- The problem
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2006-2011 Saab 9-3 vehicles manufactured May 31, 2002, to February 15, 2011, 2006-2009 Saab 9-5 vehicles manufactured June 7, 2005, to May 28, 2009, and 2008-2009 Saturn Astra vehicles manufactured April 11, 2007, to July 24, 2008. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
- The risk
- In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- The fix
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator on Saab 9-3 and 9-5 vehicles and will replace the driver's frontal airbag module on Saturn Astra vehicles, free of charge. The recall began on March 1, 2017. Owners may contact Saab customer service at 1-800-955-9007 or Saturn customer service at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 28810.
Vehicle safety record
2006 Saab 9-5 Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 23 complaints about the 2006 Saab 9-5 with NHTSA, most often about the airbags (13) and the engine & cooling (3). It is covered by 2 recalls, the latest in February 2016 for the inflator module. For comparison, the 2005 has 11 and the 2007 has 17.
NHTSA data checked
CAbout as many problems as a typical 9-5 year, for its age
#186 most complained-about 2006 vehicle
- Complaints
- 23
- Recalls
- 2
- Crashes
- 0
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 2006 Saab 9-5 problems
Share of all 23 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2006 Saab 9-5 recalls 2
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
- The problem
- Saab is recalling 57,389 my 2002-2008 9-5 series vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 201, "Occupant protection in interior impact." During compliance testing, one of the upper interior occupant protection test points exceeded the standard's requirements.
- The risk
- In the event of a vehicle crash, personal injury to occupants may occur.
- The fix
- Dealers will install a-pillar trim with improved energy-absorbing capability free of charge. The recall began on november 25, 2008. Owners may contact saab at 1-800-955-9007.
What owners say
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23 complaints about the 2006 Saab 9-5
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners.
Takata recall.I no longer have this vehicle,it was actually my daughters car but I was the co signer for her loan.This vehicle was traded in at van horn in fon du lac ,wi at least a year and a half ago.We have called people including contacting gm online saying we no longer have this car yet we keep getting recall info!!Please contact van horn to see what they did with this car.
2006 Saab. Consumer writes in regards to driver airbag inflator safety recall. *Ld *js
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2006 saab 9-5. The contact recieved notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v063000 (air bags); however, the part for the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact called the putnam buick pontiac gmc dealer (198 california drive, burlingame, ca 94010; 650-342-9500) and was informed that the parts were not available and that there was an extensive backorder on the parts needed for the repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2006 saab 9-5. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v063000 (air bags) however, the contact was unable to get the repair completed due to lack of available dealers to service the vehicle. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and informed the contact to ship the vehicle to california or takes the vehicle to the local cadillac dealer. Honolulu...
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buick gmc cadillac located at 2945 n nimitiz hwy, honolulu, hi was contacted and informed the contact that they did not perform that type of service. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Takata recall - airbag on above car was replaced under recall on 5/25/2017. Now, the airbag light keeps turning on sporadically. The garage - just saab (513) 527-4300 - who replaced the airbag claimed the first time when I took the car back to them that it was "resistance" that caused the light to come on and they fixed this problem. The airbag light is still coming on sporadically and I believe that the airbag I received as a replacement is defective. The garage insists I drive the car back to them, again, so they...
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can check the airbag again. Here is what is happening: when the car is backed out of the garage, the airbag light and chime come on and stay on for a few seconds then the airbag light turns off. Then, the car is driving forward, again, the airbag light comes on for a few seconds and then turns off. The car is driven for many miles and the light stays off. The airbag light doesn't come when the car drives over a bump. The car can be driven for many miles and the light doesn't come on. The randomness of the airbag light turning on and off makes it impossible to determine the reason for the occurrence other than assuming that the replaced takata airbag is defective - still - since the car never had this problem until the airbag was replaced by just saab in cincinnati
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2006 saab 9-5. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v063000 (air bags); however, the part needed for the repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2006 saab 9-5. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v063000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
Takata recall. Received the first recall letter involving the takata airbag inflators back in may 24, 2016. The car dealer will not fix the problem unless I get the second letter which, as of yet, I haven't received
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2006 saab 9-5. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v063000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2006 saab 9-5. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v063000 (air bags); however, the parts to do the repair were unavailable. The manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
Slow remedy for airbag recall and repair. When will this be eligible to be repaired?
TAKATA RECALL - TAKING TOO LONG TO REPLACE.
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2006 saab 9-5. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v063000 (air bags); however, the parts for the recall repair were not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
This car had a simultaneous failure involving the steering, xenon headlamps and power train, specifically the all wheel drive system. All systems need to be replaced but gm has not made replacement parts available, has not corrected production errors in current parts. Current parts on market fail with 10000 miles.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 saab 9-5 equipped with firestone champion hr tires, size: 235/45r/17 (na). The contact stated that the sidewalls of two tires were cracked. Firestone inspected the tires and diagnosed that the contact ran over the utility, which caused the cracks. The vehicle failure mileage was 187,000 and the tire failure mileage was approximately 25,000.
The headlights of this car is so weak that I could not see the road when I was driving in the dark. I did polish the outside of the lights box but it did not make any difference. I replaced the lights with saab but it is still very hard to see the road in the dark.
Car shut off twice while driving on highway.Each time I was able to pull over to shoulder and re start. I took the car to saab dealer and they could no find anything. I later took car to another saab dealer and they installed a new device (believe something to do with computer) and said that if that did not take care of problem, they did not have an answer. There were no further issues until maybe 2 years later, also shut off while coming off a ramp but that may have been due to low fuel according to dealer (my fuel was low). There have not been any further incidents. *Tr
Engine misfiring, due to common di cassette issues that plagued other models, some of which were previously recalled. This shouldn't fail after on 60,000, regardless of age, especially given it's exorbitant cost. Thankfully it hasn't failed me on the highway (yet). *Tr
Unknown- direct ignition cassette unit has been replaced three times. Each time of replacement the actual part has melted, burned out causing the car to automatically shut down. The car only has 72,000 miles. The part is melting again making this the fourth replacement in a 3 month period. Engine - exhaust manifold/catalytic converter needs to be replaced and all saab authorized dealers in northern ca. State they are unable to get part due to being on back order and no idea when the part will be available. But I was able to find the part out of state in chicago at quality auto parts. *Tr
Loss of braking power, car wouldn't stop. Was able to stop car by pushing extremely hard on the brakes. *Tr
Significantly delayed acceleration when ambient temps exceed 90f. Car functions normally until you encounter summer temps and heavy traffic. Then, upon pressing the accelerator pedal car hesitates severely until engine speed reaches approximately 2100 rpm. Then acceleration comes on stronger than expected. This is particularly disturbing when making left turns or entering a busy street. Car sometimes misfires when this occurs. *Tr
2006 Saab 9-5 with multiple problems. Consumer states that the throttle broke, shut off on its own due to a faulty fuel gauge. Minor problems are radio grill popping out and heat comes on in the summer and cold air comes in the winter. *Kb
No specific events lead to the failure of the brake system. The brake system is marginally functional and has been since the car was purchased new. The rear brake rotors began to wear showing visible grooving at approximately 1200 miles while the front rotors still show no signs of wear or grooving at 4800 miles. Improper brake performance is further evidenced by the rapid accumulation of brake dust on the surface of the rear wheels wnd only slight accumulation of brake dust on the front wheels. The vehicle is...
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also quite unstable and difficult to keep within the traffic lane during emergency braking maneuvers from speeds of approximately 60 mph or higher. Nothing has been done to correct the failure. The dealership has been contacted and notified of the problem. They acknowledged the problem and reported that others have filed the same complaint. The front/rear braking force is automatically controlled by the vehicle control system. The manufacturer's service department has told me there is nothing they can do to remedy the problem. The vehicle is leased to me under a three year contract. I therefore have no option to sell it or terminate the lease and am legally bound to maintain payments on this unsafe vehicle for another 36 months. *Nm
Saab 9-5: every year compared
All 9-5 years2006 Saab 9-5 vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 Saab 9-5 | 23 | 2 | C | |
| 2006 Saab 9-3 | 179 | 3 | F | Compare |
| 2006 Saab 9-7X | 59 | 4 | F | Compare |
| 2006 Saab 9-2X | 10 | 7 | - | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 2006 Saab 9-5
Does the 2006 Saab 9-5 have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2006 Saab 9-5: inflator module (February 2016); head restraint (April 2008). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Saab 9-5?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the airbags (13), engine & cooling (3), brakes (2).
How many complaints has the 2006 Saab 9-5 had?
23 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on July 19, 2006 and the latest on July 25, 2019. Of these, 0 describe a crash and 0 a fire, and together they report 0 injuries and 0 deaths.
Is the 2006 Saab 9-5 a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 48 out of 100 (grade C: about as many problems as a typical Saab 9-5 year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
Which Saab 9-5 years have the most complaints?
1999 (117), 2000 (102), 2001 (82). See every Saab 9-5 year compared.
What should I do if my 2006 Saab 9-5 has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data