There are 4 owner-reported fuel system complaints for the 2003 Saab 9-5in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
I HAD TO REPLACE FUEL PUMP 3 TIMES IN 4 YEARS. IT SMELLED LIKE FUEL IN MY CAR.
CAR RUNS PERFECTLY AND AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WILL RANDOMLY STALL. IF YOU CAN MANAGE TO NOT GET INTO AN ACCIDENT THE CAR WILL START RIGHT BACK UP AFTER YOU TURN OFF THE KEY AND RESTART. SOMETIMES EVERY COUPLE OF MILES, AND CAN GO SEVERAL MILES WITHOUT THE STALL. SEEMS TO ONLY HAPPEN AT CONSTANT SPEEDS. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM. DIAGNOSTIC CODES ARE P1230 AND P1261, BUT I THINK THESE ARE RESULTS OF THE SUDDEN STALL, AND NOT THE PROBLEM. *TR UPDATED 03/10/09. *LJ
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SAAB 9-5. ON JULY 6, 2007, THE CONTACT RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE # 07V087000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS). THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY LOCATED IN SPAIN. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY ARE NOT OBLIGATED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE FOR FREE BECAUSE IT IS LOCATED OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES. THE MANUFACTURER ALSO REFUSED TO PROVIDE THE CONTACT WITH A COPY OF THE RECALL NOTICE IN SPANISH. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 48,063 AND THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SAAB 9-5. WHILE THE CONTACT'S DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC AND THEY STATED THAT THE FUEL PUMP FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THREE WEEKS LATER, THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V087000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS). APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR LATER, THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE FUEL PUMP FAILED AGAIN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,000.
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