Selling an old or non-running Saab 900

If your 900 is a garage project that never got finished, or an NG that quit on the road, you can sell the whole car as it sits. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US.

Classic 900 or 900 NG?

Two different cars wore the name. Complaint totals come from NHTSA's owner reports as tallied on October 10, 2026.

Wikipedia says classic production ended on 26 March 1993, and the convertible stayed on the classic chassis for one more year. Two more complaints are filed under a 1999 model year.

Classic years: hoses, wiring and chafing

The classic recalls read like a list of things rubbing where they shouldn't. Recall 85V036 moved the starter-to-alternator cable on 1984 cars because it could rub against a brake fluid pipe. Recall 88V173 added rubber strips and a plastic tube on 1987-1988 cars whose wiring harness could chafe on sharp edges under the dash.

Fuel hoses come up twice. On the 1985, recall 85V060 says a twisted fuel hose near the injector rail could rupture and leak fuel, with a possible fire. On the 1986-1987, recall 87V013 swapped the hose between the pressure regulator and the rail for a new preformed plastic one. Fourteen of the classic-year complaints are flagged as involving a fire.

The 1989 is the busiest classic year, with 22 complaints, five of them about seat belts. The 1990 has four complaints that report a crash, more than any other classic year.

900 NG: the 1994-1995 pile-up

The NG's first two years carry the most recall campaigns: 8 on the 1994 and 7 on the 1995, several of them shared. Three involve welds: seat rails (94V110), a rear door side-impact beam bracket (94V174), and front seat back recliners (94V226). Recall 94V074 replaced front brake shields on the 1994 because slush, salt or water could coat the discs and delay braking.

On the NG 900, owners name the power train more than any other component. It leads the 1995 (20 complaints), the 1996 (9) and the 1997 (3), and comes second on the 1994 with 9. Recall 95V068 fixed manual cars that could be left in neutral with the shifter in reverse and the key out. Recall 95V066 replaced the engine control module on 1995 cars whose idle could swing between 600 and 3,000 rpm for up to 30 seconds at startup.

Recall 97V046 replaced a throttle lever bushing that could corrode and bind on 1994-1997 cars, and the 52,500 vehicles in it are the whole campaign. On the 1998, 12 of 24 complaints name the air bags. Recall 01V222 added a grounding strap after static in the passenger air bag module could set it off. The 98V139 air bag label campaign also shows up on the 9000, 9-3 and 9-5, so its 39,313 count is not the 900's alone.

Complaints and recalls by year

Four of the 22 campaigns are not itemized in our data and count only toward the total. Complaint counts reflect what owners chose to report, and on the 900 the NG years carry far more of them than the older classic years.

Fix it, or sell it?

1. Look up open recalls. Enter the VIN on NHTSA's lookup page. Thirty-year-old recall work is easy to lose track of.
2. Classic that has sat for years? Old fuel hoses and chafed wiring are exactly what the classic recalls targeted. Read car sitting for years before you try to start it.
3. NG with a slipping or stuck transmission? The power train leads the NG complaints. Our bad transmission guide covers the decision.
4. Half-finished restoration? Old project car helps you decide whether to keep going.

Selling a 900 whole

1. Say which 900 it is: classic or NG, three-door, five-door, sedan or convertible, turbo or not, and the transmission.
2. Ask for an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
3. Describe where it's stored. Barn, carport, backyard or curb, and whether the wheels turn. Pickup is free anywhere in the US.
4. Leave it as it is. Don't strip the turbo, the wheels or the interior. If a past owner already pulled pieces, list them.
5. Find the title. An old car's title is often the hardest part. See selling with no title if it's lost.

See also the 9-3, the 9000 and every Saab we cover.