Most common 2007 Saab 9-3 problems
Share of the 155 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Saab 9-3 complaints by model year
Best 9-3 years: 2011, 2010, 2002. Years to avoid: 2003, 2008, 2004, 2007. Compare all years →
2007 Saab 9-3 recalls (2)
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
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.
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.
Seat belts › Front › Retractor
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.
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 3 possible defects involving the 2007 Saab 9-3:
Engine compartment fire
The office of defects investigation (odi) is aware of 7 subject vehicles that have allegedly experienced engine compartment fires originating at the coil-on-plug (cop) ignition coil assembly and 28 alleged non-fire thermal events resulting in damage limited to the subject component and associated wiring.
Reduced brake power-assist
Saab automobile ab, a subsidiary of general motors corp. (GM), manufactured 12,317 subject vehicles through February 15, 2008, equipped with the high feature v6 turbocharged engine identified by regular production option lp9.a tandem vacuum brake booster assembly provides brake power-assist.the engine is the primary vacuum source to the booster and its effect is amplified by a venturi.under certain conditions, such…
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 to burn too quickly when ignited.
What 2007 Saab 9-3 owners say
Air bags all 65 →
Takata recall. I received notice that my 2007 Saab 93 is subject to the Takata air bag recall several weeks ago but was told that parts were not available. I would like to know when they will be available and what to do about it in the meantime. Is the car not safe to drive? Would it be better to de-activate the air bag? I have read that heat and moisture can cause the problem. Is it the combination of the two? Is one more of a factor than the other? I also own a Honda crv that is subject to the recall and Honda north America is providing a rental car until parts are available (in July). Shouldn't GM do the same if there is real risk of injury or death associated with driving a vehicle with this defect?
The document states that the parts to repair my vehicle are not currently available. This is from March 2016. How long am I supposed to pay for a vehicle that has a potentially lethal defect and has not been addressed. The millions of other recalls appear to have solution and those owners are still waiting. This makes me believe that they have not even had the time to manufacture a solution for my make and model. How long is an acceptable time to play russian roulette every day I commute to work. I am not even able to drive my 10 week old son anywhere in this vehicle. What are our options? If I wait to file this until I have an accident there is a good chance I will be dead and unable to file it.
Engine & cooling all 24 →
2007 Saab 9-3 went on fire with driver in it. Car was serviced at massey Saab, orlando, flon June 3rd, 2008 (40,000 mile service, electrical repairs, detail, wheel alignment). Vehicle was in mcdonald's drive-through in orlando fl on junction of 535 n and hotel plaza blvd. Engine caught on fire. Manger of mcdonald's (frederico) and I (driver) pushed car away from building and other people. Flames entered cabin while I was in the vehicle steering it. I jumped out just in time, and the whole car went up in flames. There have been records of other Saab's having similar fire problems in the past. I would like to have this investigated so other's are not injured in an occurrence like this. I am lucky to be alive. The fire department arrived and extinguished the flames, and informed me how lucky I was that I jumped out, and not brought the car home and parked it in my garage. …
It appears I too have been struck with the misfortune of having what I have termed " morning sickness" in cooler weather. I currently have one - hundred and forty- eight thousand miles on this vehicle. I just had it diagnosed low compression in two of the cylinder's, one cylinder has 150 psi?, the other has 175. I believe they should be 200 psi? Usually it does not last long ( of rough running) of course depending on outside temperature. I have recorded a temp . Of five above f., and the car started fine, but took a while for it to " clear out ", generally no more than a minute or two. I see I am not the only one with this problem, thought I'd share with others and maybe something could be done about it. I guess I feel I am luck, that with all miles I have on the vehicle, that I have gotten this far, question is how much farther can I go before I need to something??
Suspension all 24 →
Noticed a clunking noise coming from the front left side of the car when going over bumps. Took car to mechanic and discovered that the front left coil spring was corroded and broken. The corrosion occurred at the bottom of the spring and the broken piece was sticking out of the strut assrmbly and was possibly a tire puncture hazzard. The mechanic stated that this was a common occurrence on this model Saab but is not covered by GM special coverage #15917 because that extended warranty only applies to 2003-2006 models. Why not GM??
First issue was front suspension coils. Replaced both. Biggest issue was once the weather became very cold, car would not start. Ended up being a victim of the bad intake valves provided by GM. Now, after a complete valve job and having the car run great from March 2017 to dec 2017..it appears it May have a cracked block. Car never overheated. Fluids were always maintained. Looked into that and apparently there were some casting issues as well. Thanks GM.
2007 Saab 9-3 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 6-speed manual | FWD | 19 / 28 / 22 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 19 / 28 / 22 |
| 2.8L 6-cyl turbo | 6-speed manual | FWD | 16 / 26 / 19 |
| 2.8L 6-cyl turbo | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 15 / 26 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2007 Saab 9-3 a good car?
Based on 155 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2007 9-3 rates use caution: 1.4× as many complaints as a typical year of the 9-3 at the same age. It is one of the 9-3 years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2007 Saab 9-3?
The air bags — 65 complaints, 42% of all complaints for this model year, most often about frontal. Next are the engine & cooling (24) and suspension (24).
How many recalls does the 2007 Saab 9-3 have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2007 Saab 9-3, the most recent from February 3, 2016 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Saab 9-3?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2011, 2010 and 2002. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2003, 2008, 2004 and 2007. See the full Saab 9-3 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2007 Saab 9-3 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 64,000 miles; 32% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.