Seat Belt complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 3 | 10% | — |
| 2010 | 2 | 7% | 11,000 miles |
| 2009 | 2 | 5% | 25,000 miles |
| 2008 | 10 | 5% | 70,000 miles |
| 2007 | 7 | 5% | 87,000 miles |
| 2006 | 15 | 8% | 118,000 miles |
| 2005 | 22 | 23% | 95,000 miles |
| 2004 | 79 | 38% | 85,000 miles |
| 2003 | 12 | 6% | 49,000 miles |
| 2002 | 3 | 7% | 100,000 miles |
| 2001 | 2 | 2% | 95,000 miles |
| 2000 | 5 | 8% | 112,000 miles |
| 1999 | 7 | 9% | 114,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (buckles, retractors, anchors and pretensioners).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
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 updated 03/01/17.
I have been trying to get this recall done for many years and with no luck. Most recently June 26th 2026 I was informed my recall was not fixable again and I hope for the last time. Enough is enough! Van Bortel Chevrolet in Macedon Ny tried again today which is there 2nd attempt. I had to buy a software card to give them the tool they didn't have to fit in there tech 2 scanner and even with the card they were unable to fix. It's a major safety issue I have been more than patient with and can't even begin to tell you over the years how much time and money spent trying to fix. I think at this point they need to replace car with similar or purchase from me.
Driver seat belt fails to retract. When retraction failure occurs, it is obvious to the seat occupant immediately. If a crash were to occur with a seat belt in this condition, the result could increase the risk of injury to the driver. The seat belt retraction failure has been reproduced and confirmed. No warning lamps but, the seat belt showed earlier symptoms of not working properly, by not engaging when hard braking occurred. I will have the tensioner replaced.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Saab 9-3. The contact stated that the driver's side seat belt failed to retract whether the vehicle was in operation or not. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 14V318000 (seat belts); 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 (just Saab, 5591 wooster pike, cincinnati, oh 45227, [phone]) was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not available for the recall remedy. The manufacture was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 106,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Saab 9-3. The contact stated that the driver's seat belt was inoperable. The contact stated that the seat belt pretensioner failed to retract the seat belt after coming to a stop. The vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 14V318000 (seat belts). The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed. Delaware Cadillac (1606 pennsylvania ave, wilmington, de 19806, [phone]) was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 161,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Saab 9-3. While driving at approximately 15 MPH while the brake pedal was depressed, the seat belt violently seized across the contact's chest causing her to lose consciousness. As a result, the contact crashed into the rear of another vehicle and the air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 163,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Saab 9-3. The contact stated that NHTSA campaign number: 14V318000 (seat belts) exceeded a reasonable time for repair. The contact received the recall letter in June of 2014. The manufacturer stated that the part would be available within 30 to 60 days. The contact also stated that the seat belt was not retracting as normal. The failure mileage was 81,000..... Updated 06/30/15 updated 08/26/15.
The contact owns a 2005 Saab 9-3. The contact stated that the front passenger's side seat belt failed to latch. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V318000 (Seat Belts). The vehicle was not repaired. There was no further information provided. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Related recalls (3)
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.
Seat belts › Front › Retractor
General motors is recalling certain model year 2004 Saab 9-3 sedans. Some of these vehicles were produced with front seat belt retractors that, over time, could fail to retract.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE DRIVER SIDE RETRACTOR FREE OF CHARGE. IF THE FRONT PASSENGER RETRACTOR WERE TO FAIL TO RETRACT, GM WILL REPLACE THE FRONT PASSENGER RETRACTOR FREE OF CHARGE UNDER A SPECIAL COVERAGE THAT WILL BE…
Seat belts › Front › Retractor
Some sport sedans were built with seat belt retractors that were damaged during the manufacturing process. If damaged, over time, the automatic tensioning system (ats) cable in the seat belt retractor could break causing the belt webbing to not retract.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat belt retractor assemblies. The recall began on January 24, 2005. Owners should contact Saab at 1-800-955-9007.
NHTSA investigations
Seat belt retractor
Odi has received eight complaints of front seat belt retractors breaking on model year 2004 Saab 9-3 vehicles.a common failure scenario involves the driver hearing a noise and the belt suddenly losing tension.a non-functioning seat belt increases the risk and severity of injury in the event of a crash.
Frequently asked questions
Which Saab 9-3 years have seat belt problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2004 (79), 2005 (22), 2006 (15), 2003 (12) and 2008 (10) model years. Seat Belt complaints make up 38% of all complaints for the 2004.
Is there a recall for Saab 9-3 seat belt problems?
Yes — 3 recalls, including 14V-318 (retractor, Jun 12, 2014); 10V-043 (retractor, Feb 18, 2010); 04V-226 (retractor, May 11, 2004). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Saab 9-3 seat belt problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 88,000 miles; 20% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the front › retractor (17 mentions), followed by the front (5).
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.