SAAB 952 · model year

1999 SAAB 952

8 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1999SAAB952 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 1999 952 is electrical system:ignition:module with 1 filings, followed by power train:automatic transmission (1) and electrical system:wiring:fuses and circuit breakers (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 1999 952. 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

Total Complaints

8 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
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE1
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OTHER FUEL TYPES:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING1
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM1

Recent Complaints

20040920VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM

A PLASTIC PIECE IN THE CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM BROKE. WHEN THIS OCCURRED CONSUMER COULD NOT CONTROL THE TEMPERATURE COMING THROUGH THE AIR VENT, PRIMARILY ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THIS MADE IT DIFFICULT TO DEFROST THE WINDOWS, RESULTING IN POOR VISIBILITY. IN ADDITION, THE FAN MOTOR FAILED TO FUNCTION INTERMITTENTLY. WHEN THIS HAPPENED THE WINDOWS FOGGED UP IMMEDIATELY. MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE, AND RE DESIGNED THE SYSTEM, BUT THE REPLACEMENT OF THIS PART WILL BE VERY COSTLY. A TSB ON THIS PROBLEM WAS ISSUED. *AK

Mileage: 105,000

20030917ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONSUMER MANAGED TO PULL OVER. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THE PROBLEM WAS DUE TO THE TIMING CHAIN, BUT THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. *NLM

Mileage: 64,000

20020823ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

I HAVE HAD TO HAVE MULTIPLE GASKETS REPLACED (AND ASSOCIATED ENGINE PARTS) BECAUSE THEY ARE PREMATURELY WEARING OUT. THE VEHICLE SMOKES EXTENSIVELY AND CAUSES THE SMOKE TO ENTER THE CAR WHEN DRIVING. IT HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER FOR OVER THREE WEEKS TOTAL IN THE LAST 5 WEEKS TO REPLACE THE GASKETS, OIL PANS, TURBO CHARGERS, ETC., WITH NO END IN SIGHT. THE SERVICE MANAGER HAS EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THERE IS AN OIL PRESSURE ISSUE WITH THE VEHICLE AND THAT SAAB HAS ISSUED A REPAIR RECOMMENDATION FOR ALL OF SAAB LIKE VEHICLES BECAUSE THE PCV IS DEFECTIVE AND IS CAUSING THE OIL PRESSURE TO BE TOO GREAT. THIS CAUSES THE GASKETS TO WEAR OUT PREMATURELY AND CAUSES OTHER IMPORTANT PARTS OF THE ENGINE TO BE REPLACED. IN ADDITION, THE DEALER TOOK THE ENTIRE FRONT END APART AND DIDN'T PUT IT TOGETHER CORRECTLY CAUSING THE PC BOOT TO NEED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE STEERING WENT OUT AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD (TWO CHILDREN IN VEHICLE - NO DAMAGE OR INJURIES). I HAVE INFORMED SAAB USA OF THE PR

20020617ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OTHER FUEL TYPES:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER

ONGOING PROBLEM WITH EXHAUST FUMES GETTING INTO VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING. DEALER CONTACTED. *AK DEALER CLAIMS IT IS NORMAL FOR TURBO TO EXHIBIT EXHAUST FUMES. CONSUMER STATES FUMES ARE UNBEARABLE MAKING CONSUMER ILL. *TT

20020617ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

ONGOING PROBLEM WITH ENGINE STALLING FROM A STOP POSITION. DEALER CONTACTED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

20010509ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS

BOTH HEADLIGHTS BURNED OUT WITHIN A FEW/ MINUTES, THIS HAS HAPPENED 5-6 TIMES SINCE PURCHASE OF VEHICLE, SEEMS TO BE A ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. *AK CONSUMER STATES HAVE BEEN DRIVING AT NIGHT WHEN BULBS ON BOTH LOW BEAMS HAVE BURNED OUT. *JB

20000928POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

AS WE TRAVELLED ALONG A BUSY ROAD, THE TRANSMISION FAILED WITHOUT WARNING ADN WE WERE UNABLE TO ENGAGE ANY GEAR, WHICH PUT US SOME REAL DANGER AS WE ATTEMPTED TO MOVE THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. WE WE TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT SAAB HAS KNOWN OF A FAILURE IN THE CNETRAL COMPUTER IN THE 9-5 MODEL AND HAS BEEN REPLACING COMPUTERS IN CARS EVEN IF THEY COME IN FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. WE WERE NEVER INFORMED OF ANY PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR AND DROVE IT WITHOUT REALIZING THE DANGER IT PRESENTED. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THE COMPUTER REPLACED, BUT AS OF TODAY NEW ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS HAVE APPEARED AND WE FEAR THE PROBLEM IS NOT SOLVED.*AK

19990101ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE

INTERMITTENT STALLING DUE TO ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE FAILURE.

Compare 1999SAAB952 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1999 SAAB 952 have?
The 1999 SAAB 952 has 8 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1999 SAAB 952?
The most-complained component for the 1999 SAAB 952 is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS.
Is the 1999 SAAB 952 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.