Model year record

2009 SAAB 9-3

2 recall campaigns on file for this model year. 46 owner complaints on file.

Recalls

Recall campaignNHTSA 16V063000

Air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module

Component
Air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module
Manufacturer
General Motors LLC
Vehicles affected
113,716
Reported to NHTSA
2016-02-03
Owners notified
2017-03-01

Defect description

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.

Safety risk

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.

Manufacturer remedy

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator on Saab 9-3 and 9-5 vehicles and will replace the driver's frontal airbag module on Saturn Astra vehicles, free of charge. The recall began on March 1, 2017. Owners may contact Saab customer service at 1-800-955-9007 or Saturn customer service at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 28810.

Recall campaignNHTSA 14V318000

Seat belts: front: retractor

Component
Seat belts: front: retractor
Manufacturer
General Motors LLC
Vehicles affected
28,789
Reported to NHTSA
2014-06-12
Owners notified
2015-10-06

Defect description

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.

Safety risk

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.

Manufacturer remedy

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.

Owner complaints

A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.

ComponentComplaintsMedian mileage
Air bags1750,000 mi
Engine1277,000 mi
Fuel/propulsion system477,000 mi
Seat belts225,000 mi
Service brakes26,989 mi
Electrical system118,200 mi
Engine and engine cooling160,000 mi
Exterior lighting139,269 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic112,800 mi
Steering159,500 mi
Structure: body123,000 mi
Suspension: front: springs: coil springs144,000 mi
Tires: pressure monitoring and regulating systems118,200 mi
Wheels118,200 mi

The 2008 model has about a fifth as many complaints as this one. The 2010 model has about 1.5 times as many complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.

Open investigations

An investigation is not a recall. It indicates that NHTSA is currently evaluating an alleged defect but has not reached a final determination.

EA21002Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

Air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module

Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.