Honda Civic vs Saab 9-3
Owner complaints, worst years and recall history side by side, from official NHTSA data. Last verified Sep 21, 2026. Raw complaint counts are not adjusted for sales volume.
Honda Civic
- Total complaints
- 16,136
- Avg per model year
- 367
- Recall campaigns (all years)
- 60
- Most complained year
- 2006 (1,402)
Top problems: Air Bags, Steering, Power Train
Saab 9-3
- Total complaints
- 1,345
- Avg per model year
- 103
- Recall campaigns (all years)
- 14
- Most complained year
- 2003 (212)
Top problems: Air Bags, Electrical System, Suspension
Complaints by model year
| Year | Honda Civic | Saab 9-3 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 168 | 30 | ||
| 2010 | 396 | 30 | ||
| 2009 | 395 | 43 | ||
| 2008 | 916 | 184 | ||
| 2007 | 1,204 | 155 | ||
| 2006 | 1,402 | 179 | ||
| 2005 | 314 | 95 | ||
| 2004 | 350 | 207 | ||
| 2003 | 499 | 212 | ||
| 2002 | 702 | 37 | ||
| 2001 | 1,079 | 59 | ||
| 2000 | 287 | 50 | ||
| 1999 | 338 | 64 |
Method. Complaints are unique NHTSA reports per model year. A model that sold more units will naturally accumulate more complaints — compare the shape across years, not just the raw totals, and read the year pages for what actually fails.