Total Complaints
20 filings
SAAB 9000 · model year
1994 SAAB 9000
20 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1994SAAB9000 carries 20 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 2 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 1994 9000 is air bags:frontal with 3 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine (3) and service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (2). 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 1994 9000. 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.
20
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
2
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 |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 3 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 3 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 2 |
| TIRES | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:ABS WARNING LIGHT | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:STORAGE:FUEL GAUGE SYSTEM | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE | 1 |
| STRUCTURE | 1 |
| AIR BAGS | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20120829AIR BAGS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 SAAB 9000 CSE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING 15-20 MPH, THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED ERRONEOUSLY. THE FAILURE CAUSED INJURIES TO THE CONTACT'S HEAD, LEG AND SHOULDERS. THE POLICE WERE CONTACTED AND A REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 173,899.
Mileage: 173,899
20090812STRUCTURE
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 SAAB 9000. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE DASHBOARD WAS CRACKED AND HAD OTHER UNSIGHTLY DAMAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION AND THEY STATED THAT THE TOP SURFACE OF THE DASHBOARD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE REPAIR COST WAS ESTIMATED AT $750. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 178,000.
Mileage: 150,000
20071031AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
SRS LIGHT CAME ON WITHIN 1 DAY SPONTANEOUS DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED AT HWY. SPEED, ABLE TO GET CAR TO SHOULDER SLIGHT BURNS INSIDE RIGHT FOREARM, CLEAR AND DRY DAY. *TR
Mileage: 239,000
20070625ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 SAAB 9000. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE, BUT IT FAILED TO ENGAGE. HE PUSHED THE VEHICLE TO THE MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THE CAUSE OF FAILURE AS THE IGNITION MODULE. THE CONTACT BELIEVES HIS VEHICLE SHOULD BE A PART OF RECALL # 05V399000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE). THE VIN, ENGINE SIZE, AND # OF CYLINDERS WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 210,000.
Mileage: 210,000
20041116AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
CONSUMER RECEIVED NHTSA RECALL 99V109000 CONCERNING AIR BAG MODULE. AFTER HAVING THE ECM REPLACED AND INSTALLED A COVER OVER THE ECM SRS LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE CAUSE HAD NOT BEEN DETERMINED. *AK
20020827ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
VEHICLE WAS AT DEALERSHIP FOR BRAKE REPAIR. MECHANIC NOTICED 3 ENGINE MOUNTS HAD TO BE REPLACED.*AK
20020827SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
VEHICLE WAS AT DEALERSHIP FOR BRAKE REPAIR. MECHANIC NOTICED 3 ENGINE MOUNTS HAD TO BE REPLACED.*AK
20020826SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
CONSUMER APPLIED BRAKES AT 55-60 MPH, THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE AND PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. DEALER DETERMINED THAT BRAKE LINE WAS CRUSHED DUE TO ENGINE MOVEMENT.*AK
20020826SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
CONSUMER APPLIED BRAKES AT 55-60 MPH, THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE AND PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. DEALER DETERMINED THAT BRAKE LINE WAS CRUSHED DUE TO ENGINE MOVEMENT.*AK
20010206FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:STORAGE:FUEL GAUGE SYSTEM
CONSUMER NOTICED A GASOLINE ODOR IN BACK OF VEHICLE ALONG WITH A SUDDEN LOSS OF FUEL, DEALER REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP SENDER ASSEMBLY, DEALER STATED THIS FAILURE COULD HAVE CAUSED AN EXPLOSION. *SLC
19991206ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
THIS IS THE SECOND TIME FOR THE SAME PULLEY/BALL BEARING TO FAIL. IT FIRST HAPPENED DURING THE THIRD YEAR OF OPERATION; APPROX 30 000 MILES. I'M STATIONED IN VIENNA, AUSTRIA.
19990130VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE
THE HEATER CORE WAS FOUND LEAKING. ANTI-FREEZE WAS FOUND ON BOTH THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE FLOOR, BUT COULD NOT DETERMINE THE EXACT CAUSE. THE PROBLEM WAS CONFIRMED THIS WEEK WHEN THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR CHECK UP. I WAS TOLD THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM AMONG SAAB, AND IT IS NOT COVERED BY MAJOR COMPONENT WARRANTY. A CAR ONLY 5 YEAR OLD SHOULD NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM.
19980826POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER FAILED.
19980106VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
THE DEFECTIVE THROTTLE SYSTEM FROZE IN AN OPEN POSTION, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SPEED UP TO 75 MPH. THE OCCUPANT PRESSED THE BRAKES AND EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. DEALER IS REPLACING THE THROTTLE HOUSING UNIT. *AK
19960310AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
OTHER: PASSENGER'S AIR BAG ASSEMBLY REPLACED.
19960310ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS
RIGHT REAR TAIL LAMP REPLACED.
19960310ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
ENGINE VALVE REPLACED DUE TO VEHICLE SURGING AT SPEEDS OF 55-60 MPH.
19960310SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER
BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER FAILED TWICE. *SKD
19960310SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:ABS WARNING LIGHT
ABS WARNING LIGHT COMES ON/OFF.
19950324TIRES
THE TIRES HAVE TO BE REPLACED EVERY 4000 MILES DUE TO CUPPING. PLEASE EXPLAIN. TT
Compare 1994SAAB9000 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1994 SAAB 9000 have?▼
The 1994 SAAB 9000 has 20 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1994 SAAB 9000?▼
The most-complained component for the 1994 SAAB 9000 is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP.
Is the 1994 SAAB 9000 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.