1998 Saab 900: recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 1998 Saab 900. The newest campaign is 01V222000. NHTSA received the report on 2 Jul 2001. The NHTSA record gives the component Air Bags / Frontal. NHTSA has 24 complaints on file for this model year. 4 NHTSA investigations name this model year.

The NHTSA recall file shows no do-not-drive advisory and no park-outside advisory on these campaigns.

This page cannot show if a recall applies to one vehicle. The NHTSA VIN lookup shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle.

Remedy of the newest campaign, 01V222000, in the NHTSA record

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.

NHTSA VIN lookup

Complaint information entered into NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation vehicle owner's complaint database is used with other data sources to identify safety issues that warrant investigation and to determine if a safety-related defect trend exists.
NHTSA publishes these words. Source: NHTSA Datasets and APIs, section Complaints, read on 1 Oct 2026. Complaint file through 30 Sep 2026. Recall file through 30 Sep 2026.

Since the last update

No tracked figure of this page changed in a data update. What the log tracks

All updates to the register

Recall campaigns

3 campaigns, newest first. 143,854 units in total.

01V222000Received 2 Jul 2001. 12,036 units.
Air Bags / Frontal
Defect, in the NHTSA record
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.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
Unexpected air bag deployment can result in occupant injury.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
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.
Report filed by SAAB CARS USA, INC.. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 24 Sep 2001.
98V139000Received 23 Jun 1998. 39,313 units.
Equipment / Other / Labels
Defect, in the NHTSA record
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."
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
The vehicle occupant may not properly understand the operation of the air bag system and the need to use seat belts.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
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.
Report filed by SAAB CARS USA, INC.. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 1 Sep 1998.
98V038000Received 24 Feb 1998. 92,505 units.
Exterior Lighting / Headlights
Defect, in the NHTSA record
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."
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
If the headlamp assemblies are replaced, customers may not be able to properly aim the headlights.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
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.
Report filed by SAAB CARS USA, INC.. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 15 Jun 1998.

The campaign number opens the NHTSA record. Each quotation is the text of the NHTSA recall file.

Recall campaign: One recall in the NHTSA recall file, with one campaign number. A campaign can name many makes, models and model years.

Units: The number of vehicles or products that a recall can include. The manufacturer or the firm reports the number to the agency.

Complaints by component

24 complaints, 26 component mentions.

A complaint can name more than one component. Each component that a complaint names is one component mention. This model year has fewer than 50 component mentions, so the table shows the number of mentions only.

1998 Saab 900: component mentions in complaints
Component		Mentions
Air Bags		13
Electrical System		3
Steering		2
Exterior Lighting		2
Engine and Engine Cooling		2
Seats		1
Power Train		1
Wheels		1
Seat Belts		1

Complaints that report a crash: 0
Complaints that report a fire: 0
Injuries in the complaints: 6
Deaths in the complaints: 0
Date of the newest complaint: 30 Jul 2017

These figures are the entries of the persons who sent the complaints.

Complaint: A report about a possible safety problem that a person sends to NHTSA. This site shows the number of complaints and not their text.

Complaints about the 1998 Saab 900, by the year NHTSA received them. The largest year is 1998, with 3 complaints.

Investigations

NHTSA investigations that name the 1998 Saab 900
Number	Type	Subject	Component	Opened	Closed	Campaign
PE01018	Preliminary evaluation	INADVERTENT AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT	Air Bags	24 May 2001	9 Aug 2001	01V222000
DP00008	Defect petition	DEFECTIVE WATER PUMP PULLEY	Engine and Engine Cooling	25 Sep 2000	19 Nov 2001
SQ98023	Safety query	STOP SALE NOTICE	Visibility	29 Oct 1998	24 Nov 1998
SQ98018	Safety query	NEW WHEEL BOLTS	Wheels	9 Oct 1998	27 Oct 1998

Investigation: A study of a possible safety defect by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation with no closing date in the NHTSA file is open.

Other model years

The number under each year is the number of recall campaigns.

19794
19802
19812
19821
19831
19841
19851
19862
19872
19882
19892
19900
19910
19920
19930
19948
19957
19963
19973
19983
19990
20000

A year without a link has fewer than 2 campaigns and fewer than 25 complaints. It has no page.

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Official channels

NHTSA VIN lookupNHTSA shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle from its VIN or its license plate.
NHTSA: report a safety problemThe NHTSA form for a complaint about a vehicle, a tire, a child seat or equipment.
NHTSA page of the 1998 Saab 900The recalls, the complaints and the investigations that NHTSA shows for this model year.

Cite this page

Recall Register. 1998 Saab 900: recalls and complaints. https://recallregister.com/vehicle/saab/900/1998/. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall, complaint and investigation files. Data through 30 Sep 2026.

Sources

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Licence: US government work, public domain
Recall file through: 30 Sep 2026
Complaint file through: 30 Sep 2026
First complaint in the file: 1 Jan 1995
Manufacturer in the recall file: SAAB CARS USA, INC.

The NHTSA record is the authority. A complaint count is the number of different complaint numbers for the make, the model and the model year. How the register is made. Report an error.

Questions

How many units are in the recall campaigns for the 1998 Saab 900?: 143,854 units in 3 campaigns. A campaign can name other models and model years, and its units include them.
How many recall campaigns does the Saab 900 have for all model years?: NHTSA lists 30 recall campaigns for the Saab 900, model years 1979 to 2000. 3 of them name the 1998 model year.
Which component do the complaints about the 1998 Saab 900 name most often?: Air Bags: 13 of 26 component mentions.
Is an NHTSA investigation of the 1998 Saab 900 open?: No. Each of the 4 investigations that name this model year has a closing date in the NHTSA file.