Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Registered new in Europe in 2012
1,015 new Saab 9-3 cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2012; the largest markets were Sweden (588), the United Kingdom (217), the Netherlands (34).
- Average mass
- 1,661 kg
- Average power
- 127 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- E85 ethanol 44% · Diesel 31% · Petrol 19% · Natural gas 6.0%
European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · averages weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value; fuel type as recorded at registration, where many non-plug-in hybrids appear as petrol · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
In the Netherlands
69 first registered in 2012 are on Dutch roads; 54% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €41,293.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde40
- Richtingaanwijzers kleur wijkt af/niet toegestaan16
- Kentekenplaatverlichting werkt niet (goed) / ontbreekt12
- Veer gebroken of gescheurd12
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht9
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm8
- Band onvoldoende profiel8
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen7
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
184 cars built in 2012 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 10 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 212 of these cars first registered in 2012 took their annual MOT test. 77% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2012 the figure was 66%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2012 |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.7% | 14.3% |
| Tyres | 4.7% | 7.0% |
| Brakes | 3.3% | 7.7% |
| Visibility | 3.3% | 5.0% |
| Steering | 1.4% | 2.3% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
28 of these cars first registered in 2012 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 222,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
1 2012 cars are on the New Zealand register.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 5 variants; not yet fully rated. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 Saab 9-3 4 DR AWD | — | 12.1 % |
| 2012 Saab 9-3 4 DR FWD | — | 12.1 % |
| 2012 Saab 9-3 C FWD | — | 0.0 % |
| 2012 Saab 9-3 SW AWD | — | 12.1 % |
| 2012 Saab 9-3 SW FWD | — | 12.1 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- No
- Lane departure warning
- No
- Best overall rating
- —
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Recalls
No recall campaigns cover the 2012 Saab 9-3.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Saab told its dealers about the 2012 Saab 9-3: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10041587 | SAAB: OPENING INSTRUCTION FOR SWITCH COMPONENT ISM CLEANING OPERATION. *PE |
| 10041584 | SAAB: REPLACING VS CLEANING ISM MODULE. *PE |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)