Total Complaints
8 filings
SAAB 9000 · model year
1997 SAAB 9000
8 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1997SAAB9000 carries 8 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, 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 1997 9000 is vehicle speed control with 3 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:cooling system:radiator assembly (1) and engine and engine cooling:exhaust system (1). 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 1997 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.
8
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 |
|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 3 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 |
| CHILD SEAT | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20041001CHILD SEAT
CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 04C002000 FOR THE STRAP. PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE. *AK
20040422VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
WHILE AT A STOP VEHICLE REVVED AT A HIGH RATE. CONSUMER SWITCHED TO NEUTRAL/SHUT OFF VEHICLE TO TEMPORALLY STOP THE PROBLEM. ON ONE OCCASION CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED. DEALERSHIPS MECHANIC TRIED TO REPAIR VEHICLE 3 TIMES, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK
Mileage: 90,700
20040314ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
ENGINE DIED IN A 7 YEAR-OLD CAR WITH APPROXIMATELY 45,000 MILES. *AK
Mileage: 45,500
20031202ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
PROBLEMS WITH ABS ON A 1997 SAAB 9000 CS.*MR THE ABS ECM UNIT WAS REPLACED AT 45900, AT 55393 MOST OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM HAD TO BE REPLACED, THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THAT THIS TYPE OF BRAKE WORK SHOULD NOT OCCUR AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE, ALSO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND RADIATOR HAD TO BE REPLACED. *JB *NM
Mileage: 45,900
20031202ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
PROBLEMS WITH ABS ON A 1997 SAAB 9000 CS.*MR THE ABS ECM UNIT WAS REPLACED AT 45900, AT 55393 MOST OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM HAD TO BE REPLACED, THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THAT THIS TYPE OF BRAKE WORK SHOULD NOT OCCUR AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE, ALSO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND RADIATOR HAD TO BE REPLACED. *JB *NM
Mileage: 45,900
20031202SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
PROBLEMS WITH ABS ON A 1997 SAAB 9000 CS.*MR THE ABS ECM UNIT WAS REPLACED AT 45900, AT 55393 MOST OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM HAD TO BE REPLACED, THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THAT THIS TYPE OF BRAKE WORK SHOULD NOT OCCUR AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE, ALSO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND RADIATOR HAD TO BE REPLACED. *JB *NM
Mileage: 45,900
20020528VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
I WAS DRIVING TO WORK GOING 25MPH WHEN THE CAR STARTED ACCELERATING. I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE AND I WAS BARELY ABLE TO STOP. SINCE I WAS IN TRAFFIC, I CONTINUED TO A STOP SIGN WHERE THE CAR STOPPED AFTER A SHORT LUNGE FORWARD. I CHECKED TO BE SURE THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS OFF AND I CHECKED THE DASHBOARD AND THERE WERE NO WARNING MESSAGES FLASHING. WHEN I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE AND WITH MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELELERATOR, THE CAR GAINED SPEED QUICKLY AND I WAS ONLY ABLE TO SLOW IT DOWN BY KEEPING MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. I PULLED INTO A PARKING SPACE, SHIFTED THE AUTOMATIC CAR INTO "PARK" WHERE THE CAR STARTED RACING/REVVING AT A VERY HIGH RATE OF SPEED WHEREBY I IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF THE CAR. I HAD THE SAAB TOWED TO MY DEALER. THE DEALER SAID THAT THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG AND THAT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO DO ANYTHING FOR ME. THEY TOLD ME TO DRIVE THE CAR TO THEM IF THE PROBLEM HAPPENED AGAIN--I TOLD THEM THAT THEIR RECOMMENDATION TO DRIVE TO THEM WOULD PUT MY PASSENGERS AND ME AT R
19990823VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
TURBO APC SOLENOID VALVE FAILED. YH
Compare 1997SAAB9000 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1997 SAAB 9000 have?▼
The 1997 SAAB 9000 has 8 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 SAAB 9000?▼
The most-complained component for the 1997 SAAB 9000 is VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM.
Is the 1997 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.