2011 Saab 9-3
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
Have the VIN?
These records cover every 2011 Saab 9-3. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
4 recalls name the 2011 Saab 9-3. Newest first.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2006-2011 Saab 9-3 vehicles manufactured May 31, 2002, to February 15, 2011, 2006-2009 Saab 9-5 vehicles manufactured June 7, 2005, to May 28, 2009, and 2008-2009 Saturn Astra vehicles manufactured April 11, 2007, to July 24, 2008. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal…
Risk and remedy
Risk
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator on Saab 9-3 and 9-5 vehicles and will replace the driver's frontal airbag module on Saturn Astra vehicles, free of charge. The recall began on March 1, 2017. Owners may contact Saab customer service at 1-800-955-9007 or Saturn customer service at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 28810.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2011 Saab 9-3 Convertible vehicles manufactured July 30, 2003, to February 15, 2011. In the affected vehicles, the driver's side front seat belt retractor may break, causing the seat belt webbing not to retract.
Risk and remedy
Risk
In the event of a crash, a seat belt that has not retracted may not properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing their risk of injury.
Remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's seat belt retractor, free of charge. The recall began on October 6, 2015. Owners may contact Saab customer service at 1-800-955-9007. GM's number for this recall is 14222. Note: Special Coverage 10086 will replace the passenger side seat belt retractor if it fails, free of charge, for the life of the vehicle.
Ti automotive IS recalling certain fuel pumps, part numbers tu456 and tu303, sold under various brand names as aftermarket and replacement equipment for the motor vehicles listed above. the defective fuel pump may seize, stopping the fuel flow to the engine creating a stalling condition.
Risk and remedy
Risk
A vehicle crash could occur should the engine stall while in use.
Remedy
Ti automotive will notify owners of record and will replace any defective fuel pump with a new or reworked fuel pump free of charge. the safety recall began on february 22, 2011. owners may contact ti automotive at 1-866-867-3759 or log on to www.recallresponse.com.
Saab IS recalling certain model year 2010 and 2011 passenger vehicles manufactured from june 2010 through december 2010. certain fuel pumps installed as original equipment may have internal components with incorrect specifications.
Risk and remedy
Risk
The subject fuel pumps can seize causing the engine to stall which increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Saab will notify owners and replace the defective fuel pumps free of charge. the safety recall began on march 3, 2011. owners may contact saab at 1-800-955-9007.
Owner complaints
30 complaints1 involved a crash
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Seat belts
driver side seat belt not retracting, there is a recall but does not include this vin number.
- Air bags
Drivers side airbag spontaneously deployed while in motion on a city street going in a forward, straight motion.
- Air bags
TL* the contact owns a 2011 saab 9-3. The contact stated that while driving, the air bag sensor warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer and local dealer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 103,000.
- Engine
TL* the contact owns a 2011 saab 9-3. The contact detected a strong odor of coolant inside the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the vehicle was leaking coolant and screws were missing that connected the transmission to the motor. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and dealer were not made ware of the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000.
- Suspension · Unknown or other
Pump on rear xwd failure
- Air bags
Letter IS response to the recall of a defective air bag; seeking help for this dilemna nhtsa campaign ID number 16v063. *Ld the consumer stated the recall exceeded a reasonable amount of time. Updated 06/29/2017 *js
- Air bags
TL* takata recall. The contact owns a 2011 saab 9-3. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v063000 (air bags); however, the parts to do the repair were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The…
TL* takata recall. The contact owns a 2011 saab 9-3. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v063000 (air bags); however, the parts to do the repair were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was contacted at 800-955-9007. The contact asked the manufacturer to have the dealer nearby repair the air bags. The manufacturer referred the contact to dealer that was 60 miles away from the contact's residence. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
- Air bags
TL* takata recall. The contact owns a 2011 saab 9-3. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v063000 (air bags); however, the parts to do the repair were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. Dorshal…
TL* takata recall. The contact owns a 2011 saab 9-3. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v063000 (air bags); however, the parts to do the repair were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. Dorshal automotive was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not available for the recall remedy. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and initially informed the contact that the part was being sent; however, the contact still was not able to get the recall remedied due to the lack of part availability. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. updated 08/29/17*lj *cn
- Air bags
Takata recall. the recall issue has been known for several years now yet no remedy IS available for this model vehicle. Considering the danger and gravity behind this known issue, it IS unacceptable that a remedy IS not available for all vehicles to ensure the safety the persons involved.
- Air bags
TL* takata recall. The contact owns a 2011 saab 9-3. The contact stated that the recall notice for nhtsa campaign number: 16v063000(air bags) was received in february of 2016. After contacting the dealer and the manufacturer on multiple occasions, the contact was informed that the parts needed for…
TL* takata recall. The contact owns a 2011 saab 9-3. The contact stated that the recall notice for nhtsa campaign number: 16v063000(air bags) was received in february of 2016. After contacting the dealer and the manufacturer on multiple occasions, the contact was informed that the parts needed for the recall remedy were still not available and no estimated time for receiving the parts could be provided. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
- Air bags
Takata recall. I have been waiting a long time for the airbag to be fixed on my car. I check every month for the status of the recall and every month I see no action. this could seriously injure me or my family. an unknown time frame for resolution on an issue known to injure people IS unacceptable.
- Air bags
Takata recall. I need an immediate solution to the safety hazard this recall presents. What are my options for getting a manufacturer buyout on my vehicle?
- Air bags
Tamara recall no replacement yet
- Air bags · Seat belts
TL* takata recall. The contact owns a 2011 saab 9-3. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign numbers: 14v318000 (seat belts) and 16v063000 (air bags) however, the parts to do the repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for…
TL* takata recall. The contact owns a 2011 saab 9-3. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign numbers: 14v318000 (seat belts) and 16v063000 (air bags) however, the parts to do the repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was made aware of the issues. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available and parts distribution disconnect. updated 02/21/17*lj updated 03/01/17.*jb
- Air bags
TL* takata recall. The contact owns a 2011 saab 9-3. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v063000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
- Air bags
Takata recall. We received notice, by mail, of the airbag recall in march 2016. It IS now 8 months later and we are told there are no parts available.
- Air bags · Seat belts
Hi all, we receive a notice several months ago regarding a recall to the airbags in our car. at the time they said there was currently no rememdy. I just checked safecar.gov to check if there were any updates and it says "recall incomplete. Remedy not yet available " we are worried about…
Hi all, we receive a notice several months ago regarding a recall to the airbags in our car. at the time they said there was currently no rememdy. I just checked safecar.gov to check if there were any updates and it says "recall incomplete. Remedy not yet available " we are worried about using this car as recently an eleventh person was killed by these airbags. IS there some way to expedite the replacement of the airbags? thanks you so much for any help you might be able to offer. scott
- Air bags
TL* takata recall. The contact owns a 2011 saab 9-3. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v063000 (air bags). The part to do the repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
- Air bags
Takata recall - I was apprised by mail that the airbags on my saab 9-3 need to be replaced, but that the remedy IS not yet available. Eight months have passed and the remedy IS still not available. Why must I continue to drive a vehicle with airbags that may cause injury or worse? When will replacement airbags be available?
- Air bags
Takata recall. saab vehicle has been recalled for potentially dangerous airbag, but manufacturer IS out of business and previous parent company (gm) has not indicated any timeframe for fixing the defective airbag. this car IS now going on 5 years with this defective airbag in place. what can be done?
- Air bags
2011 saab 9-3. consumer writes in regards to replacement parts not available to repair recall notice 16v-063. *smd
- Air bags
TL* the contact owns a 2011 saab 9-3. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v063000 (air bags); however, the part for the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
- Air bags
TL* the contact owns a 2011 saab 9-3. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v063000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
- Air bags
TL* the contact owns a 2011 saab 9-3. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v063000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
- Air bags
I have contacted wright automotive (wexford pa) multiple times regarding the recall on the airbags. there response to me IS "sorry we don't have the part yet. IS there anything that I can do. this IS my primary vehicle.
Defect investigations
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant…
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=EA21002 -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.
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.
- 11011805This Preliminary information communicates a GM part number forreflective high temperature heat or insulating tape when repairing wiring harnesses.
- 11007208This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about changing the tire and wheel size on vehicles. General Motors will only support a tire calibration for tires that have been sized, tested and designed for the vehicle in question and its applications. Technician should not use the information that is provided by the antilock braking system tire size selection.
- 11006621Vehicle Wide Programming (VWP) is a new process to update software on GM Vehicles. It provides the ability via a single selection within Techline Connect to first identify which modules need updating and then proceed to updating affected modules (with some exceptions). The updating of modules is completed in parallel instead of the technician needing to update one module at a time. This allows a more streamlined approach for dealers and customers.
- 11004761This service bulletin advises of a new fuel injection cleaner kit used for decarbonizing the intake valves to correct conditions of rough idle, Crank no start, extended crank or misfire, MIL with DTCs, and explains how Top Tier fuels should be used to reduce carbon build-up.
- 11000158This service bulletin includes information on Interior Cleaning - Instrument Panel (IP), Hard or Plastic Surfaces, Seats, Carpet, Leather, Vinyl, Fabric Cleaner, Stain Remover, Restorer - Product Availability.
- 10254240Information on COAX Repair Kit Availability.
- 10254207No Crank/No Start, Dead Battery Due to Parasitic Drain/Discharge.
- 10254206No Crank/No Start, Dead Battery Due to Parasitic Drain/Discharge.
- 10253632Rear and Side Tempered Glass Spots.
- 10253584Information on Removal/Cracking of Stainless Steel Wheel Nut Caps.
- 10252974This service bulletin provides information on Takata Air Bag Courtesy Transportation Reimbursement Program - Applicable to GM Recalls listed in bulletin.
- 10252163XM Audio Traffic And Travel Link Availability And Operation.
- 10251345This service bulletin provides information on Takata Air Bag Completion Rate Improvement Program - Applicable to GM Recalls 14491, 14735,15040, 15041, 15043,15044, 15045, 15046, 15406,15438, 15442, 15815, 15816,15817, 15818, 15826, 17009, 17476, 17477, 28810, 28811,17478, 18015, N192273760, N192278940, N212328760, N212328770, N212328780, N212328790, N212328800, N242437050, N242437060, N242437070.
- 10250082Information on Driveline Clunk Noise
- 10250013High Voltage Safety ? High Voltage Disabling
- 10248444Vehicle Recalls
- 10247716J-35616-64B Terminal Test Probe / Replacement Terminal / Terminated Lead.
- 10247681Information On Requests To Add OnStar Bluetooth Option.
- 10247063A/C Blows Warm Or Poor Performance.
- 10247061J-35616-64B Terminal Test Probe / Replacement Terminal / Terminated Lead.
- 10246983Checking Smartphone Bluetooth Software Update Status
- 10246982Checking Smartphone Bluetooth Software Update Status
- 10246963Changing Turn-By-Turn Voice Response To Metric Or English Units
- 10246951Programming And Activation Of Replacement OnStar Modules.
- 10246634Information for Engine Oils Used in 2014 Model Year Vehicles
- 10246632PAC Courtesy Transportation Assistance Program
- 10246630GM Wiring Repair Strategy Information
- 10246619Car and Truck Fix it Right the First Time Issues
- 10246618Car and Truck Fix it Right the First Time Issues
- 10246617Car and Truck Fix it Right the First Time Issues
- 10246616Car and Truck Fix it Right the First Time Issues
- 10246615Car and Truck Fix it Right the First Time Issues
- 10246614Vehicle Software Enhancements
- 10246593Warranty Administration ? Change in Automatic Transmission Add Condition Documentation and Claim Submission
- 10246569Information on Driveline Clunk Noise
- 10245951Canadian Customers Unable To Place Calls And Turn By Turn Inoperative In The United States.
- 10245950Canadian Customers Unable To Place Calls In The United States
- 10245938OnStar Module Does Not Support All B101D Symptom Codes.
- 10245907GM TAC Support of Vehicle Vibration Complaints.
- 10245804Aftermarket ALDL or DLC Interface Devices Causing Multiple Issues
Every Saab 9-3 model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.