Most common 2001 Saab 9-5 problems
Share of the 82 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Saab 9-5 complaints by model year
Best 9-5 years: 2006, 2007, 2011. Years to avoid: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003. Compare all years →
2001 Saab 9-5 recalls (4)
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
On certain passenger vehicles, the fuel pump retaining tabs holding the fuel lines were damaged during production.
Remedy: Dealers will develop a securing bracket that will secure the fuel lines to the fuel pump even if the plastic retaining tabs should break. The recall began on June 13, 2007.
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.
Wheels › Hub
On certain passenger vehicles, if an owner changes their wheels/tires between summer and winter using a steel wheel in the winter and an alloy wheel in the summer, it is possible for rust and contamination to build up on the wheel hub during the steel wheel usage.
Remedy: Owners will be contacted by mail and asked whether they change between steel and alloy wheels. If they do engage in this practice, they will be instructed to bring their cars to an authorized dealer.
Air bags
Vehicle description: certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with requirements of FMVSS no. 208, "occupant crash protection." the air bag alert labels May not be permanently affixed as required by this standard.
Remedy: Dealers will clean the sunvisor surface and apply a new air bag alert label on both sunvisors. Owner notification began July 30, 2001.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2001 Saab 9-5:
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…
What 2001 Saab 9-5 owners say
Electrical system all 48 →
1. Driving at approximately 40mph, complete engine failure with out any warning. 2. Car could break but power assisted steering was non funtional, steering functioned with out power assistance, but very hard to safely steer vehicle. 3. Was able to move car off road into grass ditch away from rear traffic. 4. Black smoke came from drivers side of engine with smell of burnt plastic and rubber. 5. Certified Saab mechanic diagnosed car and found that the ignition cassette failed and burned from within. Replaced ignition cassette at a cost of $500. 6. There are two ignition cassettes in the Saab 95. The remaining unit has 60,000 miles on it. 7. If this failure took place on a highway in fast moving traffic, a tragic accident could result. There is no warning of the failure. I had three children in the vehicle. 8. …
On two occasions our 2001saab,9.5 6 cylinder transmission cassette failed. Leaving my husband and my self stranded with a smoldering car. On oct 19th 05 we were able to get off the hwy in the nick of time, heavy smoke had begun to pour out from under the hood. The fire was contained but the ignition cassette,the cause of the fire, the wire harness, battery and,spark plugs were destroyed and had to be replaced. At the time of this incidence we were driving in the southern sierras in a seasonal dry forest area. It was fortunate that a we were able to pull off the road in a safe spot. On aug.15th, 08. The replacement part failed again and as before the spark plugs, installed several months previously had to be replaced the continued failure of this part in an intrinsic manufacturing defect. …
Engine & cooling
On Wednesday, October 30, 2008 at approximately 4:45 pm I experienced a sudden vehicle engine stop. This occurred on a residential 4-lane street while traveling in the right hand lane at approximately 30 MPH. The vehicle was a 2001 Saab 95 ARC wagon. . The vehicle suddenly started to run rough and then the engine completely shut off. This caused me to have to glide the auto to the right hand side of the road where there was a curb. I thus remained in a lane of traffic with a disabled vehicle. The cause was a defective crank shaft position sensor. When this becomes inoperative the computer that controls engine management shuts down and disables the car. This required a tow to the dealer repair shop. And it required a new crank shaft sensor part to be installed. The old part is not available. The main irk about this is this is the second time I have replaced this part in 15 months. …
My car has only 50,000 miles. No warning, no escalation, just sudden. Sid l.c.d. Display is missing dots and lines causing unreadable display. Checked several "Saab" discussion forums and apperantly this is a very common problem which damages the value of a $40,000+ car. I am afraid to find out how much this is going to cost to repair after seeing how many 9-5 owners have posted "home remedy" repair methods for this. Upper radiator hose- third one in fifty thousand miles from myself and the previous owner whom I knew. They all burst in the same place. Pressure relief cap tested OK. There is no aftermarket manufacturer of this hose that I know of to fall back on for a possibly more reliable product. And also, I again after searching through discussion forums discovered I am not the only one with this problem. Hood badge. …
Fuel & propulsion system
Driving on thruway,cruise went off sudden loss of speed,ck engine light on. Engine stalled would only idle and shake wouldn't move. Had it towed to shop cleared code ran 1/2 day OK then ck light came back on, pulled it back into my shop. I searched internet for solutions pointed to faulty throttle body. I"m a certified for 34 year motorcycle technician so I took it off and disassembled it as I wanted to get to the bottom as it"s reason for failure. I discovered everything was OK except all of the wire insulation within the internal area of the throttle body had failed and peeled away causing a electrical short or spike. This is due to the use of inferior wire insulation not designed for it"s application. Dlr had new $457.00 part in stock. I installed it,worked fine dlr inspected it. …
There were no unusual events leading to the failure. My wife was driving a 2001 Saab 9-5 station wagon when the engine shut down and she lost all power. Thankfully she was driving on a local road and managed to pull over to the side. The engine would not restart and we had it towed to a local garage. The person who towed said he thought it was a "crank sensor" that failed and when it fails it completely shuts down the gas to the engine. I had it repaired and the local mechanic confirmed that it was a sensor that he called direct ignition which includes the cam sensor . My concern is that if it happened on a highway at 65 MPH, there would have been a serious accident. I don't understand how a car can totally shut down like that without any warning. Saab would not take my complaint because I did not have it checked at their garage. …
2001 Saab 9-5 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.3L 4-cyl turbo | 5-speed manual | FWD | 19 / 28 / 22 |
| 2.3L 4-cyl turbo | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 27 / 21 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 24 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2001 Saab 9-5 a good car?
Based on 82 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2001 9-5 rates avoid: 4.3× as many complaints as a typical year of the 9-5 at the same age. It is one of the 9-5 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 2001 Saab 9-5?
The electrical system — 48 complaints, 59% of all complaints for this model year, most often about ignition › module. Next are the engine & cooling (18) and fuel & propulsion system (15).
How many recalls does the 2001 Saab 9-5 have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2001 Saab 9-5, the most recent from March 7, 2007 (hoses, lines/piping, and fittings). 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 9-5?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2006, 2007 and 2011. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003. See the full Saab 9-5 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2001 Saab 9-5 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 64,000 miles; 29% 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.