There are 7 owner-reported electrical system complaints for the 2007 Saab 9-3in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
I WAS DRIVING MY CAR THROUGH TOWN AND THE LEFT SIDE OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT GOT SO HOT IT BURNED MY UPPER LEFT THIGH AND I WAS TRYING TO PULL MY LEG OUT OF THE WAY AND ALMOST CRASHED, AND WHEN I STOPPED THE CAR I SAW THAT IT HAD ALSO BURNT THE LEATHER SEAT LEAVING ABOUT A FOUR AND A HALF INCH BURN MARK ON THE SEAT ABOVE THE HEATER COIL. *TR
2007 SAAB 9-3. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE. CONSUMER HAS PREVIOUS COMPLAINT IN ARTEMIS WITH A DIFFERENT VEHICLE AND ODI NUMBER. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN. THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED, AFTER BEING AT THE DEALER FOR A WEEK. *JB
ON AUGUST 27, 2012, WHILE SHOPPING IN THE MALL, I CAME OUT SIDE TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT PUTTING A FIRE OUT THAT LOOKS TO HAVE OCCURRED WHILE I WAS IN THE STORE. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THE CARE CAUGHT FIRE WHILE IT WAS PARKED. WHEN I GOT OUT OF THE CAR IT SEEMED TO BE FINE. THE FIRE MARSHALL REPORT SIDE THAT IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE THAT STARTED BECAUSE A DEFECT FROM THE MANUFACTURER. *TR
I WAS DRIVING MY 2007 SAAB 93 AERO. THERE MUST HAVE BEEN SOMETHING FAULTY WITH THE WIRING OF MY SEAT WARMER. IT HAD GAVE ME A SLIGHT BURN ON MY LEFT BOTTOM/LEG AREA. GOOD THING I TURNED IT OFF IN TIME BECAUSE I ALSO STARTED SMELLING AS IF AN ELECTRICAL FIRE HAD BEEN STARTING. IT SMELT OF BURNED LEATHER AND POSSIBLY OTHER COMPONENTS. AFTER CONTACTING THE DEALERSHIP THERE WHERE UNWILLING TO TAKE CARE OF THIS ISSUE FOR NO COST BUT IN MY OPINION THAT SHOULD BE THE LEAST OF THERE WORRIES. THIS TO ME IS A LIABILITY ISSUE AND A POSSIBLE FIRE HAZARD. *TR
2007 SAAB 9-3, WOULDN'T START AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE ERROR MESSAGE RECEIVED WHEN INSERTING THE KEY WAS "LOCK MALFUNCTION. PULL OVER SAFELY". THIS MESSAGE AND THE INCIDENT IS IDENTICAL TO THE PROBLEMS EXPERIENCED WITH MY 2005 SAAB 9-3, WHICH HAD TO BE TOWED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS BECAUSE IT WOULDN'T START. THE PROBLEM HAPPENS WHEN THE KEY IS INSERTED INTO THE IGNITION. I KNOW AT LEAST THREE OTHER SAAB OWNERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM, ONE WHO JUST PURCHASED HIS 2009 SAAB THIS YEAR. I ACTUALLY FILED A CLAIM WITH SAAB FOR MY 2005 VEHICLE, VIN , FILE NO. 71-557354191 AND BECAUSE THIS WAS A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH MY PRIOR VEHICLE I BELIEVE IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN WITH MY 2007 SAAB CAUSING ME CONSIDERABLE INCONVENIENCE AND POSSIBLY PUTTING ME IN DANGER IF IT HAPPENS TO OCCUR IN A AN UNSAFE LOCATION. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT SAAB WOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THIS PROBLEM AND NOTIFY THEIR CUSTOMERS OF THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE CHECKED THE RECALL RECORD AND FIND NO EVIDENCE THAT THERE HAS BEEN ANY ATTEMPT BY THE COMPANY TO RECALL OR CORRECT THIS SITUATION. I WILL BE TAKING ACTION UNDER THE SONG-BEVERLY CONSUMER WARRANTY ACT TO RECOVER THE FULL PURCHASE PRICE OF THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE BSED ON THE SERVICE RECORD AND MY CONVERSATIONS WITH THE DEALER THERE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE A REMEDY FOR THIS DEFECT. THE TECHNICIANS DON'T SEEM TO KNOW WHY THIS CONTINUES TO HAPPEN. IT APPEARS TO BE AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM RELATED TO THE COMPUTER. *TR
ON COLD ENGINE STARTS (STARTING THE CAR AFTER IT BEING AT REST FOR A FEW HOURS), THE POWER BRAKING DOES NOT WORK FOR THE FIRST 1-3 MINUTES THAT THE CAR IS ON. HAPPENS CONSISTENTLY. FIRST NOTICED MONTHS AGO. APPOINTMENT SCHEDULED FOR REPAIR. VEHICLE IS A 2007 SAAB 9-3 AERO. *TR
PURCHASED SAAB 9-3 2007 BRAND NEW. NEARLY IMMEDIATELY THE HEADLIGHTS KEPT GOING OUT. I FOUND MYSELF REPLACING THEM OFTEN AND TWICE WAS PULLED OVER BY POLICE WHEN I HADN'T REALIZED AND HAD JUST REPLACED THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT. ALSO GOT ONE KEY AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE. THE A/C WASN'T WORKING WELL SO FINALLY TOOK IT TO THE SAAB DEALER IN SANTA FE, NM IN 2008 WITH COMPLAINTS. THEY WERE TO GET ME A SECOND KEY, FIX THE A/C, CHECK THE LEATHER ON FRONT SEAT AND FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG WITH ELECTRICAL AND HEADLIGHTS GOING OUT. THE ELECTRIC PANEL, INDICATING PROBLEMS, WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THEY TOOK MY ONE KEY AND TOLD ME THEY WOULD BE IN TOUCH AS IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. AFTER A FEW DAYS OF A RENTAL, I CONTACTED AND NO ONE ANSWERED. I DROVE OUT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND NO CARS. A WOMAN SITTING INSIDE AT A SIMPLE DESK IN EMPTY GM/SAAB SHOWROOM. SHE SAID THEY WERE ALL SHOCKED, HAD NO WARNING AS EMPLOYEES AND THE DEALERSHIP WAS GONE NO RECORDS ON MY CAR. NO OTHER DEALER PICKING IT UP AS THEY DIDN'T HAVE SAAB SPECIALIST. LONG STORY SHORT, I NEVER GOT HELP FROM ANYONE, NEVER GOT THE REPAIRS, NEVER GOT THE PROMISED SECOND KEY AND HAVE BEEN DRIVING IT EVER SINCE. IT ENRAGES ME. ALL UNDER WARRANTY! NO COMPLAINTS OR LETTERS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED. I WAS SHOCKED THEY GOT AWAY WITH IT. OH AND THE ELECTRIC PANEL COVER WAS GONE AS WELL. LOST. HOW THEY GOT AWAY WITH ALL THIS IS UNKNOWN. THE LEATHER ON THE DRIVER'S SEAT STARTED CRACKING AND PEELING THE FIRST YEAR! I PUT EXPENSIVE LEATHER CONDITIONERS ON AS WELL. NOTHING. I AM STILL FURIOUS AND STILL HAVE THE CAR. NO CORPORATE OFFICES WOULD HELP EITHER. I FINALLY GAVE UP. .
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026