SAAB AERO · model year

2001 SAAB AERO

13 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2001SAABAERO carries 13 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, 1 injury, 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 2001 AERO is electrical system:ignition:module with 3 filings, followed by seats (1) and tires:tread/belt (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 2001 AERO. 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.

13
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

13 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:MODULE3
SEATS1
TIRES:TREAD/BELT1
FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE1
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP1
AIR BAGS1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN1

Recent Complaints

20080611AIR BAGS

THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON WITHOUT NOTICE, AND HORN STOPS WORKING, TOOK TO DEALER WHO SAID IT WAS THE CLOCK SPRING AND THIS IS A TYPICAL PROBLEM. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS THE AIRBAG IS NEEDED TO PREVENT INJURIES. I HAVE HEARD OF OTHER PEOPLE BEING INJURED BY THIS. (THE 9-5 IS THE SAME AS THE 95 AND THE 952 AND THE AERO). *TR

Mileage: 100,000

20080611ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN

THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON WITHOUT NOTICE, AND HORN STOPS WORKING, TOOK TO DEALER WHO SAID IT WAS THE CLOCK SPRING AND THIS IS A TYPICAL PROBLEM. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS THE AIRBAG IS NEEDED TO PREVENT INJURIES. I HAVE HEARD OF OTHER PEOPLE BEING INJURED BY THIS. (THE 9-5 IS THE SAME AS THE 95 AND THE 952 AND THE AERO). *TR

Mileage: 100,000

20070103FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, WHEN I NOTICED A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. THE STEERING AND BRAKES WERE DIFFICULT TO USE AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS FLASHING. I MANAGED TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CAR WOULD NOT START ONCE STOPPED, LATER I NOTICED THAT WHEN I TRIED TO TURN THE ENGINE OVER, GASOLINE WAS SPEWING OUT NEAR THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR AND NEAR THE EXHAUST PIPE! I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED TRYING TO START THE CAR AND LEFT FOR A CALL BOX TO GET A TOW. I GOT IT TOWED TO THE SACRAMENTO SAAB DEALER WHERE THEY SAID THE RETAINER FOR THE FUEL PUMP BROKE. I AM AWARE THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS RECALLED FOR THE SAAB 9-3 MODELS, HOWEVER THE 9-5 HASN'T BEEN SUBJECTED TO THIS RECALL AS OF YET. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION, HAD THE GAS IGNITED, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE. THEN AT THE DEALER, THE ENTIRE PUMP WAS REQUIRED TO BE REPLACED, EVEN THOUGH THE RETAINER (A SMALL PLASTIC CLIP) FAILED AND THE PUMP WAS STILL IN WORKING ORDER. *JB

Mileage: 94,800

20060105ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

CAR LEAKING DARK FLUID...TOOK CAR INTO DIFFERENT SAAB SERVICE CENTER STATED SEEN ISSUE A LOT SINCE LAST TIME I TOOK CAR INTO DIFFERENT SINCE SAAB DEALERSHIP NO ONE COULD FIGURE OUT THE IDM WAS DEFECTIVE UNTIL AFTER RECALL HEAD GASKET WENT BAD AND COOLANT SENSOR MELTED...IS THIS DUE TO DEFECT IN CAR OR IS THIS JUST THE BEGINNING OF MORE ISSUES TO COME...54000 MILES ON VEHICLE $1200 PART. *NM

Mileage: 54,000

20050920ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE

THE DIRECT IGNITION MODULE/CASSETTE FAILED ON MY 2001 9-5 AERO AND I HAD TO HAVE IT REPAIRED AT THE DEALERSHIP. I JUST DISCOVERED ON THE SAAB BULLETIN BOARD (I.E. SAABNET) THAT THIS PART FAILS REGULARLY IN SAABS, PARTICULARLY IN THE 2001 9-5S. *JB

Mileage: 62,000

20040308FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE

ELECTRICAL FIRE AND FAILURE OF IGNITION MODULE. *AK

Mileage: 42,133

20030807ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE

2001 SAAB AERO WHILE TRAVELING IN THE FAST LANE OF A FREEWAY AT 65 MPH WITHOUT WARNING EXPERIENCED COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER. FORTUNATELY, THE CAR MADE IT ACROSS 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC TO THE SHOULDER (RAINY DAY AT DUSK); THE EMERGENCY FLASHERS THEN FAILED WITHIN 25 MINUTES. DIAGNOSED AS A DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE (DIC) FAILURE, BUT FLASHERS FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. MECHANIC STATED THAT THE DIC FAILURE WAS COMMON, BUT REPLACEMENTS SELDOM FAILED. IN OUR SMALL CIRCLE, OUR NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR HAD DIC FAILURE WITH HIS 2000 SAAB 9-5 AND STATED WE WERE THE ONLY SAAB OWNERS HE HADN'T KNOWN TO HAVE THE PROBLEM; A COLLEAGUE OF MY WIFE'S HAD DIC FAILURE WHILE ALSO DRIVING ON A FREEWAY.

Mileage: 51,699

20030807EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS

2001 SAAB AERO WHILE TRAVELING IN THE FAST LANE OF A FREEWAY AT 65 MPH WITHOUT WARNING EXPERIENCED COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER. FORTUNATELY, THE CAR MADE IT ACROSS 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC TO THE SHOULDER (RAINY DAY AT DUSK); THE EMERGENCY FLASHERS THEN FAILED WITHIN 25 MINUTES. DIAGNOSED AS A DIRECT IGNITION CASSETTE (DIC) FAILURE, BUT FLASHERS FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. MECHANIC STATED THAT THE DIC FAILURE WAS COMMON, BUT REPLACEMENTS SELDOM FAILED. IN OUR SMALL CIRCLE, OUR NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR HAD DIC FAILURE WITH HIS 2000 SAAB 9-5 AND STATED WE WERE THE ONLY SAAB OWNERS HE HADN'T KNOWN TO HAVE THE PROBLEM; A COLLEAGUE OF MY WIFE'S HAD DIC FAILURE WHILE ALSO DRIVING ON A FREEWAY.

Mileage: 51,699

20030513ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER. *NLM

Mileage: 11,000

20030407ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

IN BOTH MY 2001 SAAB 9-5 AND MY 1999 SAAB 9-3, UPON ENTERING THE VEHICLE WHEN I LOCK THE ELECTRONIC DOORS AND TURN THE IGNITION KEY IN QUICK SUCCESSION, THE DOOR LOCKS OPEN. ALTHOUGH THIS PROBLEM WAS DEMONSTRATED TO THE SAAB DEALER, THEY COULD NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. I BELIEVE THEIR HAS BEEN A CHRONIC PROBLEM OF ELECTRICAL CHARGE BUILD-UP IN THE IGNITION CONSOLE (WHERE THE DOOR LOCK SWITCH IS LOCATED), AND WHEN LOCKING THE DOORS AND STARTING THE IGNITION ARE PERFORMED IN QUICK SUCCESSION, IT CAUSES AN ELECTRICAL SHORT WHICH POPS OPEN THE LOCKS. MY 1996 SAAB 900 HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM, BUT IN THAT CASE, AFTER LOWERING THE WINDOWS (SWITCHES ALSO IN IGNITION CONSOLE), THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL CHARGE BUILD-UP WHICH PREVENTED RAISING THE WINDOWS FOR APPROXIMATELY 3-5 SECONDS. *JB

20030218FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

FUEL AND VABOR LEAK, CAUSED ORDOR OF FUEL INSIDE MV AND ON OUTSIDE RIGHT REAR AREA. DEALER REPLACED PART # 54-62-288 FUEL FILLER TUBE, #48-99-621 FUELLINB235PLST AND # 79-74-546 O-RING

Mileage: 8,000

20020320TIRES:TREAD/BELT

MICHELLEN MXM 17 IN. CONSUMER HAS NO OTHER TIRE INFO. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE PASSENGER FRONT AND REAR TIRE SHREDDED. CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED.

20020227SEATS

DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT HAVE HARD PROTRUSIONS WHICH INJURE THE COCYX AND RELATED LIGAMENTS WHILE RIDING IN THE CARE A SHORT TIME.

Compare 2001SAABAERO to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2001 SAAB AERO have?
The 2001 SAAB AERO has 13 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2001 SAAB AERO?
The most-complained component for the 2001 SAAB AERO is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEATS and TIRES:TREAD/BELT.
Is the 2001 SAAB AERO 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.