Total Complaints
1 filings
SAAB 9-5 · model year
1998 SAAB 9-5
1 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1998SAAB9-5 carries 1 consumer safety complaint in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1998 9-5 is service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:control unit/module with 1 filings. Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 9 investigation files overlapping the 1998 9-5. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
1
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20060607SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
THE ABS CONTROL MODULE DIED INSTANTLY WHEN THE CAR HAD DONE LESS THAN 100,000 KM. THE INITIAL COST WAS $2500 BUT THE DEALER AGREED TO SUPPLY THE ECU SEPARATELY SINCE THE ABS HYDRAULIC SYSTEM WAS INTACT. ECU COST IS ABT $1000 AND CONTROL TURBO, ODOMETER, CRUISE CONTROL, SPEEDOMETER, TRACTION CONTROL AND ABS. DID NOT BUY THE PART BECAUSE IT MAY FAIL AGAIN SINCE THERE WAS NO EXPLANATION OR REASON FOR THE FAILURE. *NM
Mileage: 75,000
Compare 1998SAAB9-5 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1998 SAAB 9-5 have?▼
The 1998 SAAB 9-5 has 1 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1998 SAAB 9-5?▼
The most-complained component for the 1998 SAAB 9-5 is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include various components.
Is the 1998 SAAB 9-5 safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.