SAAB 9-7X · model year

2008 SAAB 9-7X

32 NHTSA complaints, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2008SAAB9-7X carries 32 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 1 fire, 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 2008 9-7X is exterior lighting with 8 filings, followed by electrical system (6) and engine (4). 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. This model year has 1 active recall campaign, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 9 investigation files overlapping the 2008 9-7X. 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.

32
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

32 filings

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

ComponentCount
EXTERIOR LIGHTING8
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM6
ENGINE4
STEERING2
AIR BAGS2
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)2
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD1
STRUCTURE1
EQUIPMENT1
VISIBILITY/WIPER1
SERVICE BRAKES1
POWER TRAIN1
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS1
UNKNOWN OR OTHER1

Recalls (1)

15V51900014/08/2015

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix, 2006-2009 Buick LaCrosse, 2006-2007 Buick Rainier, Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT, GMC Envoy XL, 2006-2008 Isuzu Ascender, and Saab 9-7x vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the headlam

Recent Complaints

20200521UNKNOWN OR OTHER

THERE IS NOT A DEALERSHIP THAT IS ABLE TO FIX THE RECALL ON MY VEHICLE THAT IS NEAR ME. GM RECALL #: 15037 NHTSA # 15V519 DATE ISSUED: JAN 06, 2015 RECALL TITLE: RECALL 15037 - HEADLAMP DRIVER MODULE RECALL STATUS: INCOMPLETE *TR

20200521EXTERIOR LIGHTING

THERE IS NOT A DEALERSHIP THAT IS ABLE TO FIX THE RECALL ON MY VEHICLE THAT IS NEAR ME. GM RECALL #: 15037 NHTSA # 15V519 DATE ISSUED: JAN 06, 2015 RECALL TITLE: RECALL 15037 - HEADLAMP DRIVER MODULE RECALL STATUS: INCOMPLETE *TR

20190115EXTERIOR LIGHTING

DIM HEAD LIGHTS, I HAVE TO USE THE HIGH BEAM LIGHT TO SEE PROPERLY ESPECIALLY ON HIGHWAY OR POORLY LIT AREAS.

20170203EXTERIOR LIGHTING

THERE IS A RECALL FOR CERTAIN 2008 97X MODELS, RECALL NUMBER 15V519000. THE HEADLIGHTS COME ON WHEN DRIVING, BUT THEN FLICKER AND GO OUT, CAUSING A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE . THIS IS HAPPENING TO MY CAR, BUT SAAB TELLS ME MY VIN IS NOT INCLUDED. THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO INCLUDE ALL 2008 97X MODEL. AT THIS TIME, SOME OWNERS ARE GETTING IT FIXED FOR FREE AND OTHERS, LIKE ME WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. *TR

Mileage: 70,000

20161220EXTERIOR LIGHTING

CALLED 800 ^ THE SAID THEY WOULD CALL WHEN PART WAS AVAILABLE, 6 MONTHS LATER RECEIVED SECOND LETTER CALL LOCAL DEALER IN MAY OF 2016 SAID THEY WOULD CALL WHEN PART WAS IN. STILL HAVEN'T RECEIVED A CALL.SAFTY RECALL # 14291/15037.

20160904ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

"TAKATA RECALL" PURCHASED FROM EASTCHESTER CHRYSLER JEEP DODGR DEALERSHIP IN BRONX, NY 10486 , ON FEB. 28, 2015, ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON DASHBOARD INDICATING A POSSIBLE PROBLEM. I TOOK IT BACK APPROXIMATELY 7X TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR AND APPROXIMATELY 8 ADDITIONAL TIMES AT OTHER MECHANICS. UNFORTUNATELY, LIGHT CONTINUES TODAY. BOTH HEADLIGHTS WERE PROBLEM; DRIVERS SIDE BEGINNING FIRST DIMMING VERY LOW. SEVERAL WEEKS LATER, THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT BEGAN TO HAVE PROBLEMS AS WELL. EVENTUALLY IT BECAME A NECESSITY TO BECOME AN EXPENSIVE OUT-OF- POCKET EXPENSE. FINALLY, THE STABILITY CHECK LIGHT CONTINUOUSLY COMES ON AND OFF MAKING IT NECESSARY TO STOP AND TURN OFF AND RESTART VEHICLE AS SUGGESTED BY DEALER MECHANIC ADVICE. ALLINFORMATION DESCRIBED IS VERIFIED WITH DOCUMENTS.

Mileage: 72,246

20160904ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

"TAKATA RECALL" PURCHASED FROM EASTCHESTER CHRYSLER JEEP DODGR DEALERSHIP IN BRONX, NY 10486 , ON FEB. 28, 2015, ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON DASHBOARD INDICATING A POSSIBLE PROBLEM. I TOOK IT BACK APPROXIMATELY 7X TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR AND APPROXIMATELY 8 ADDITIONAL TIMES AT OTHER MECHANICS. UNFORTUNATELY, LIGHT CONTINUES TODAY. BOTH HEADLIGHTS WERE PROBLEM; DRIVERS SIDE BEGINNING FIRST DIMMING VERY LOW. SEVERAL WEEKS LATER, THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT BEGAN TO HAVE PROBLEMS AS WELL. EVENTUALLY IT BECAME A NECESSITY TO BECOME AN EXPENSIVE OUT-OF- POCKET EXPENSE. FINALLY, THE STABILITY CHECK LIGHT CONTINUOUSLY COMES ON AND OFF MAKING IT NECESSARY TO STOP AND TURN OFF AND RESTART VEHICLE AS SUGGESTED BY DEALER MECHANIC ADVICE. ALLINFORMATION DESCRIBED IS VERIFIED WITH DOCUMENTS.

Mileage: 72,246

20160904ENGINE

"TAKATA RECALL" PURCHASED FROM EASTCHESTER CHRYSLER JEEP DODGR DEALERSHIP IN BRONX, NY 10486 , ON FEB. 28, 2015, ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON DASHBOARD INDICATING A POSSIBLE PROBLEM. I TOOK IT BACK APPROXIMATELY 7X TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR AND APPROXIMATELY 8 ADDITIONAL TIMES AT OTHER MECHANICS. UNFORTUNATELY, LIGHT CONTINUES TODAY. BOTH HEADLIGHTS WERE PROBLEM; DRIVERS SIDE BEGINNING FIRST DIMMING VERY LOW. SEVERAL WEEKS LATER, THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT BEGAN TO HAVE PROBLEMS AS WELL. EVENTUALLY IT BECAME A NECESSITY TO BECOME AN EXPENSIVE OUT-OF- POCKET EXPENSE. FINALLY, THE STABILITY CHECK LIGHT CONTINUOUSLY COMES ON AND OFF MAKING IT NECESSARY TO STOP AND TURN OFF AND RESTART VEHICLE AS SUGGESTED BY DEALER MECHANIC ADVICE. ALLINFORMATION DESCRIBED IS VERIFIED WITH DOCUMENTS.

Mileage: 72,246

20160721EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SAAB 9-7X. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE HEADLIGHTS SHUT OFF. THE CONTACT TURNED THE HEADLIGHTS OFF AND ON. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,000.

Mileage: 73,000

20160721AIR BAGS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SAAB 9-7X. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE HEADLIGHTS SHUT OFF. THE CONTACT TURNED THE HEADLIGHTS OFF AND ON. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,000.

Mileage: 73,000

20160718POWER TRAIN

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR IT CUTS OFF WHILE IN THE DRIVE GEAR. THIS HAPPENED 4 TIMES, TWICE WHILE DRIVING ON THE BELTWAY ALL WITHIN A 3 WEEK PERIOD. I HAVE E TO PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND WAIT ABOUT 2 MINUTES THEN START IT UP AGAIN. I WAS SCARED TO DRIVE THE CAR AFTER THE SECOND TIME STOPPING ON THE BELTWAY, SO I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE SHOP. THIS WAS VERY DANGEROUS AND STRESSFUL NOT KNOWING WHEN THE CAR WOULD STOP AT ANY GIVEN TIME. THE DEALER HAD TO REPLACE THE COMPUTER IN THE CAR AT A COST ON $690.00, FROM ME. I THINK THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND THAT I SHOULD BE COMPENSATED FOR THIS AMOUNT. IF THIS MODEL NEEDS TO BE RECALLED THEN IT SHOULD BE BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT OR KILLED. I WILL BE WRITING THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU ALSO TO FILE A COMPLAINT. I GET MY MAINTENANCE ON THIS VEHICLE ON A REGULAR BASIS. I'M GLAD THAT I WAS NOT SERIOUSLY HURT WHEN THIS CAR STOPPED ON THE BELTWAY. MY CAR WAS REPAIRED ON JULY 16,2016, AT ANDERSON OF HUNT VALLEY, 10125 YORK ROAD, COCKEYSVILLE MD 21030

Mileage: 71,248

20160523ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

THE SERVICE STABILI TRAC LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON I ALSO HAD A 06 TRAILBLAZER SAME THING PAID 300.00 TO FIX IT AND KEPT DOING IT.

Mileage: 121,000

20160217ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SAAB 9-7X. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLAMPS INDEPENDENTLY FAILED. IN ADDITION, WHEN THE FOG LIGHTS WERE ACTIVATED ANY OTHER ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS IN USE, THE VEHICLE WOULD SHUT DOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED; HOWEVER, THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE BULB NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED MORE THAN TEN TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V519000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 153,000.

Mileage: 153,000

20160217EXTERIOR LIGHTING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SAAB 9-7X. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLAMPS INDEPENDENTLY FAILED. IN ADDITION, WHEN THE FOG LIGHTS WERE ACTIVATED ANY OTHER ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS IN USE, THE VEHICLE WOULD SHUT DOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED; HOWEVER, THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE BULB NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED MORE THAN TEN TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V519000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 153,000.

Mileage: 153,000

20160205EXTERIOR LIGHTING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SAAB 9-7X. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V755000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING); HOWEVER, THE PART FOR THE RECALL WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

20160125ENGINE

I GOT A TROUBLE CODE FOR CYLINDER #7 MISFIRE. IT IS THE LIFTERS GOING OUT DUE TO THE AFM OR DOD, WHATEVER GM CALLS IT. THE SYSTEM SHUTTING DOWN THE 8 CYLINDER TO 4 CYLINDERS. $3000 JOB FOR SOMETHING THAT I'M SURE GM IS VERY AWARE OF. THESE 5.3S WITH THIS AFM WILL HAVE THIS PROBLEM. IT'S JUST A MATTER OF WHEN.

Mileage: 99,950

20160119AIR BAGS

SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED RANDOMLY WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. THIS WAS NOT DUE TO AN ACCIDENT OR ANY TYPE OF IMPACT. IT WAS A RANDOM EVENT. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE SAAB/VOLVO DEALERSHIP IN CHARLOTTE, NC WHERE IT WAS ORIGINALLY PURCHASED. THEY ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY THIS HAPPENED AND THE DEALERSHIP IS SAYING THEY WILL NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR REPAIR COSTS. THIS IS CLEARLY A MECHANICAL PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON THE ROAD AT 45MPH. WE HAVE PICTURES ON OUR CELL PHONE AVAILABLE.

Mileage: 78,000

20150731FireEXTERIOR LIGHTING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SAAB 9-7X. AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO FUNCTION WHEN ACTIVATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHERE THE LAMP CONTROL RELAY FUSE WAS REPLACED ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS. IN ADDITION, THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE FUSE BOX AND THE HEAD LAMP DRIVER MODULE MELTED. THERE WERE NO FLAMES PRESENT. THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V755000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING); HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN SERVICED DUE TO THE REMEDY BEING UNDER DEVELOPMENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 106,000.

Mileage: 106,000

20150310EXTERIOR LIGHTING

MAR 5, 2015 - BACKING UP IN DRIVEWAY EARLY MORNING, LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT. TRIED HIGH BEAMS, THEY DIDN'T WORK EITHER. RUNNING LIGHTS AND FOG LIGHTS ARE ON, JUST NO LOW/HIGH BEAMS. CANNOT LEAVE FOR WORK IN MORNING UNTIL IT GETS LIGHT, CANNOT STAY OUT IN EVENING BECAUSE CAR HAS NO LIGHTS. LOCAL DEALERS SAY SAAB 2008 9-7X NOT IN RECALL, BUT NHTSA SITE SAYS OTHERWISE, AND SAAB CUST SERVICE CONFIRMS. CANNOT GET LOCAL DEALER TO FIX UNLESS I PAY FIRST, AND NO FIX GUARANTEED DUE TO SAAB NOT HAVING RESOLVED ISSUE YET. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO FIX THIS CAR IF IT'S MANUFACTURERS POOR DESIGN. *TR

Mileage: 82,000

20141205ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

WHILE OPERATING MY VEHICLE AT APPROX. 70 MPH ON AN INTERSTATE, MY PASSENGER BUMPED THE IGNITION KEY, LOCATED BETWEEN THE GEAR SHIFTER AND CENTER CONSOLE. MY VEHICLE SHUT OFF WHILE TRAVELING DOWN THE HWY, AND IT HAPPENED OTHER TIMES, TOO. I'VE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR MODULE, WHICH HAS COMPLETELY STOPPED WORKING. IT HAS ALWAYS HAD PROBLEMS AFTER GETTING ONLY SLIGHTLY WET. I'VE HAD PROBLEMS WITH FRONT PASSENGER WINDOW, POSSIBLY CAUSED BY THE SAME PROBLEM, AND EVERY DOOR IS LIKELY AFFECTED. SINCE THE DRIVER SIDE IS USED MOST FREQUENTLY, THE PROBLEM JUST BECOMES OBVIOUS ON THAT ONE. THE IGNITION IS SUBJECT TO THE SAME PROBLEMS. MY VEHICLE STOPPED WORKING AFTER LEAVING THE SUNROOF OPEN MISTAKENLY. THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T START FOR 24 HRS, AND THE TURN SIGNAL HAS SINCE HAD PROBLEMS WITH FLASHING TOO QUICKLY. THE DESIGN OBVIOUSLY LACKS BASIC ATTEMPTS TO KEEP WATER AWAY FROM ITS ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. I HAVE A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH A SERVICE STABILITRAK LIGHT INTERMIT

Mileage: 50,000

Compare 2008SAAB9-7X to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2008 SAAB 9-7X have?
The 2008 SAAB 9-7X has 32 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2008 SAAB 9-7X?
Yes, the 2008 SAAB 9-7X has 1 recall(s). The most common affected component is EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2008 SAAB 9-7X?
The most-complained component for the 2008 SAAB 9-7X is EXTERIOR LIGHTING with 8 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM and ENGINE.
Is the 2008 SAAB 9-7X 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.