Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2000 Saab 9-5 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl contact owns a 2000 Saab 9-5. While approaching a stop light at 10 MPH, the vehicle began vibrating excessively and the engine light illuminated on the instrument control panel. Minutes later, the interior lighting dimmed, the vehicle dramatically decelerated, and a burning smell was present. The vehicle lost power, but was restarted 15 minutes later. The vehicle was driven to a local dealer and they stated that the vehicle was experiencing the same failure as stated in NHTSA campaign id number 05V399000 (electrical system:ignition:module). The contact would have to pay for the repair. The vehicle is currently being repaired. He filed a formal complaint with the manufacturer. The VIN and engine size were unknown. The failure and current mileages were 59,000.
Dt*: the contact stated while parking, smoke was noticed coming in through the vents. After exiting the vehicle, it caught on fire. The fire department extinguished the fire and filled out a report. A police report was also filed on the scene before the vehicle was towed. One passenger sustained minor injuries. The dealer has not been alerted.
I used the car only for week end ski trips twice a month or less through the winter. This occasionally required jump starts. The week of the failure the car started okay to move it to the garage so I could take the snow tires off, I then moved it back to its spot. That Friday, I drove over 100 miles from ct to brattleboro, vt, where I went to a supermarket, then a restaurant. It ran perfectly, until I finished dinner, and it would not start. It would crank, but there was no combustion. After a few long walks and many phone calls, no one could help with it and there was no place to stay for the night or cars to rent. I took a taxi 20-30 miles to my family ski house in newfane. The next morning, I called several shops and found one that could look at it. (no dealers in the area) the car was towed to them, and I got a ride from my neighbor down the mountain and back into town. …
I own a 2000 Saab 9-5 v6. Just recently, about a month ago, my check engine light came on in the car. When this happened the car began to hesitate and "buck". I had a car computer hooked up to my car to find out what the problem is. The code came back as a cylinder misfire on cylinder #2. I asked the auto technician what could cause that to happen. He told me to replace the spark plugs and in that did not fix the problem that I would have to replace the coil pack. So I replaced the spark plugs and the problem continued. I went online to research prices of coil packs or ignition cassettes for my car. While doing so I came across the fact that this part has been recalled on many saabs. I then called the dealership to find out what should be done to find out if my vehicle was in fact one of the vehicles with a recalled part. …
Direct ignition cassette (dic) failure 2000 Saab 9-5 aero the dic on my 2000 Saab 9-5 aero failed at 65mph causing engine failure and subsequent loss of vehicle control. No restart. Viewed owner feedback at www.saabnet.com and realised dic failure rate on 9-5 model (all years) seems extremely high. Owners have commented that Saab recognizes the defect and in some cases provides spare dic's but has declined to recall. Saab refused to comment, to me, on the failure rate or defect trend for this dic. The dic fails without warning causing engine to stall. Failure at highway speed could be catostrophic. I have seen other owners comment that dic failure can be accompanied by a great deal of smoke and possibly fire. GM recalled Saturn ignition modules as did vw. Wondering why Saab has not. (1) irratic engine speed with intermittent hesitation during acceleration. …
Idm cassette failure on a 2000 Saab 9-5 se (6-cylinder). The car had reduced power and rough operation, lurching with acceleration, and nearly stalling. I was afraid this pregnant woman was going to be left stranded on the side of a dark, country highway on a cold winter night! The next day, power was reduced even further and eventually, the car stalled and will not start up. It was towed to a mechanic who thought the recall on the part (recall 05v-399) would replace the defective idm cassette. The car was then towed to an authorized dealer for replacement. This part is not covered in a 2000 9-5 se. The recall only applies to 2000-2002 Saab 9-5's which are 4-cylinder and 2001 9-5's with the 6 cylinder. This is the same part as in those recalled vehicles and should be replaced and included in the recall as well.
When exiting the interstate, the car suddenly lost power and the check engine light came on. There was then a smell like an overloaded or burning electrical or electronic part. We drove to the first safe place to stop the car, checked under the hood and found no fire but the smell was very strong. We called the nearest Saab dealer and had them make arrangements to tow the car in. After checking the car, they found that the ignition module had burned-out which in turn allowed raw gas in the exhaust to damage the catalytic converter. There is an existing recall (NHTSA campaign id number: 05V399000) which seems to describe the exact problem that I have experienced, but I have been told by Saab that my VIN number is not covered by this recall. I feel that this incident and failure should be covered under this recall.
Tl contact owns a 2000 Saab 9-5. While driving at any speed, the vehicle suddenly stalls. The vehicle has stalled immediately after the engine was started or even before the vehicle was moved. The contact took the vehicle to a repair shop and the ignition module was replaced. The failure recurred six months later. The contact took the vehicle back to the shop and the ignition module was replaced once again. The failure recurred six months later. Through research, he found NHTSA campaign id number 05V399000 (electrical system:ignition:module); however, the manufacturer stated that the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact believes that the vehicle should be repaired according to the recall since the failures were identical. The failure mileage was 85,000 and current mileage was 130,000.
Tl contact owns a 2000 Saab 9-5. The contact was driving approximately 30 MPH when the temperature gauge indicated that the vehicle was overheating. The vehicle was safely driven to the side of the road and the engine was shut off. After waiting for the engine to cool, the contact dispensed oil into the reservoir. The vehicle resumed and the temperature gauge increased rapidly to the hot level reading. The engine began to overheat and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. There was a recall associated with NHTSA campaign id number: 05V399000 (electrical system: ignition: module) however, the dealer advised the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall campaign. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 134,000.
Tl contact owns a 2000 Saab 9-5. On nov 18, 2008, the contact was informed that the vehicle had a faulty head gasket, which was replaced at that time. Six months later, the vehicle began jerking while driving 55 MPH on the highway. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who stated that the ignition cassette was causing the vehicle to jerk. The manufacturer stated that the VIN was excluded from NHTSA campaign id number 05V399000. The contact feels that the manufacturer should be responsible for the repairs since the failures were identical to those listed in the recall. The current mileage was 125,000 and failure mileage was 115,000. Updated 05/13/09. The consumer stated when she started the vehicle, it lunged forward and then stall. Updated 05/13/09.
Related recalls
Electrical system › Ignition › Module
Certain passenger vehicles equipped with b205/b235 4-cylinder gasoline engines and b308 6-cylinder gasoline engines May experience overheating and burnout of the isolated gated bipolar transistor (igbt) within the ignition discharge module (idm) due to increased susceptibility to electrical loads.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect to see what version idm is in the vehicle and replace the idm if it is a version built prior to the introduction of qp3.
NHTSA investigations
Engine stall/ engine compartment fires
Odi opened pe05-017 based on 35 reports of alleged engine stalling due to the failure of the idm cassette on the subject vehicles.all complainants reported that the engine shut down suddenly without warning and most reported that the vehicle would not restart.in 3 incidents, the complainants reported smoke and/or fire resulted from the idm failure.during pe05-017, additional failure data was identified as noted in…
Electrical complaints in other 9-5 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2000 Saab 9-5?
NHTSA has 53 complaints about the electrical system of the 2000 Saab 9-5, 52% of the model year's 102 complaints. The component named most often is ignition › module (41 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2000 Saab 9-5 electrical problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 05V-399 (module, Sep 14, 2005). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2000 Saab 9-5 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles, and 2% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 3 fires and 1 injury to electrical system 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.