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Model file · SaabUpdated · 12 sources

Selling a dead or worn-out Saab 9-5

On the Saab 9-5, the electrical system is named in 237 of the 557 complaints owners have filed with NHTSA. Of those, 221 are on the 1999-2003 cars, the years with two ignition module recalls.

A silver second-generation Saab 9-5 sedan parked on a cobblestone square in front of shops and cafes
Photo: Charles01 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Model years in EPA data
1999-2012
Complaints to NHTSA
557
Year with the most complaints
2000 (119)
Complaints naming the electrical system
237
Recall campaigns
9
Second generation built
11,280 cars, Nov. 2009 to March 2011

Whether yours died of a bad module, a sludged engine or plain age, you can sell the whole car as it sits. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, and pickup is free anywhere in the US.

Two very different 9-5s

The first 9-5 ran more than a decade. The second lasted about a year and a half. The Saab totals on this page include each owner complaint filed with NHTSA through October 10, 2026.

First generation (YS3E)Second generation (YS3G)
Model years here1999-2009 sedan, wagon to 20102010-2012
Engines (Wikipedia)2.0 B205 and 2.3 B235 turbo fours, 3.0 B308E turbo V61.6 Z16LET and 2.0 A20NHT turbo fours, 2.8 A28NER turbo V6
Automatic4-speed Aisin to 2001, 5-speed Aisin AF33 from 20026-speed Aisin AWTF-80 SC
DriveFront-wheel driveFront or all-wheel drive
Complaints546 (1998-2009)11 (2010-2011)

Wikipedia dates the first-generation wagon to 2010, so a 2010 complaint could be either car.

1999-2003: ignition modules and wiring

These five years hold 453 of the 557 complaints. The electrical system leads every one of them, from 64 complaints on the 1999 to 21 on the 2003. Two recalls deal with the ignition discharge module, where a transistor could overheat and burn out. Recall 05V399 covers 2000-2002 cars with the B205, B235 or B308 engine; its 103,202-vehicle count also includes the 9-3. Recall 06V410 covers 2002-2003 cars with the B308 V6, and counts 5,078.

Engine cooling comes next on most of these years, with 22 complaints on the 2001. Brakes show up on the 2000 (14 complaints), and the gasoline fuel system on the 2000 and 2001. Recall 07V087 added a bracket to hold fuel lines whose retaining tabs were damaged at the factory; on the 9-5 it lists 2001-2005, and the 9-3 shares the campaign.

Recall 03V006 is an odd one. On 1999-2003 cars, owners who swapped between steel winter wheels and alloy summer wheels could get rust and dirt building up on the hub. Saab mailed owners to ask whether they did that.

The sludge years and the 2005 warranty

In 2004, Wikipedia says, the V6 was replaced by a high-pressure turbo four rated at 220 hp. A year later, in 2005, Saab extended the warranty on the B2x5 four-cylinder to eight years and unlimited miles for original owners who could prove they had kept to the oil change schedule. The news report Wikipedia cites is titled "Saab Extends Engine Warranty After Finding Sludge Problems." That coverage has run out on every car. If your engine is sludged, see engine sludge.

2004-2009: trim and air bags

Complaints drop below 25 a year from 2004 on. Air bags lead on the 2006 (13), 2007 (12) and 2008 (18). Recall 16V063 swaps the driver's air bag inflator on 2006-2009 cars; its 113,716 vehicles include the 9-3 and some Saturns. Recall 08V160 installed A-pillar trim that absorbs more energy in a head impact. Its text names 57,389 9-5s from 2002 to 2008.

2010-2012: the short run

Wikipedia says the new 9-5 was put into production at Trollhättan with the announcement of Saab's sale to Spyker on January 26, 2010. Production stopped in March 2011 when the company ran short of cash, and Wikipedia puts the total at 11,280 cars. NHTSA's file holds 2 complaints on the 2010 and 9 on the 2011, four of those about exterior lighting, and lists no recall campaigns for either year.

Complaints by model year

Model yearComplaintsFiresRecall campaignsNamed most (count)
199911812Electrical system (64)
200011953Electrical system (56)
200110454Electrical system (50)
20026556Electrical system (30)
20034704Electrical system (21)
20041912Electrical system (13)
20051102Equipment, suspension, air bags (2 each)
20062302Air bags (13)
20071702Air bags (12)
20082002Air bags (18)
2009201Air bags (2)
2010200Visibility, air bags (1 each)
2011900Exterior lighting (4)

One more complaint is filed under a 1998 model year, and none under 2012. Shared campaigns are counted on each year they touch, so the column sums past 9. Recent years have had less time for owners to send reports in.

Fix or sell?

  1. Check the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup for the ignition module, A-pillar trim or air bag work.
  2. Stalling or no spark on a 2000-2003? The ignition module is the first thing the recalls point to. Our electrical problems guide helps you weigh the repair.
  3. Sludged or seized four-cylinder? That's the problem behind Saab's 2005 warranty. Read blown engine before paying for a rebuild.
  4. Second-generation car with a big bill? With only 11,280 built, the rebuild quote matters more than usual. Weigh it against asking prices for running ones, and see when the repair costs more than the car.

Selling a 9-5 whole

  1. Note the body and drivetrain: sedan or SportCombi wagon, four-cylinder or V6, and AWD if it's a 2010 or later.
  2. Get an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
  3. Tell us where the 9-5 sits and whether it rolls in neutral. The truck comes to it, with free pickup anywhere in the US.
  4. Leave it complete. Keep the turbo, the wheels and the converter on, and mention anything already pulled.
  5. Bring the title and an ID to pickup. Lost the title? See selling with no title.

Comparing Saabs? See the 9-3, the 9000 or every Saab we cover.

Questions people ask

Which Saab 9-5 years have the most NHTSA complaints?
The 2000 (119), the 1999 (118) and the 2001 (104), in NHTSA's data on October 10, 2026. From 2004 on, no year passes 23. Later model years have also had a shorter window for filings to pile up, and the second generation was built in small numbers.
Is Saab's sludge warranty still good on my 9-5?
No. In 2005 Saab extended the warranty on the B2x5 engine to eight years from new with unlimited miles, for original owners who could show their oil changes. Eight years from new has passed on every one of those cars.
Does my 9-5 have an open air bag recall?
Recall 16V063 covers 2006-2009 9-5s built June 7, 2005 to May 28, 2009. The listed fix is a new inflator for the driver's front air bag. Check your Saab's VIN on nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Will you buy a 9-5 with a seized engine?
Yes. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US. Sell the whole car as it sits, and mention the Saab's problems on the offer form.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 11, 2026.

  1. NHTSA complaints flat file (FLAT_CMPL.zip), Saab 9-5, downloaded October 10, 2026 nhtsa.gov
  2. NHTSA: Check for recalls by VIN nhtsa.gov
  3. NHTSA recall 05V399: ignition discharge module, 2000-2002 nhtsa.gov
  4. NHTSA recall 06V410: ignition discharge module, V6, 2002-2003 nhtsa.gov
  5. NHTSA recall 07V087: fuel pump retaining tabs nhtsa.gov
  6. NHTSA recall 03V006: wheel hub contamination, 1999-2003 nhtsa.gov
  7. NHTSA recall 02V006: steering knuckle castings, 2002 nhtsa.gov
  8. NHTSA recall 08V160: A-pillar trim, 2002-2008 nhtsa.gov
  9. NHTSA recall 16V063: driver frontal air bag inflator, 2006-2009 9-5 nhtsa.gov
  10. NHTSA recall 01V168: air bag alert labels, 2000-2001 nhtsa.gov
  11. EPA fuel economy data (model years and body classes) fueleconomy.gov
  12. Wikipedia: Saab 9-5 (generations, engines, sludge warranty, production) en.wikipedia.org