Total Complaints
78 filings
SAAB 900 · model year
78 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1996SAAB900 carries 78 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 5 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 1996 900 is power train:manual transmission with 5 filings, followed by electrical system:12v/24v/48v battery (4) and air bags (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.
NHTSA currently has 9 investigation files overlapping the 1996 900. 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.
Total Complaints
78 filings
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION | 5 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY | 4 |
| AIR BAGS | 4 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY | 4 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | 3 |
| EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC. | 3 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 3 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 3 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 3 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | 2 |
| STEERING:COLUMN LOCKING:ANTI-THEFT DEVICE | 2 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2 |
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 2 |
Passenger airbag deployed for no reason while driving car, no warning lights on dashboard, no impact, no precipitating event occured
DRIVING SMOOTHLY AT 50 MPH IN 1996 SAAB 900 SE TURBO, 99K MILES. ENGINE RPM SUDDENLY BUT SMOOTHLY DROPS TO ZERO AND STOPPED IN A VERY UNSAFE PLACE ON THE HIGHWAY. CAR WOULD NOT RE-START. ABSOLUTELY NO FAULTS OF ANY KIND OCCURRED DURING THE MONTHS LEADING UP TO THIS INCIDENT. THIS CAR'S DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE WAS REPLACED ONCE ALREADY IN JAN. 2000 BY THE PREVIOUS OWNER. *JB
Mileage: 99,000
IN JUNE 2003, A CRACK WAS DISCOVERED IN THE FUEL TANK OF MY 1996 SAAB 900S. THE TANK WAS REPLACED. ON 28 JULY 2004, THE REPLACEMENT TANK WAS DISCOVERED TO HAVE A LEAK AND WAS REPLACED. ON 1 SEPTEMBER 2005, THE SECOND REPLACEMENT TANK WAS DIAGNOSED AS LEAKING.*JB
Mileage: 58,857
IN JUNE 2003, A CRACK WAS DISCOVERED IN THE FUEL TANK OF MY 1996 SAAB 900S. THE TANK WAS REPLACED. ON 28 JULY 2004, THE REPLACEMENT TANK WAS DISCOVERED TO HAVE A LEAK AND WAS REPLACED. ON 1 SEPTEMBER 2005, THE SECOND REPLACEMENT TANK WAS DIAGNOSED AS LEAKING.*JB
Mileage: 58,857
PRIOR TO DI FAILURE, STARTING IMPAIRMENT AND MISFIRES DETECTED WITH CEL. UPON FAILURE, CAR WOULD NOT RUN AND STEERING WAS LOST. TO CORRECT FAILURE, NEW DI WAS FITTED AFTER IT WAS BROKEN. SYMPTOMS SHOULD HAVE BEEN REASON ENOUGH TO CHANGE IT EARLY. *NM
Mileage: 100,000
WHILE DRIVING BALL BEARRINGS EXPLODED IN THE LOWER ENGINE. CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD BOOM. THE VEHICLE WAS FULL OF CLEAN OIL. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MAUFACTURER AND THE DEALER. VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT DEALER. *AK
Mileage: 100,000
WHEN THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR WAS OPENED FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED, AND SMOKE ENTERED THE PASSENGER'S CABIN. *AK
Mileage: 100,000
ON APRIL 27, 2003, MY SAAB 900 SE HAD AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE WHILE DRIVING WITHIN A MINUTE HAD COMPLETELY DESTROYED THE CAR. THE "CHECK BATTERY" LIGHT CAME ON ALONG WITH THE HAZARD LIGHT. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE CAR IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AND JUST ESCAPED THE VEHICLE WHEN IT WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE POLICE HAD TO CALL ME TO GET THE LICENSE PLATE NUMBER AND VIN, AS THEY HAD MELTED. THE CAR HAD 72,000 MILES AND HAD BEEN CHECKED TWICE IN THE PAST YEAR. JUST MONTHS BEFORE IT HAD BEEN COMPLETELY INSPECTED. THE CAR WAS IN SHOW ROOM CONDITION. *JB
Mileage: 72,000
ODOMETER FRAUD. THE ADVERTISED MILEAGE WAS 55,000 BUT THE CARFAX REPORTED THE MILEAGE AT 150,000 MILES OVER A YEAR AGO. I REPORTED IT TO THE DEALER, TOOK BACK MY DEPOSIT AND GAVE BACK THE CAR. THEY INFORMED ME THEY ALREADY HAD ANOTHER BUYER FOR THE CAR AND ARE STILL ADVERTISING IT WITH 55,000 MILES. *JB
THE TIMING BELT FAILED. *JB (SAAB 900 SE)
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING HEARD A RADDLING NOISE, HAD IT CHECKED OUT. MAIN FRONT LEFT SPRING HAD FRACTURED. SPRING REPLACEMENT, 44 83-178.CONTACTED DEALER.*AK
WILL NOT SHIFT INTO FIRST, FIFTH, OR REVERSE. KEY CANNOT BE REMOVED SINCE IT WILL NOT SHIFT INTO REVERSE. SAAB HAS REFUSED TO PAY FOR REPAIR.*AK
PLASTIC FUEL TANK IS LEAKING, DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
S MODEL, CONSUMER SMELLED FUEL, DEALER DETERMINED THE PLASTIC FUEL TANK WAS LEAKING. PART WAS REPLACED, NEW FUEL TANK HAS LEAKED TWICE.*JB
INTERMITTENTLY GEARBOX LIGHT WILL LIGHT, CAUSING VEHICLE TO LOSE 1ST AND SECOND GEAR. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS VEHICLE MAY NOT GET UP TO HIGHTWAY SPEEDS AT RAMPS, ALMOST CAUSING A REAR END COLLISION. THIS IS A KNOW ISSUE W/ SAAB. I CONTACTED THEM REGARDING THIS PROBLEM. THEY STATED THERE ARE NO SAFETY ISSUES OPEN ON THIS VEHICLE. OVER 25 POSTS FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM ON SAABNET.COM. DEALER HAS TRIED TO REPAIR VEHICLE TWICE WITHOUT SUCCESS. I HAVE SPENT OVER $800.00 TRYING TO REPAIR THIS SAFETY PROBLEM . PLEASE HELP. *AK
THIS CAR HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT A NIGHTMARE. IT HAS REQUIRED THREE TOWS FROM JUNE 2001 TO FEBRUARY 2002. THE MOST EXPENSIVE FAILURE OCCURRED THE DAY AFTER I HAD TAKEN THE CAR TO A LOCAL DEALER FOR A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE (INTERNATIONAL MOTORS, FALLS CHURCH, VA), AND THE TRANSMISSION AND CLUTCH FAILED BECAUSE THERE WAS A TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAK THAT WAS NOT CAUGHT BY THEIR MECHANICS. I HAVE CONTACTED SAAB CORPORATE BY LETTER IN DECEMBER 2001 ABOUT MY MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR. THEIR RESPONSE BY TELEPHONE WAS THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY COULD DO. *AK
THIS CAR HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT A NIGHTMARE. IT HAS REQUIRED THREE TOWS FROM JUNE 2001 TO FEBRUARY 2002. THE MOST EXPENSIVE FAILURE OCCURRED THE DAY AFTER I HAD TAKEN THE CAR TO A LOCAL DEALER FOR A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE (INTERNATIONAL MOTORS, FALLS CHURCH, VA), AND THE TRANSMISSION AND CLUTCH FAILED BECAUSE THERE WAS A TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAK THAT WAS NOT CAUGHT BY THEIR MECHANICS. I HAVE CONTACTED SAAB CORPORATE BY LETTER IN DECEMBER 2001 ABOUT MY MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR. THEIR RESPONSE BY TELEPHONE WAS THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY COULD DO. *AK
WHILE TRAVELING 60MPH TRANSMISSION BECAME LOCKED IN GEAR. WAS NOT ABLE TO SHIFT INTO ANOTHER GEAR. HAD REMAINED IN 4TH GEAR UNTIL ABLE TO SHIFT. TOOK VEHICLE TO SERVICE STATION, AND MECHANIC COULD NOT LOCATE ANY PROBLEMS. TAKING VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP.*AK
TIMING CHAIN HAS TO BE REPLACED AFTER 75,000 MILES. VEHICLE WAS MAKING A LOUD WARNING NOISE. SAAB DEALER FOUND PROBLEM AFTER DOING A ROUTINE SERVICE CHECK. ALTHOUGH THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN FOUND, DEALER HAS NEVER DONE REPAIRS. *AK
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.