PASSENGER VEHICLES WERE PRODUCED WITH A VACUUM PIPE CHECK VALVE FOR THE BRAKE BOOSTER THAT MAY FAIL FROM EXPOSURE TO ELEVATED TEMPERATURES. THIS COULD RESULT IN SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER BRAKE ASSIST, USUALLY WITH LITTLE OR NO WARNING.

Complaint volume

114 this model-year 6 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
2Fires
9Injuries
0Deaths

Across 114 complaints. Severity Index 0.46.

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

Seat Belts20 · 18%Suspension · Front15 · 13%Suspension14 · 12%Air Bags10 · 9%Electrical System9 · 8%Fuel/Propulsion System5 · 4%Engine And Engine Cooling3 · 3%Vehicle Speed Control3 · 3%
  1. Seat Belts — 20 reports
  2. Suspension:Front — 15 reports
  3. Suspension — 14 reports
  4. Air Bags — 10 reports
  5. Electrical System — 9 reports
  6. Fuel/Propulsion System — 5 reports
  7. Engine And Engine Cooling — 3 reports
  8. Vehicle Speed Control — 3 reports
  9. Fuel System, Gasoline — 3 reports
  10. Electronic Stability Control (Esc) — 3 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 (2) · 2001 (4) · 2002 (4) · 2003 (5) · 2004 (6) · 2005 · 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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