"How reliable is the 2011 Saab 9-3?"

"Based on 33 NHTSA complaints, the 2011 Saab 9-3 has a median complaint mileage of 90000 miles. The most common issue is AIR BAGS."

"What are common problems with the 2011 Saab 9-3?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2011 Saab 9-3 is AIR BAGS, accounting for a significant portion of the 33 total complaints filed."

2011 Saab 9-3: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 33 complaints

Total Complaints

90,000mi

Median Mileage

AIR BAGS

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

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

50,300 25th Percentile

90,000 Median Mileage

107,574 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

AIR BAGS

SEAT BELTS

POWER TRAIN

SERVICE BRAKES

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

SUSPENSION

ENGINE

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"THE ALL WHEEL DRIVE HYDRAULIC PUMP WENT BAD AND THERE ARE NONE AVAILABLE TO FIX CAR. THE HALDEX ALL WHEEL DRIVE IS BEING USED ON VARIOUS OTHER MAKES AND I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A DEFECT IN THE DESIGN OF THE SYSTEM. WHEN I CHECKED ON LINE THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF PEOPLE REPORTING THIS SAME PROBL..."

"LARGE SECTIONS OF THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS ARE FLAKING APART. THE ROTOR SURFACE IS REDUCED TO ABOUT HALF OF NORMAL AND NO LONGER PROVIDES SAFE STOPPING ABILITY. STOPPING DISTANCE IS SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED AND SAFETY IS SEVERELY COMPROMISED. VEHICLE MILEAGE AT TIME PF PROBLEM DISCOVERY 14,000 MILES."

"TAKATA RECALL GM/SAAB HAS NO PARTS TO DELIVER TO THE LOCAL SAAB DEALER TO REPLACE THE NECESSARY PARTS TO MAKE THE CAR SAFE TO DRIVE. GM CLAIMS THAT THE PROBLEM IS NOT A HIGH RISK IN NEW YORK."

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