"How reliable is the 1990 Saab 900?"

"Based on 21 NHTSA complaints, the 1990 Saab 900 has a median complaint mileage of 0 miles. The most common issue is Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip."

"What are common problems with the 1990 Saab 900?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 1990 Saab 900 is Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip, accounting for a significant portion of the 21 total complaints filed."

1990 Saab 900: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 21 complaints

Total Complaints

Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip

Top Issue

Crash Reports

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip

Vehicle Speed Control

Engine

Front Underhood

Frontal

Electrical Heating Element

Automatic Transmission

Ignition

Recliner

Cruise Control

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"WHILE DRIVING, ENGINE TIMING CHAIN BROKE; SPEED 35 MPH; ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN, BUT WOULD NOT MOVE; SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY. TT"

"ORIGINAL/REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION FAILED. *SKD"

"THE HEATER VALVE FAILED THAT CAUSED FLOOR BOARD ON THE PASSENGER SIDE TO GET WET. TT"

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 6 NJ: 2 NY: 2 VA: 2 CO: 2 NC: 1 MD: 1 GA: 1 TX: 1 CT: 1

Who Files Complaints?

9.5%

Original Owners

90.5%

Second+ Owners

Saab 900 — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1992	25	-	Frontal	2
1994	88	-	Vehicle Speed Control	5
1995	159	80,000	Manual Transmission	11
1996	78	99,000	Manual Transmission	0
1997	27	107,000	Power Adjust	0
1998	26	86,250	Frontal	0

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28