"How reliable is the 2008 Saab 9-3?"

"Based on 214 NHTSA complaints, the 2008 Saab 9-3 has a median complaint mileage of 80000 miles. The most common issue is AIR BAGS."

"What are common problems with the 2008 Saab 9-3?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2008 Saab 9-3 is AIR BAGS, accounting for a significant portion of the 214 total complaints filed."

2008 Saab 9-3: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 214 complaints

214

Total Complaints

80,000mi

Median Mileage

AIR BAGS

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

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

48,750 25th Percentile

80,000 Median Mileage

100,050 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

AIR BAGS

ENGINE

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

SUSPENSION

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

POWER TRAIN

SEAT BELTS

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"UNSAFE TO KNOW THAT MY NEW CAR HAS DOOR LOCKS THAT DO NOT UNLOCK FROM WITHIN THE CAR CABIN WHEN THE DOOR HANDLE IS PULLED. UNLIKE MY PREVIOUS CAR (VW) WHEREBY THE DOOR IS UNLOCKED WHEN THE DRIVER DOOR (FOR EXAMPLE) IS PULLED - DOOR OPENS OR MY BMW WHEREBY THE DOOR IS UNLOCKED BY PULLING THE HANDLE ..."

"TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SAAB 9-3 CONVERTIBLE. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE CONTACT NOTICED A GAP BETWEEN THE ROOF AND THE VEHICLE. HE DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE ROOF OF THE 2008 SAABS WERE REDESIGNED. TWO ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE MA..."

"2008 SAAB 93 2.0T SEDAN STALLED (NO SPUTTER OR BUCK, BUT JUST A LOSS OF POWER) WHILE DRIVING. RESULTED IN A COLLISION. INITIAL DEALERSHIP MECHANICS HAVE "NO FINDINGS" - THEY WILL HAVE A FIELD ENGINEER INVESTIGATE TOMORROW. *TR"

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