Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2007 Saab 9-3 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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.
Takata recall. I have a 2007 Saab 9-3 with a recall for the driver side airbag. I called GM Saab and the dealer and they keep telling me there is nothing they can do at this time to resolve the issue. This is for the driver side so every time I am driving I could potentially have the airbag kill me. In some cars it is for the passenger side and you could just have the passenger sit in the back but mine is for the driver side. Please give me some help in this situation because they won't repair it and they won't take the car if I trade it in for a new car. All I have is a dangerous airbag on the driver side every time I drive.
Air bag failure 2007 Saab aero convertible I was in a 4 car pile up in which I hit the car in front of me at approximately 25 MPH. Air bag sensors were hit but airbag failed to deploy. I was seatbelted but did hit the steering wheel face first and was taken to the hospital by ambulance from the scene. I did suffer a concussion and facial bruising and a full set of cuts in my mouth.
Takata recall: why does the airbag recall not include the passenger side airbag for my car? The driver side airbag was replaced yesterday in my car pursuant to the recall, but not the passenger side airbag. Doesn't the passenger side airbag present a danger to the passenger if it spontaneously deploys?
Takata recall multiple calls to the dealer have no effect. Can not purchase a air bag on my own. Service refuses to disconnect the airbag. Wife will not drive this car. It is a convertible which stays moist inside.
My wife and I were involved in a motor vehicle accident in our 2007 Saab 9-3 2.0 t convertible. We were heading eastbound on sr610 in stafford, va and the other vehicle was heading westbound. The other driver made an illegal left turn in front of us failing to yield the right of way and we struck his car in the ride side (t-bone). His car was totaled and we had significant front end damage and our airbags did not deploy. Both my wife and I are still recovering from our injuries and under current medical care. I contacted my Saab dealership and they suggested I contact GM/Saab to investigate the accident to determine if the airbags should have deployed. GM/Saab sent an inspector and I was told I would be provided a report regarding their findings. The inspector completed the investigation and I was contacted by GM/Saab. …
2007 Saab has issue with driver steering lock and driver air bag failure. When I driver on highway I get notice steering wheel lock. I have not have the wheel lock yet while I am driving on highway but I did complete stop several time when notice on dash board light up where the steering locks up after I stop and turn off the car. I brought in the car to GM dealer and error on system computer and they said no issue. For a 2008 automotive less than 100,000 miles to have air bag failure is very odd. Dealers want to replace the air bag which cost about $1300. Which is expensive for 6 to 7 year old car to have to fix possible GM manufacture defects and their own quality control.
Tl* Takata recall. The contact owns a 2007 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. Two dealers were contacted (sewell Cadillac of dallas, dallas, tx, [phone]) and (ramey Chevrolet in sherman, tx, [phone]) and confirmed that the parts were not available for the recall remedy. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and was not able to confirm when the parts were to become available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Tl* Takata recall. The contact owns a 2007 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. Romeo Chevrolet was contacted and informed the contact that they could not perform the repair because they were not an authorized service center. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and informed the contact that the vehicle was safe to drive due to the recall being a precaution. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Related recalls
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.
NHTSA investigations
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.
Airbag complaints in other 9-3 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2007 Saab 9-3?
NHTSA has 65 complaints about the air bags of the 2007 Saab 9-3, 42% of the model year's 155 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2007 Saab 9-3 airbag problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 16V-063 (inflator module, Feb 3, 2016). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2007 Saab 9-3 airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 70,000 miles, and 10% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 3 injuries to air bags problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.