1994 Saab 900
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
Have the VIN?
These records cover every 1994 Saab 900. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
8 recalls name the 1994 Saab 900. Newest first.
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. the instructions for properly aiming the headlighting system were omitted. this does not meet the requirements of fmvss no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."
Risk and remedy
Risk
If the headlamp assemblies are replaced, customers may not be able to properly aim the headlights.
Remedy
Owners will be sent aiming instructions, and directions for affixing these inserts to the owner guides. if an owner so desires, a dealer can affix the inserts in their owner guide for them.
Corrosion around the zinc-coated throttle control lever bushing can cause the throttle lever to bind.
Risk and remedy
Risk
This binding can result in the throttle plate not returning to the closed position when the throttle pedal IS released and a subsequent loss of throttle control.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the zinc-coated throttle control lever bushing with a nickel-coated bushing and bolt.
It IS possible to move the shift lever into the reverse gear position, remove the ignition key, and still have the transmission in neutral, or, to accidently disengage reverse by striking the gear lever.
Risk and remedy
Risk
If the parking brake IS not applied, the car can roll from its original parked position increasing the potential for a vehicle accident.
Remedy
Dealers will replace transmission linkage components and complete a specially developed service adjustment procedure that will ensure that when the shift IS moved to the reverse position, the reverse gear IS actually engaged.
One or more of the arc welds can be missing on the seat back frame recliner.
Risk and remedy
Risk
This can result in a seat back falling backwards under a load.
Remedy
Both front seat backs will be inspected with the use of a hook to pull back the seat back upholstery. For any seat with missing welds, the seat back frame/recliner will be replaced.
The two weld points in the rearward attachment bracket for the side impact protection beam in the rear door may be out of position. If the welds are out of position, the vehicles will not meet the requirements of fmvss 214, S5, "side door strength."
Risk and remedy
Risk
Consequence of non-compliance: passengers sitting in the rear seats will be subject to an increased risk of injury in the event of a side collision.
Remedy
Dealers will install support brackets at the support weld locations.
Two trigger springs mounted to the fore/aft adjustment lever do not develop sufficient force to properly lock the seat rails. After the seat IS adjusted, this does not allow the seat rail lock to properly engage, which can cause the seat to move in a sudden stop or collision.
Risk and remedy
Risk
This can increase the possibility of injury to a seat occupant in the event of a sudden stop or accident.
Remedy
Dealers will remove both front seats and the two springs on each seat will be replaced with new springs with proper tension to ensure proper engagement.
A weld in the seat rails was not made, increasing the risk of fatigue cracks forming around the attachment bushings on the height adjustment mechanism, causing the possibility of the height adjuster breaking in a rear end collision and allowing the seat to fold backwards.
Risk and remedy
Risk
This can increase the risk of injury to seat occupants.
Remedy
Dealers will install new front seat frame rails.
The original front brake discs and/or pads shields do not protect the assemblies from being coated with a layer of slush, road salt or water while driving in snow or heavy rain. This can result in a delay in braking action that increases normal stopping distance.
Risk and remedy
Risk
Increased stopping distance could result in an accident.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the original front brake shields with a new design. An additional hole will be drilled in the steering king pin housing to attach a larger cover plate. A smaller protection plate will also be attached to the existing two bolts in the hub.
Owner complaints
44 complaints3 involved a crash2 involved a fire
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Seats
TL* the contact owns a 1994 saab 900. The contact stated that the front driver's seat was cracked and had a damaged frame that was deteriorating. The seat was not secured and would move independently. The front passenger seat also exhibited the failure. The srs sensor and the service engine sensor…
TL* the contact owns a 1994 saab 900. The contact stated that the front driver's seat was cracked and had a damaged frame that was deteriorating. The seat was not secured and would move independently. The front passenger seat also exhibited the failure. The srs sensor and the service engine sensor illuminated for an extended period of time. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer but the dealer was unable to reset the codes. The contact referenced nhtsa campaign ID number: 94v226000 (seats) however, the vehicle was not included in the recall campaign. The vehicle was to be inspected and repaired by an authorized dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 22,601 and current mileage was 143,100.
- Electrical system · Engine and engine cooling · Equipment › Electrical › Radio/tape deck/cd etc. · Exterior lighting · Exterior lighting › Fog lights · Exterior lighting › Turn signal · Fuel system, other › Storage › Tank assembly › Pressure relief devices · Seats · Service brakes, hydraulic · Steering › Hydraulic power assist › Hose, piping, and connections · Structure · Structure › Body › Door · Unknown or other · Visibility · Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer
The experience leaking head gasket repeated problem. the engine overheating and brake problems. *bf the brakes squealed when stopping, the windshield wipers, the passenger door was hard to close, the battery light had run bad, the heat operation was inoperative, there was an oil leak, seat…
The experience leaking head gasket repeated problem. the engine overheating and brake problems. *bf the brakes squealed when stopping, the windshield wipers, the passenger door was hard to close, the battery light had run bad, the heat operation was inoperative, there was an oil leak, seat cover left lower cracked, fluid leaked under the vehicle/overnight coolant leak, over heating while the vehicle was in motion, the turn signal assembly, leaking distributor seal, broken turn signal, at a certain position the seat would not operate forward, the antenna would not properly retract, left fog light inoperable, driver side window front and rear for proper rubber alignment, leaking crank pulley seal, oil leak from the transmission, found a lack of fuel pressure, smoke was coming out of the tailpipe, the convertible top was wearing on the left and right side, there was a loose hose clamp in the power steering hose, the battery failed, one tail light was inoperative, the alternator belt was wrapped around the chassis, there was a squealing noise after start up, oil leaked through the valve cover, and the tank clutch leaked fluid. *sc
- Tires
While driving on the dan ryan expressway at 3:00 p.m. On 4/30/04, I heard a pop and I thought a belt snapped, my car, a 1994 saab s, jerked, it was difficult to gain control. I smelled burning rubber. I looked in the rear view mirror and saw a tire role from east to west on the expressway. I…
While driving on the dan ryan expressway at 3:00 p.m. On 4/30/04, I heard a pop and I thought a belt snapped, my car, a 1994 saab s, jerked, it was difficult to gain control. I smelled burning rubber. I looked in the rear view mirror and saw a tire role from east to west on the expressway. I thought I ran over it. further down the road a person on another car told me I didn't have a tire on the passenger side of the car in the rear. when I pulled off the expressay I saw the tire was missing. the middle of the tire had pulled away from the sides. the sides of the tire were left on the wheel. *ak
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Gasoline › Belts and associated pulleys
In july of 2003, saab of santa monica, ca replaced the timing belt on my used 1994 saab 900 (65,000 mile service). the labor was complimentary and covered under a change in scheduled maintenance outlined by saab USA in a letter sent out to saab 900 owners in july 1995. The letter amended…
In july of 2003, saab of santa monica, ca replaced the timing belt on my used 1994 saab 900 (65,000 mile service). the labor was complimentary and covered under a change in scheduled maintenance outlined by saab USA in a letter sent out to saab 900 owners in july 1995. The letter amended information in the warranties and service record booklet and owner's manual and stated that rather than every 95,000 miles, saab was now recommending that the belt for the camshaft drive mechanism be replaced beginning with the 35,000 mile major service and at intervals of 30,000 miles thereafter. at the time of service, in addition to replacing the timing belt, non-routine labor was done on the tensioners. The work receipt notes that old-style tensioners were noted and replace. less than 1000 miles after saab of santa monica performed their "complimentary work" my car catastrophically failed. On oct. 17, 2003, I left work at and drove about 1/3 of a mile (35 mph) before I heard a loud clunk and the engine started to putter and clank as the car lost power. The next business day it was towed to a well-respected independent saab mechanic, hung tao (a.r.t. Saab 18440 hart st. Reseda, ca (818) 881-7940 ). Hung tao looked at the car and stated that the timing belt had slipped. the car was towed to the nearest saab dealer (sherman oaks, ca). saab of sherman oaks first said that the timing belt had slipped, but then changed they're story and said the camshaft had allegedly snapped, causing $5000 worth of damage to the engine. They argued that there was no correlation between the work they'd done on the camshaft drive belt and the failure of the camshaft. They say because the car isn't under warranty they can't help me. *la
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine
Vehicle stalled in traffic due to engine failure.*mr the gasket surrounding the timing belt cover became tangled with the timing belt which caused the vehicle not to start.*ts *jb
- Electrical system › Wiring
While driving the vehicle lost all power. the vehicle was sent to the dealership who found a bundle of wires held together by a plastic binder wire clip. The bundle became loose and a wire was exposed to and rubbing on metal. *nlm
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine
Consumer called complaining about having problems with the timming belt tension on her vehicle. Consumer also stated that she has replaced it once and it was warrantied for 3500 miles and it has happend again this also causes engine failure on the vehicle. Dealer was contacted but refuses to do anything on the vehicle because IS no longer under warranty. Ts
- Air bags · Electrical system › Ignition › Module · Engine and engine cooling › Cooling system · Service brakes, air › Antilock › Wheel speed sensor · Vehicle speed control
Consumer says the cause of the deployment of the air bag was caused by the electronic control module.
- Power train › Manual transmission
Recall 95 v 068 000/transmission manual: vehicle operated in reverse intermittently. Dealer notified, and informed consume rthat vehicle was not cover under recall. Feel free to provide any further information.*ak
- Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components
When applying brakes on wet pavement there IS no reponse for a few seconds, then the brakes will engage. Consumer states there IS a recall regarding this problem, however his vin IS not included, consumer feels his vehicle should be included in the recall. *slc
- Power train › Automatic transmission › Park/neutral start interlock switch
Pops out of park into reverse and at 40 mph. *Ak
- Electrical system › Wiring › Interior/under dash
A fire started in the passenger side dash of the car, in a rapid sequence of events the windshield cracked, the passenger air bag deployed and thick smoke engulfed the interior of the vehicle, as the driver exited the vehicle the drivers side air bag deployed adding to the flames, the vehicle was totaled. nlm
- Electrical system › Wiring › Front underhood
Driving in outside lane of highway -- total, sudden failure of electrical system -- everything stopped working at once (including 4-WAY flashers, wipers. Lights etc.) -- positive battery cable had corroded -- but the same cable was replaced the year before due to similar, slight intermittent problems with it (engine "catching" tape player ejecting, cd going on "code" clock zeroing, etc.). This IS very dangerous.*ak
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine
Due to a defective timing chain while driving the vehicle the engine seized which may have caused a crash. there was a safety campaign which the owner was unaware. there a newly design for the timing belt. please provide further information.*ak
- Power train › Automatic transmission
While in reverse gear jumps into neutral . vehicle has been repaired under recall 95v068000. However, the problem still exists. dealer has not been able to correct the problem. *ak
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Gasoline › Belts and associated pulleys
Serpentine belt pulleys broke off twice, in the last few thousand miles, causing destruction of brand new serpentine belts, loss of steering control, loss of heating and air conditioning, loss of battery charge, and overheating. the most recent incident, in which another pulley broke off the…
Serpentine belt pulleys broke off twice, in the last few thousand miles, causing destruction of brand new serpentine belts, loss of steering control, loss of heating and air conditioning, loss of battery charge, and overheating. the most recent incident, in which another pulley broke off the system could have caused death, given that the incident occured up north, and the temperature outside was well below freezing. luckily, a dunkin donuts restaurant was on hand within walking distance of the car's failure.
- Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
When applying the ABS brakes the pedal goes to the floor, causing extended stopping distance. Cause unknown. Please give any further details. *ak
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine
Engine timing belt went out, and causing the engine to stall unexpectedly which may have resulted in a crash. please provide further information. *ak
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Gasoline · Power train › Automatic transmission
Vehicle experiences ongoing / intermittent problem with transmission failure. It will not shift into reverse. Also vehicle stalls while driving. dealer/manufacturer notified. Seeking help from nhtsa in these matters. *ak
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Saab provided dealers/mechanics with a technical service bulletin about this problem, but neglected to provide consumers with a safety recall. what could have been a free, 30 minute repair resulted in over $600, 2 days of repairs, and a dangerous situation in which my engine nearly burned out.
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Gasoline › Belts and associated pulleys
Pulley on the serpentine belt assembly broke, causing loss of steering control. *ak.et.
- Suspension › Front › Control arm › Lower arm
The consumer has been experiencing problems with lower control arm. lower control arms are resting on sub-frame, causing them to break. when driving it causes their vehicle to drive towards a certain direction, even though the alignment IS correct. the manufacturer has been contacted. *Ak
- Power train › Manual transmission
Manual transmission handles poorly in reverse. vehicle will sometimes slip out of reverse without warning. also there IS a crunching noise during operation of transmission. Dealers are unable to correct problem.
- Engine and engine cooling › Cooling system · Engine and engine cooling › Cooling system › Radiator assembly · Vehicle speed control · Visibility › Defroster/defogger/hvac system › Heater core
Smelled sweet smell, thiught it was the vehicle, need a good cleaning. Smell never went away and kept coming up in intervals. Coolant kept leaking into the heater core and heater box. changed filters, no smell found. Replaced thermostat. However, smell still appeared. in addition, throttle control lever bushing replaced as per recall (97v-046). *ak
- Equipment › Appliance › Air conditioner
The air conditioner: expansion valve broke for the 5TH time. *ak
Defect investigations
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
- Defective water pump pulley
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- New wheel bolts
saab issued a tsb informing dealers about a new wheel mounting bolt.If the issue is loosening of the lug nut, this could lead to bolt fatigue and the potential for a wheel separation.
- Audio system fires
See resume for details.
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 10246631Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules
- 621491Service information regarding the wiring harness repair kit.
- 608082Notification to stop performing procedure outlined in si-831-1823 to address a complaint of rear doors dufficult to open from outside on models up to w2019950.
- 608075Addressing concerns with various types of noises heard from the a/c system.
- 607550Customer may complain of battery, discharging through light switch in luggage compartment.
- 607545Information on addressing customer complaint of low oil level.
- 607544Service information on aging coolant hose.
- 607534Some customers may complain that the seal around the front direction indicators / light cluster can come loose.
- 604280Complaints of vibration from cabin fan motor.
- 604135Information on how to operate outside rear door handles.
- 604130Technical service broadcast on correct installation of fan speed controller.
- 603361Concerns with loose seal around front direction indictors.
- 603360Concerns with nuts on rear window and windshield wiper arms come loose.
- 603060Srs (airbag) diagnostic trouble codes missing from workshop information.
- 603058Complaints of noise on deceleration in 1994 and later models with manual transmissions.
- 602950Service information on wiring harness repair kit.
- 602948Improved bush and gear linkage.
- 602797Remanufactured aisin aw transmission, no reverse and / or erratic shifts.
- 602371Addressing engine noise complaints.
- 602370Addressing customer complaints of noisy a/c.
- 602369Complaints regarding noisy or hard to operate telescopic steering action.
- 602305Subject regarding front seat backrest difficult to tip forward.
- 602299Concerns when antenna fails to go up / down completely on vehicles within v2037949 and v7010251.
- 600950Experiencing noise from front assembly, fault diagnosis hints.
- 600947A customer complaint concerning battery, discharging through light switch in luggage compartment.
- 52448Adjustment of bearing tension.
- 52291Pedal raising kit.
- 52049Temperature sending units for replacement cylinder heads for vehicles with 4 cylinder engine.
- 52044New essential special tool: terminal repair kit.
- 52042Electronic antifrost thermostat.
- 52041Cylinder head bolt tightening torque.
- 46714Correcting a customer complaint of a rattling noise from the clutch plate.
- 46710Correcting a customer complaint of a rattling noise from the synchromesh sleeves.
- 46709Correcting a customer complaint that reverse gear lever IS difficult to engage or jumps out of gear when car IS driven in reverse.
- 46707Adjustment of gear position sensor and gear selector cable.
- 46706Replacing camshaft drive belt and water pump.
- 46383Service kit has been developed to address a customer compliant of engine vibration in drive at idle. Affects 1994095 900 models with 4 cylinder engines and automatic transmission.
- 44079It has been determined that a number of 1994 900 5-door models and 1995 900 convertible models equipped with V6 engines the belt tensioner may not be properly aligned. As a result, the belt could break or jump off the tensioner, causing engine damage, pump leakage, noise and bearing failure.
- 44077Improved cylinder blocks.
- 44076New windshield washer nozzles have been developed that provide adjustability to the washer stream.
Every Saab 900 model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.