Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1989 Saab 900, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Seat belts5
- Engine and engine cooling5
- Electrical system4
- Suspension4
- Visibility3
- Fuel system, gasoline2
- Exterior lighting2
- Power train2
- Equipment2
- Latches/locks/linkages1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 0 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 1989 Saab 900 failed the safety check 0.61% of the time — 24% less often than the average 1989 passenger car (0.81%). Median odometer at inspection: 104,365 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Engines
The most common engines in 1989 Saab 900 cars on Dutch roads are the 2.0 petrol (118 kW, 158 hp), 2.0 petrol (129 kW, 173 hp) and 2.0 petrol (81 kW, 109 hp), out of 4 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0 petrol | 118 kW 158 hp | 57 |
| 2.0 petrol | 129 kW 173 hp | 30 |
| 2.0 petrol | 81 kW 109 hp | 28 |
| 2.0 petrol | 73 kW 98 hp | 24 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
192 first registered in 1989 are on Dutch roads; 66% arrived later as imports.
Most common APK defects
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen63
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde61
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld32
- Stofhoes aandrijfas beschadigd en dicht niet af28
- Remslang beschadigd, wapeningsmateriaal zichtbaar25
- Uitlaatsysteem niet gasdicht / onveilige afvoer uitlaatgasse20
- Parkeerrem werkt niet op 2 wielen16
- Stadslicht werkt niet (goed)13
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
78 cars built in 1989 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 283 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, 141 of these cars first registered in 1989 took their annual MOT test. 67% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 1989 the figure was 72%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 1989 |
|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 13.5% | 15.4% |
| Brakes | 10.6% | 9.2% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 9.9% | 8.1% |
| Visibility | 9.9% | 6.5% |
| Suspension | 9.2% | 8.6% |
| Steering | 6.4% | 3.6% |
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
180 of these cars first registered in 1989 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 239,000 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
19 1989 cars are on the New Zealand register; 84% arrived as used imports, 5% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Recalls in Canada
1 Transport Canada recall for the 1989 Saab 900.
| 1989103 21 Jul 1989 | Heater And Defroster A REVERSE ELECTRICAL CURRENT FLOW THROUGH A WIRE CABLE BETWEEN THE AIR RECIRCULATION SWITCH AND A MICRO SWITCH COULD OCCUR. THIS MAY CAUSE OVERHEATING OF THE AI… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, A REVERSE CURRENT MIGHT FLOW THROUGH A WIRE CABLE BETWEEN THE AIR RECIRCULATION SWITCH AND A MICROSWITCH.
FUEL FILTER MAY NOT MEET THE SPECIFICATION CONCERNING LEAKAGE CRITERIA DUE TO LOW TEMPERATURE DURING THE GLUING PROCESS.
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 1989 Saab 900: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 604154 | INFORMATION ON INSTALLING LARGER FUEL SYSTEM NON-RETURN VALVES. *TT |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)