Nissan Altima vs Saab 9-3
Owner complaints, worst years and recall history side by side, from official NHTSA data. Last verified Aug 8, 2026. Raw complaint counts are not adjusted for sales volume.
Nissan Altima
- Total complaints
- 15,444
- Avg per model year
- 468
- Recall campaigns (all years)
- 49
- Most complained year
- 2013 (2,307)
Top problems: Power Train, Air Bags, Engine and Engine Cooling
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 | Nissan Altima | Saab 9-3 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 241 | 30 | ||
| 2010 | 380 | 30 | ||
| 2009 | 1,547 | 43 | ||
| 2008 | 1,028 | 184 | ||
| 2007 | 471 | 155 | ||
| 2006 | 824 | 179 | ||
| 2005 | 1,091 | 95 | ||
| 2004 | 276 | 207 | ||
| 2003 | 883 | 212 | ||
| 2002 | 1,047 | 37 | ||
| 2001 | 159 | 59 | ||
| 2000 | 160 | 50 | ||
| 1999 | 87 | 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.