Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1997 Saab 9000, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Vehicle speed control3
- Engine and engine cooling2
- Service brakes, hydraulic1
- Child seat1
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 1997 Saab 9000 failed the safety check 0.00% of the time — 100% less often than the average 1997 passenger car (1.60%). Median odometer at inspection: 163,050 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Engines
The most common engines in 1997 Saab 9000 cars on Dutch roads are the 2.0 petrol (110 kW, 148 hp) and 2.3 petrol (125 kW, 168 hp).
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0 petrol | 110 kW 148 hp | 51 |
| 2.3 petrol | 125 kW 168 hp | 48 |
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
145 first registered in 1997 are on Dutch roads; 19% arrived later as imports.
Most common APK defects
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen58
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde39
- Stofhoes aandrijfas beschadigd en dicht niet af35
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld30
- Stadslicht werkt niet (goed)26
- Parkeerrem werkt niet op 2 wielen21
- Waarschuwingsinrichting antiblokkeersysteem geeft defect aan21
- Uitlaatsysteem niet gasdicht / onveilige afvoer uitlaatgasse20
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
151 cars built in 1997 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 388 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, 243 of these cars first registered in 1997 took their annual MOT test. 60% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 1997 the figure was 64%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 1997 |
|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 24.3% | 16.1% |
| Brakes | 19.3% | 11.8% |
| Suspension | 12.8% | 12.2% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 8.6% | 9.7% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 5.8% | 7.2% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 5.8% | 3.4% |
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
139 of these cars first registered in 1997 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 313,000 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 1997 cars are on the New Zealand register; 100% arrived as used imports, 0% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 3 variants: combined 11.2–13.2 L/100 km (about 18–21 mpg US), CO₂ 258–304 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9000 Turbo · Full-size · Premium gasoline | 13.2 | 8.8 | 11.2 |
| 9000 Turbo · Full-size · Regular gasoline | 13.7 | 9.0 | 11.6 |
| 9000 Turbo · Full-size · Regular gasoline | 15.7 | 10.2 | 13.2 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
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."
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 1997 Saab 9000: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 604167 | SUBJECT ON LONG-TERM STORAGE OF HYBRID BATTERIES. *TT |
| 604161 | VEHICLES EXPERIENCING NOISE AND VIBRATIONS WHEN DOWNSHIFTING 4-3 AND 3-2. *TT |
| 604160 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BROADCAST ON SETTING DTC P0300 ON SOME MODELS. *TT |
| 604046 | BACKGROUD INFORMATION IN DIAGNOSING A DRIVEABILITY COMPLAINT OR THE CHECK ENGINE LAMP COMING ON. *YC |
| 601513 | CONDITION WITH HOOD ( BONNET ) WILL NOT OPEN. *YC |
| 601511 | VEHICLES SPEEDOMETER STOPS WORKING. *YC |
| 601504 | CONDITIONS WITH FRONT ROOF CONSOLE RATTLING ON CARS WITH SUNROOF. *YC |
| 601503 | REVISIONS TO SERVICE MANUAL GROUP 6 FRONT ASSEMBLY, STEERING ON VEHICLES UP TO AND INCLUDING M97 VIN V1014201 TO VIN V1014202. *YC |
| 600580 | INFORMATION ON REPLACEMENT OF POSITIVE BATTERY CABLE. *YC |
| 54286 | EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH CAC "ONE PIECE" HOSE. *YC |
| 52448 | ADJUSTMENT OF BEARING TENSION. *TW |
| 52289 | NEW METHOD OF PRELOAD ADJUSTMENT. *JD |
| 52049 | TEMPERATURE SENDING UNITS FOR REPLACEMENT CYLINDER HEADS FOR VEHICLES WITH 4 CYLINDER ENGINE. *JD |
| 52044 | NEW ESSENTIAL SPECIAL TOOL: TERMINAL REPAIR KIT. *JD |
| 52041 | CYLINDER HEAD BOLT TIGHTENING TORQUE. *JD |
| 10248444 | Vehicle Recalls |
| 10246631 | Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules |
| 10082506 | THIS TECHNICAL BULLETIN PROVIDES A PROCEDURE TO REPROGRAM THE MEDIA DISC PLAYER WITH THE LATEST CALIBRATIONS TO CORRECT A CONDITION OF THE REAR ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM NOT OPERATING AS INTENDED IN COLDER AMBIENT TEMPERATURE AREAS DUE TO CALIBRATION CONCERNS. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)