Most common 2002 Saab 9-5 problems
Share of the 53 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 →
2002 Saab 9-5 recalls (6)
Seats › Front assembly › Head restraint
Saab is recalling 57,389 my 2002-2008 9-5 series vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 201, "occupant protection in interior impact." during compliance testing, one of the upper interior occupant protection test points exceeded the standard's requirements.
Remedy: Dealers will install a-pillar trim with improved energy-absorbing capability free of charge. The recall began on November 25, 2008. Owners May contact Saab at 1-800-955-9007.
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 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 January 2003. The recall is expected to begin during December 2005.
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.
Steering › Linkages › Knuckle › Spindle › Arm
The steering knuckle castings on certain passenger vehicles May have been contaminated during the casting process.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the steering knuckle for the casting number. If the knuckle was in the defective batch, the steering knuckle will be replaced. Owner notification is expected to begin during January 2002.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2002 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 2002 Saab 9-5 owners say
Electrical system all 27 →
I would like to cite NHTSA campaign #05V399000. While driving my 2002 Saab 9-5 6 cylinder on 4/20/2006 I began to experience rough operation and reduced power of the engine. I was a short distance from my destination where I parked thinking I would need to be towed. At first I thought my car was overheating because there seemed to be steam coming from under the hood but there was an odd smell. I went into the coffee shop I was visiting and within a minute or two I turned to check on my car and I saw that the interior was filled with smoke. I went outside and noticed sparks and flames coming from under the vehicle in the area of the back seat and I immediately called the fire department. They arrived and put out the fire under the car and in the back seat where the flames had burned through the carpet. …
August 12, 2006 our 2002 Saab 9-5 sportwagon caught fire. Returning home from vacation the check engine light displayed. Information in the owner's manual and a phone call to our Saab dealer lead us to believe that the car was safe to drive. As we approached the toll plaza in mays landing, nj the car stalled and began to smoke. We evacuated the car. Toll personnel extinguished the fire and summoned the laureldale fire company and the nj state police. The action taken by the toll personnel prevented a potential disaster. The car was towed to an impound lot in egg harbor ctiy, nj . After a few hours we were able to arrange fora rental to transport us and our vacation baggage home. At this time we did not know the extend of damage to the car other than it could not be driven to our home and it was a Saturday. The closest Saab dealer in cherry hill, nj was not open for service calls. …
Engine & cooling
The engine on my 4 cylinder Saab 9-5 (2002) has suddenly stopped while driving at least 4 times since owning the car, both on the highway and in slower traffic. The first time I reported officially (2007) to the dealer, "no cause was identified." I noticed the last time that it happened (around May 2011) that it seemed to coincide with inadvertently bumping into the ignition switch lightly while driving. The symptoms match that of another owner's complaint on this site for the 2002 Saab 9-5. I expected my car to be included in the recent recall involving the faulty ignition switch but got no notification. I have also paid in June 2008 and again in October 2009 and January 2013 to replace/reset a faulty ignition cassette, which I believe should have been part of a recall campaign and not charged to me, but the parts were not included in the recall. …
Dt: consumer states on October 6, 2005 while driving on a road the vehicle caught on fire. The fuel line was ripped, and one smelled gasoline all over the passenger side of the vehicle. Consumer stated when putting the vehicle in reverse it will stall intermittently. Consumer took the vehicle to dealer and no codes showed up on the diagnostic machine. The dealer changed catalytic converter and the oxygen sensor twice. The dealer could not pin point the problem. The engine failure light did come on before the vehicle caught on fire. The dealer said that some type of debris came from the highway that caused the fuel line to rip.
Fuel & propulsion system
Tl contact owns a 2002 Saab 9-5 ARC. While driving 20 MPH, the engine misfired and the contact noticed a burning smell. Approximately ten minutes after she parked the vehicle, there were flames coming from the rear of the vehicle near the fuel tank. The flames engulfed the vehicle and caused damaged to the trees and driveway. The fire destroyed the vehicle. As of December 5, 2007, the insurance company or manufacturer had not inspected the vehicle. The contact stated that recall #07V087000 (fuel system, gasoline: delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings) was performed two weeks prior to the failure. The contact felt that the recalled part caused the failure. The current and failure mileages were 66,500.
Driving on highway, pressure line from fuel tank came loose and started spraying gas all over the underside of the vehicle. Stream of drips on highway alerted a passing motorist who flagged us down. Lost 5 gallons of gas in just a couple of minutes. Had to pull over and call for roadside assistance. Evacuated car due to large pools of gas under vehicle and drips near hot exhaust pipes. Technician discovered fuel line loose after looking inside port from under back seat. No evidence of any breakage or other issues -- the line simply came loose and was easily re-attached. Car is being taken to dealer for investigation and hopefully a fix. Consultation on internet chat room saabnet.com finds that at least 3 other owners of similar vintage Saab 9-5 vehicles have experienced this same problem. Jb
2002 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 | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 27 / 21 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 16 / 24 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2002 Saab 9-5 a good car?
Based on 53 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2002 9-5 rates avoid: 2.8× 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 2002 Saab 9-5?
The electrical system — 27 complaints, 51% of all complaints for this model year, most often about ignition › module. Next are the engine & cooling (8) and fuel & propulsion system (7).
How many recalls does the 2002 Saab 9-5 have?
There are 6 recalls for the 2002 Saab 9-5, the most recent from April 9, 2008 (head restraint). 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 2002 Saab 9-5 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 54,000 miles; 40% 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.