1996 Saab 900 problems & reliability
48 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1996 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.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System → | 11 | 23% |
| Power Train → | 10 | 21% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 9 | 19% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 6 | 13% |
| Air Bags | 5 | 10% |
| Equipment | 5 | 10% |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 6% |
| Steering | 3 | 6% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 6% |
| Seats | 2 | 4% |
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
“Passenger airbag deployed for no reason while driving car, no warning lights on dashboard, no impact, no precipitating event occured”
Air Bags · filed Feb 2, 2024
“Driving smoothly at 50 mph in 1996 saab 900 se turbo, 99k miles. Engine rpm suddenly but smoothly drops to zero and stopped in a very unsafe place on the highway. Car would not re-start. Absolutely no faults of any kind occurred during the months leading up to this incident. This car's direct ignition cassette was…”
Electrical System · filed Nov 4, 2005
“In june 2003, a crack was discovered in the fuel tank of my 1996 saab 900s. The tank was replaced. On 28 july 2004, the replacement tank was discovered to have a leak and was replaced. On 1 september 2005, the second replacement tank was diagnosed as leaking.*jb”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Sep 4, 2005
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- DEFECTIVE WATER PUMP PULLEY
Defect Petition DP00008 · opened Sep 25, 2000 · closed Nov 19, 2001
- NEW WHEEL BOLTS
Investigation SQ98018 · opened Oct 9, 1998 · closed Oct 27, 1998
Technical service bulletins
46 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1996 Saab 900. The 10 most recent:
Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules
130089009 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 1, 2013
Subject regarding replacement of srs wiring harness. *tt
850 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 13, 2001
Concerns with clunking / snapping noise heard while turning steering wheel. *tt
731 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 31, 2000
Information on replacing connecting tab on electrically heated rear window. *tt
8111984 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2000
Some vehicles may exhibit irritating road and wind noise penetrating into the cabin through the cover at the top of the b-pillar. *tt
8112156 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 1, 1999
Concerns with cracks in soft top cover foil strip. *tt
8112099 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 1, 1999
Notification to stop performing procedure outlined in si-831-1823 to address a complaint of rear doors dufficult to open from outside on models up to w2019950. *tt
831 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 3, 1999
Addressing concerns with various types of noises heard from the a/c system. *tt
8542143 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 1999
On some vehicles, the soft top (tonneau) cover latches may not open fully or fast enough when the soft top cover is being opened. *tt
8111988 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 1999
Srs (airbag) diagnostic trouble codes missing from workshop information. *yc
850 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 3, 1998
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 1996 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 1996 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.