Vehicle safety record

1990 Saab 900 Problems, complaints & recalls

Owners have filed 19 complaints about the 1990 Saab 900 with NHTSA, most often about the brakes (7) and the acceleration & cruise control (3). Those complaints describe 4 crashes, 1 fire and 2 injuries. There are no recalls for it. For comparison, the 1989 has 22 and the 1991 has 14.

Share your experience Read complaints

NHTSA data checked 20 hours ago

30/100Safety Index

DMore problems than a typical 900 year, for its age

#85 most complained-about 1990 vehicle

Complaints: 19
Recalls: 0
Crashes: 4
Fires: 1
Injuries: 2
Deaths: 0

Most common 1990 Saab 900 problems

Share of all 19 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.

No recalls for the 1990 Saab 900

NHTSA lists no recalls for the 1990 Saab 900. Recalls can be announced at any time - this page updates daily.

What owners say

Be the first 900 owner to share.

Problems or none - your experience is exactly what the next buyer is looking for. Write it now

19 complaints about the 1990 Saab 900

Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners.

SuspensionCrash

Att: nhtsa I have a 90 turbo conv and while driving my lower a-arm broke where the weld is. I have heard this to be a problem with 900's that have over 100,000 miles on them but have found no recalls. I was doing 65 mph at the time it broke but if this had been someone else or if I had been going faster you could have lost control of the vehicle, luckily I was able to pull over with minor damage. This failure did not happen in reverse as most people claim.........It happened while moving forward at 65...

Read the full complaint

mph.........This is my concern. If the arm fatigues at the weld stress point and breaks while backing up just imagine how bad the crack must be before this happens. Since the load can't be as great on the arm as it is when at speed and turning this is a real problem that I will investigate further. I will post pic's as soon as I get it back from the shop. I sent this e-mail to saab customer relations and I'm waiting for a response which I will forward. I also posted this on several saab websites. Please if anyone knows of safety recalls for this let me know, also if anyone knows who to contact to report this I would appreciate a contact since this could lead to someone getting hurt or even killed. Att: saab usa I posted this on saabnet.Com and have had several people with the same issue e-mail me. I'm also going to forward this to the nhtsa since I feel this is a potentially a serious problem that should be fixed with a recall. I have a moral obligation to inform others of this and will investigate this more to see if anyone has been seriously hurt or killed from this problem. Thanks frank 510-413-1663 [email protected]

Brakes

When applying brakes in an emergency situation , vehicle will steer to the right, and lose total control. *Ak

Brakes

While driving experience sintermittent abs brake failure.

AirbagsCrash

When the vehicle was involved in a head-on collision with an suv, both traveling at 35 mph, there was no deployment of the driver's side air bag. The saab has been totalled. *Ak

AirbagsCrash1 injury

Air bag did not deploy in a head-on 35mph crash. Both vehicles, traveling in opposite directions were both traveling at 35mph. Driver fractured sternum and the front end was forced back into the engine.

Brakes

Vehicle pulls severly to the left when brakes are applied. This is due to abs sticking and all braking power is directed to the left side of system.

Acceleration & cruise control

Vehicle's engine would suddenly and unpredictably accelerate as the rpms dropped. After replacement of the idle control valve the problem did not reoccur.

Brakes

Vehicle pulled to the left during brake application. Mechanic claims valve in the abs sticking resulted in all braking power to be directed to the left side of system only.

Engine & cooling

Fron engine mount failed, resulting in vehicle pulling to one side/loss of control. *Ak

Brakes

While driving any speed, lost part of braking ability, brakes hard, vehicle pulls to side, intermittent problem, nearly caused a crash, according to dealer, abs solenoid failed, needs replacing. *Ak

Seats & seat beltsCrash1 injury

The car was involved in a rearend collision and the driver's seatback fell back, injuring the driver. *Ak

Brakes

Vehicle veers to the left during brake application, probable cause, abs valve block failure. *Ak

Acceleration & cruise control

CRUISE CONTROL FAILURE. *AK

Brakes

Vehicle's abs braking system intermittently when applied in sudden stopping conditions veers off to the right.*Ak

Electrical systemFire

Engine compartment fire, unknown source of fire. Tt

Acceleration & cruise control

Turn on car in park car accelerated on the next business day car wouldn't start when driving and slowing down car wouldn't cut off . Tt

Visibility & wipers

The heater valve failed that caused floor board on the passenger side to get wet. Tt

Transmission & drivetrain

ORIGINAL/REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION FAILED. *SKD

Engine & cooling

While driving, engine timing chain broke; speed 35 mph; engine continued to run, but would not move; shut down completely. Tt

Saab 900: every year compared

'79 '80 '81 '82 '83 '84 '85 '86 '87 '88 '89 19'90 '91 '92 '93 '94 '95 '96 '97 '98 '99 '00

Year	Complaints	Recalls	Crashes	Fires	Top problem	Grade
1994	44	8	3	2	Engine & cooling	F
1993	6	0	2	1	Airbags	C
1992	21	0	2	1	Airbags	D
1991	14	0	0	0	Brakes	B
1990	19	0	4	1	Brakes	D
1989	22	2	1	3	Seats & seat belts	D
1988	13	2	1	1	Brakes	C
1987	4	2	0	1	Wheels & tires	B
1986	9	2	1	3	Electrical system	C

All 900 years

1990 Saab 900 vs rivals

Vehicle	Complaints	Recalls	Crashes	Grade
1990 Saab 900	19	0	4	D
1990 Saab 9000	7	1	0	C	Compare
1990 Saab Saab	1	0	0	B	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 1990 Saab 900

Does the 1990 Saab 900 have any recalls?

NHTSA lists no recalls for the 1990 Saab 900 right now. Recalls can be announced at any time, and this page checks NHTSA every day. You can also check your exact vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What are the most common problems with the 1990 Saab 900?

By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the brakes (7), acceleration & cruise control (3), engine & cooling (2).

How many complaints has the 1990 Saab 900 had?

19 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on January 31, 1995 and the latest on February 6, 2003. Of these, 4 describe a crash and 1 a fire, and together they report 2 injuries and 0 deaths.

Is the 1990 Saab 900 a reliable vehicle?

Its Safety Index is 30 out of 100 (grade D: more problems than a typical Saab 900 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 900 years have the most complaints?

1995 (100), 1996 (48), 1994 (44). See every Saab 900 year compared.

What should I do if my 1990 Saab 900 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 20 hours ago. Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data

1990 Saab 900 Problems, complaints & recalls

Most common 1990 Saab 900 problems

No recalls for the 1990 Saab 900

What owners say

19 complaints about the 1990 Saab 900

Saab 900: every year compared

1990 Saab 900 vs rivals

Own a 1990 Saab 900? Share your experience.

Questions about the 1990 Saab 900