Saab 9-5
Owners filed 557 complaints across 14 model years of the Saab 9-5. The 2000 drew the most (119); the 1998 the fewest (1).
Model years14
Complaints557
Recalls30
Fires17
Deaths0
Every Saab 9-5 model year compared
Complaints per year| Year | Complaints | Relative volume | Recalls | Fires | Crashes | Most reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 9 | 0 | — | — | Exterior Lighting | Routine | |
| 2010 | 2 | 0 | — | — | Visibility › Windshield | Routine | |
| 2009 | 2 | 1 | — | — | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2008 | 20 | 2 | — | — | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2007 | 17 | 2 | — | — | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2006 | 23 | 2 | — | — | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2005 | 11 | 2 | — | 2 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2004 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 1 | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2003 | 47 | 4 | — | 1 | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2002 | 65 | 6 | 5 | 2 | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2001 | 104 | 4 | 5 | 1 | Electrical System › Ignition › Module | Routine | |
| 2000 | 119 | 3 | 5 | 3 | Electrical System › Ignition › Module | Routine | |
| 1999 | 118 | 2 | 1 | 4 | Electrical System › Ignition › Module | Routine | |
| 1998 | 1 | 0 | — | — | Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip › Control Unit/Module | Routine |
Which Saab 9-5 years should you avoid?
On raw complaint volume the 2000 is the weakest year on record, with 119 complaints concentrated in the electrical system › ignition › module. It carries 3 recalls.
Read these numbers with sales volume in mind. A model year that sold in huge numbers naturally accumulates more reports than a rare one, and older cars have had more years to fail. The stronger signal is the severity columns and whether the same component keeps coming up year after year.
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, September 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.