repaired · 2017 Q1
Front: retractor
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.
2004 Saab 9-3Problems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 207 owner complaints about the 2004 Saab 9-3, most often about the seat belts. It is covered by 5 safety recalls, and for recall 14V-318 the manufacturer reports only 33% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through July 15, 2024. Updated daily. Photo: Hugh Llewelyn from Keynsham, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2004 Saab 9-3 has problems
207 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
79Seat belts
52Suspension
20Air bags6 crash/fire/injury
13Electrical system
9Engine and engine cooling
6Fuel system, gasoline
6Service brakes, hydraulic
5Power train
5Exterior lighting
2912 other systems3 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Seat belts | 79 | 0 |
| Suspension | 52 | 0 |
| Air bags | 20 | 6 |
| Electrical system | 13 | 1 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 9 | 2 |
| Fuel system, gasoline | 6 | 0 |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 6 | 1 |
| Power train | 5 | 1 |
| Exterior lighting | 5 | 0 |
| 12 other systems | 29 | 3 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
5 recalls
2004 Saab 9-3 recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
no report yet
Front: retractor
Risk. USING A SEAT BELT THAT HAS NOT RETRACTED, AND IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, A SEAT OCCUPANT MAY NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY.
no report yet
Vacuum: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Risk. IF THIS CONDITION WERE TO OCCUR WHEN MINIMUM STOPPING DISTANCE IS REQUIRED, A CRASH COULD OCCUR.
no report yet
Front: retractor
Risk. IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, A FRONT SEAT OCCUPANT MAY RECEIVE MORE SEVERE INJURIES.
Show 1 more recall
no report yet
Front assembly: recliner
Risk. THIS COULD CAUSE THE SEAT BACK TO FOLD FORWARD IN A FRONTAL CRASH, RESULTING IN INJURY TO THE DRIVER AND/OR FRONT SEAT PASSENGER.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Saab.
Mileage at failure
When do seat belts problems start?
85kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 65 seat belts complaints. 63% were reported before 100,000 miles.
1under 30k miles41under 100k miles24100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Seat belts
8 owners mentioned a cost$541median
Middle half: $487 – $575
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
2004 vs. every other 9-3 year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the 9-3 median. How we score
'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2004 Saab 9-3 safety ratings
2004 Saab 9-3 Convertible w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
- Stability control: Standard
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
3 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2004 Saab 9-3, and the recalls they led to.
- Front Suspension Coil Spring FractureNo recall
- FRONT SUSPENSION COIL SPRING FRACTURENo recall
- SEAT BELT RETRACTORLed to recall 10V-043
In owners' words
What 9-3 owners report
Recent seat belts complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
******* DELETE VOQ ******* THIS COMPLAINT IS BEING MARKED FOR DELETION BECAUSE THE CONSUMER PLACED THE REQUEST*DJR ******* DELETE VOQ *******
CALLED DEVOE AUTOMOTIVE IN NAPLES TO HAVE RECALLED SEATBELT FIXED, IT JUST FAILED TO RETRACT. I SENT A PICTURE OF THE VIN. AND WAS TOLD THEY COULD NOT FIND IT AND COULD NOT HELP US WITH OUT A LETTER WITH OUR VIN ON IT SAYING THE BROKEN SEATBELT WAS RECALLED, JUST BECAUSE IT WILL NOT RETRACT THAT…
I RECIEVED A LETTER RECALL 15027 DATED DECEMBER 2018. I HAD TO HAVE MY SEATBELT REPAIRED IN JUNE 2016. THE COST OF THE REPAIR WAS $401 AND WAS REPAIRED BY BICKLERS REPAIR. I AM REQUESTING REEMBURSEMENT FOR THE REPAIR IN 2016. IT IS STILL NOT FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY SO I CURRENTLY HAVE IT IN FOR…
Own a 2004 9-3?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.