1989 Saab 900 problems & reliability
22 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1989 Saab 900. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1989 Saab 900 vehicles were involved in 1 fatal crash with 0 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 23% |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 23% |
| Electrical System | 4 | 18% |
| Suspension | 4 | 18% |
| Visibility | 3 | 14% |
| Equipment | 2 | 9% |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 9% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 9% |
| Power Train | 2 | 9% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Alternator, carburetor, electrical system, draining of power ; no one has been able to pinpoint the problem, the auto has sat now for two years because I was tired of pouring money into it only to have it unable to repaired properly. *jb”
Electrical System · filed Mar 5, 2006
“Right side passive seatbelt system failed motor caused shoulder belt key to go back and forth . Driver side did the same. Repair tech said that it was a short in the system and that it was commom with saabs with this type of safety belts. Cost of repair would be $650 did not repair had tech lock key in a fixed…”
Seat Belts · filed Feb 7, 2002
“Driver's side control arm broke while parking vehicle. Replaced both driver- & passenger-side control arms as precaution. Mechanic has part & speculates design defect; has one from another saab hanging on wall as souvenir! Contact peter's zaab service, 415.456.0540.*ak”
Suspension · filed Oct 23, 2000
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
1 manufacturer communication (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1989 Saab 900.
Information on installing larger fuel system non-return valves. *tt
234 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 2, 1997
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1989 Saab 900 in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1989 Saab 900?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.