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1996 Saab 900 Recalls & Complaints

3

open safety recalls on record

Serious

78 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.19 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious96V077000

Seat Belts:Front:Anchorage

CONSEQUENCE OF NON-COMPLIANCE: THE BELT MAY NOT LATCH PROPERLY raises the risk of INJURY TO AN OCCUPANT SHOULD A VEHICLE CRASH OCCUR.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE SAFETY BELT ASSEMBLIES FOR THE DATE OF MANUFACTURE. ANY ASSEMBLY WITH DATE YEAR 96 WEEK 10 DAY 2 WILL BE REPLACED.

DURING STATIC TESTING OF BELT ANCHORAGE POINTS, THE OUTBOARD ATTACHMENT PLATE BEING USED IN THE TESTING DEFORMED AND DETACHED FROM THE SEAT ANCHORAGE. THIS DOES NOT COMPLY WITH FMVSS NO. 209, "SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES" AND NO. 210, "SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY ANCHORAGES."

Moderate98V038000

Exterior Lighting:Headlights

IF THE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES ARE REPLACED, CUSTOMERS MAY NOT BE ABLE TO PROPERLY AIM THE HEADLIGHTS.

Remedy & full details

OWNERS WILL BE SENT AIMING INSTRUCTIONS, AND DIRECTIONS FOR AFFIXING THESE INSERTS TO THE OWNER GUIDES. IF AN OWNER SO DESIRES, A DEALER CAN AFFIX THE INSERTS IN THEIR OWNER GUIDE FOR THEM.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR PROPERLY AIMING THE HEADLIGHTING SYSTEM WERE OMITTED. THIS DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."

Moderate97V046000

Vehicle Speed Control

THIS BINDING CAN RESULT IN THE THROTTLE PLATE NOT RETURNING TO THE CLOSED POSITION WHEN THE THROTTLE PEDAL IS RELEASED AND A SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF THROTTLE CONTROL.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ZINC-COATED THROTTLE CONTROL LEVER BUSHING WITH A NICKEL-COATED BUSHING AND BOLT.

CORROSION AROUND THE ZINC-COATED THROTTLE CONTROL LEVER BUSHING CAN CAUSE THE THROTTLE LEVER TO BIND.

Complaint volume

78 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

0Crashes
5Fires
0Injuries
0Deaths

Across 78 complaints. Severity Index 0.19.

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

Power Train · Manual Tran…5 · 6%Electrical System · 12v/2…4 · 5%Air Bags4 · 5%Fuel System, Gasoline · S…4 · 5%Exterior Lighting · Headl…3 · 4%Equipment · Electrical · …3 · 4%Electrical System3 · 4%Engine And Engine Cooling…3 · 4%
  1. Power Train:Manual Transmission — 5 reports
  2. Electrical System:12v/24v/48v Battery — 4 reports
  3. Air Bags — 4 reports
  4. Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly — 4 reports
  5. Exterior Lighting:Headlights — 3 reports
  6. Equipment:Electrical:Radio/Tape Deck/Cd Etc. — 3 reports
  7. Electrical System — 3 reports
  8. Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine — 3 reports
  9. Power Train:Automatic Transmission — 3 reports
  10. Vehicle Speed Control — 2 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

1995 (7) · 1996 · 1997 (3) · 1998 (3) · 1999

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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