- The problem
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Static electricity can build up within the passenger-side air bag module and create enough of a charge to cause an inadvertent air bag deployment. Most of these inadvertent deployments have occurred in cooler, dry weather, and have generally included dusting or wiping of the dashboard, starting the car, or closing the door.
- The risk
- Unexpected air bag deployment can result in occupant injury.
- The fix
- Dealers will install a front passenger-side air bag module grounding strap. Owner notification began september 24, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact saab at 1-800-955-9007.
Vehicle safety record
1998 Saab 900 Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 24 complaints about the 1998 Saab 900 with NHTSA, most often about the airbags (12) and the electrical system (3). Those complaints describe 6 injuries. It is covered by 3 recalls, the latest in July 2001 for the frontal. For comparison, the 1997 has 21 and the 1999 has 2.
NHTSA data checked
FFar more problems than a typical 900 year, for its age
#132 most complained-about 1998 vehicle
- Complaints
- 24
- Recalls
- 3
- Crashes
- 0
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 6
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 1998 Saab 900 problems
Share of all 24 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
1998 Saab 900 recalls 3
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
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The air bag alert label on the driver side visor was omitted. This does not conform to the requirements of fmvss no. 208, "Occupant crash protection."
- The risk
- The vehicle occupant may not properly understand the operation of the air bag system and the need to use seat belts.
- The fix
- Owners will be provided with an alert label to be installed on the visible side of the driver's sun visor. If an owner so desires, their dealer can install the label for them.
- The problem
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The instructions for properly aiming the headlighting system were omitted. This does not meet the requirements of fmvss no. 108, "Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."
- The risk
- If the headlamp assemblies are replaced, customers may not be able to properly aim the headlights.
- The fix
- Owners will be sent aiming instructions, and directions for affixing these inserts to the owner guides. If an owner so desires, a dealer can affix the inserts in their owner guide for them.
What owners say
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24 complaints about the 1998 Saab 900
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners.
Warm engine was restarted and car driven to intersection roughly 50 yards away. At stop light, srs light became illuminated and then passenger side airbag deployed while car still stopped. Car then turned to go to other side of street to park. While car being driven crossing street, approx 5 mph max, driver side airbag deployed. Road conditions were dry and clean, with no debris on road. Weather was good, with no rain, thunder or lightning present. Driver sustained superficial burns on lateral side of r forearm and hand. No apparent damage to face or eyes.
Car started and driven approx 50 yards and then came to traffic light and stopped. Driver noticed that the srs light on the display panel was illuminated at stop light. Passenger airbag deployed before car proceeded. Car driven to opposite side of street to park and assess situation. While car being driven across street, driver side airbag also deployed. No collision with and no tapping of another car occurred. Road conditions were dry and w/o debris. No rain was falling and no lighting or thunder was present. What appear to be first degrees burns were sustained on the lateral aspect of the right forearm and hand. No visible damage to eye or face.
I own a auto repair shop and was driving a customer vehicle. I was driving straight down the street at 20-25 mph when the passenger airbag exploded. It was a very scary experience, I pulled over to the side of the road. After a minute I decided I should pull the car a little more off the road , as I was doing that the drivers side airbag went off.
I had just pulled out of a parking lot onto a street, going straight, at about 20 mph, when the passenger side airbag deployed. About a minute later, the driver side airbag deployed, hitting me. I pulled over. The car had not hit anything prior to deployment. The result is that the windshield is cracked, the interior overhead light dislodged and I was disoriented.
I was sitting in my car in a parking lot with the engine running. The car was in park when the passenger side air bag deployed. Gm will not fix the car and has offered a very low repurchase offer ($1100.00 Less than kbb trade in value). *Tr
Both airbags deployed for no apparent reason. The srs light illuminated followed by deployment of the passenger bag. The driver side bag deployed approximately 30 seconds after the passenger bag deployed. *Tr
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 saab 900 se turbo. While driving 30 mph, the vehicle began stalling, spitting, and stuttering as if it needed gas. The vehicle then shut off and restart. The vehicle was diagnosed with direct ignition cassette failure and has remained parked ever since. The current and failure mileages were 96,000.
My 1998 saab 900 se turbo convertible has 62,000 miles on it, and yet I've just had to replace the direct ignition cassette which completely failed -- thankfully I was still in the driveway when it conked out, this is ridiculously early in the life of the car according to my saab specialist mechanic. I saw that the 2000 and 2002 model di cassettes were recalled but not the earlier models. Wondering if there's a way for redress. *Jb
Chronic, abrupt stalling problems for 3+ years. Dealership has tried to repair on at least, 15+ occasions. Dealership had it at their facility for over 3 months one period, conducting diagnostic tests. Parts changed: sensors; multiple times, wiring harness, "main computer chip" and various other parts. The car abruptly stalls. It will stall at anytime - whether driving, coasting, at a stop, or on the expressway. It will stall without warning and is very difficult to control the vehicle safely to the roadside...
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multiple times over and over without causing a collision. I just got the vehicle back from the dealership again last week after they "possibly fixed it again" . I drove a distance of 15 miles before the car started stammering, jerking and stalling again. It took me over an hour to drive the return few back home, which was a harrowing experience. The vehicle is kept garaged by me, in mint body condition inside and out and only has 65,000 miles on it. Saab has offered to apply 4,000 credit toward a purchase of another vehicle from them. It is clear saab knows that this vehicle is defective or would not have made offer. Unfortunately, the vehicle is worth much more than what they had offered; aside from being mechanically defective/unrepairable, they can't trace the problem in their vehicle that they made. I can't afford to get in another car pymt and am in real fear that will be involved in a crash in this clearly defective vehicle. I had previously filed a complaint for exact this same mechanical problem (that still has not been resolved nor even investigated by the odi or nhtsa). I see posts all over the internet with same or similar problems with saab vehicles. Someone needs to investigate this problem as it is very serious and dangerous to have these vehicles on the road. Unfortunately, I'm sure that I am not the only one that has no other option than to drive a vehicle like this. *Jb
Dt*: the contact stated while the vehicle was parked and unoccupied, the passenger side air bag deployed. There were no warnings prior to the incident. There was a nhtsa recall, # 01v222000, regarding air bags:frontal. The contact did not receive any notification about this recall.
Dt*: the contact stated while stopped at a traffic signal both the front air bags deployed without warning. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who determined the control module shorted causing the deployment. The dealer determined the control module, air bags, and seatbelts needed to be replaced.
1998 Saab 900se convertible - has had a chronic problem 1yr+ of vehicle abruptly stalling when driving at any speed. Usually could be restarted after a minute, but now is difficult to re-start once it stalls. The vehicle stalls out on the highway as well and is difficult and dangerous to control when stalls. The dealership has tried to repair the vehicle multiple times 10+ returns; various parts have been adjusted and/or replaced. Sensors, main computer chip, rewiring, etc.. The problem still has not been fixed...
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and is getting much worse. The vehicle is very unsafe to drive. There is only 59,000 miles this car and this should not be happening. The dealership is at a loss as what to do next. I have a car that can not be fixed and can not be driven as a result of this problem. *Nm
I have been driving a 1998 900 saab since it was new. It had about 155,500 miles at the time of the incident described below. Recently, I was going to remove the front suspension uprights to replace the shock absorber inserts. After removing the wheel on the left hand side, I discovered that the "steering pivot arm" (a hollow clam-shell stamping welded to the upright) was so severely rusted out that I could actually slip my hand inside the arm. (Approximately, 1/2 of its total surface area was gone and fatigue...
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cracks were developing in the remaining portion.) The steering rack tie rod end attaches to this arm. To my knowledge all saab 900s from 1994-2000 were designed with this type of steering linkage that uses a rack mounted high on the front-of-dash, connected to the wheel via this pivot arm welded to the upright. Had this pivot arm broken while I was driving on the interstate, it would have been a catastrophic failure resulting in loss of steering control. I have done a lot of mechanical work to my vehicles over the years, but this shocked me so much that I didn't even trust driving the car the 45 minutes to the dealer. I ordered replacement parts from a reputable (saab only) savage dealer in new york state ($470) and replaced both lh & rh suspension uprights myself. I have returned the car to service. I have spoken to saab customer service (report #1-75588105) but they didn't seem to want to acknowledge the severity of the incident or how critical the integrity of this pivot arm is to controlling the car. They passed this off saying the car is out of warranty. Does steering control go out of warranty? I have saved the rusted components and have photographs available that were taken while the part was still mounted in the car. My fear is that there are probably others in the country with a similar problem.
The headlight assembly for the right side marker has fallen out twice in 13 months.*Ak
Keep hearing this is common problem, could be dangerous to operate when top is stuck open. This should not happen to a 4 yr old car dealer wants $ 1,700. For new motor. Mr
Vehicle was parked and passed in off position and for no cause passenger's side air bag deployed. Consumer has yet to contact.*Ak consumer states dealership completed the repair, they indicated that the computer did not show an air bag on the passenger side of the vehicle, dealer could not explain why air bag deployed, one person was injuried due to air bag deployment. *Jb
Passenger's side air bag deployed while vehicle was parked in driveway without any impact. *Ak
While parked, I was turning on the car from the passenger side and the passenger side airbag deployed and hit me. Very dangerous, my three year old daughter was behind me and was knocked down. In addition, I could have been driving and had a serious accident. Apparently this was a malfunction (dealer comments). Checked your database and found another incident around the same time a year before, same make,model,year. Isn't this a problem?*Ak
While driving and no frontal impacts, passenger's airbag deployed unexpectedly which may have causeda loss of vehicle control. Manufacturer and dealer admitted they had a defective design problem. Please provide further information. *Ak
All 4 light alloy wheels bent and needed to be replaced. Nlm
THE TURN SIGNAL REMAINS ON AFTER TURNING. YH
DIFFICULT STEERING VEHICLE.
There is no interlock on manual transmission to prevent the car starting in gear. Dealer cannot duplicate the problem. *Ak
Power electric seats failed to respond properly. Do not go forward/backwards when button pushed. Had to pull to side of road & turned vehicle off & restart it for seats to work.Took to dealer to check it. *Ak
Saab 900: every year compared
All 900 years1998 Saab 900 vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 Saab 900 | 24 | 3 | F | |
| 1998 Saab 9000 | 1 | 1 | A | Compare |
| 1998 Saab 9-5 | 1 | 0 | A | 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 1998 Saab 900
Does the 1998 Saab 900 have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 1998 Saab 900: frontal (July 2001); labels (June 1998); headlights (February 1998). 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 1998 Saab 900?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the airbags (12), electrical system (3), lights (2).
How many complaints has the 1998 Saab 900 had?
24 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on January 16, 1998 and the latest on July 30, 2017. Of these, 0 describe a crash and 0 a fire, and together they report 6 injuries and 0 deaths.
Is the 1998 Saab 900 a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 22 out of 100 (grade F: far 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 1998 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 . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data