"How reliable is the 2002 Saab 9-5?"

"Based on 74 NHTSA complaints, the 2002 Saab 9-5 has a median complaint mileage of 46000 miles. The most common issue is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM."

"What are common problems with the 2002 Saab 9-5?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2002 Saab 9-5 is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, accounting for a significant portion of the 74 total complaints filed."

2002 Saab 9-5: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 74 complaints

Total Complaints

46,000mi

Median Mileage

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

29,470 25th Percentile

46,000 Median Mileage

71,940 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

SEAT BELTS

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

AIR BAGS

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING 60MPH VEHICLE STALLED W/O WARNING CAUSING POWER STEERING AND BRAKE FUNCTIONS TO FAIL. CHECKED BY DEALER WHO CAN NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM OR DETERMINE CAUSE. TS"

"THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING, THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THE DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE FAILED. *JB SCC"

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

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