Which year to buy
2011GOOD BUYSerious complaints 1.0× usual
29 serious complaints of 30, the most about air bags (25) and engine (1); per car on the road, 1.0× this model's usual year. 4 recalls. NHTSA investigation EA21002: desiccated air bag inflator rupture.
What owners report
“Takata recall. The contact owns a 2011 saab 9-3. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v063000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue.”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the air bags, Dec 2016
30 owner complaints · 4 recalls (check a car's VIN for open recalls) · EPA combined: 20–24 mpg · NHTSA: Not rated
2010GOOD BUYSerious complaints 0.8× usual
28 serious complaints of 30, the most about air bags (22) and fuel system (2); per car on the road, 0.8× this model's usual year. 4 recalls. NHTSA investigation EA21002: desiccated air bag inflator rupture.
What owners report
“Takata recall. The contact owns a 2010 saab 9-3. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v063000 (air bags) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue.”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the air bags, Nov 2016
30 owner complaints · 4 recalls (check a car's VIN for open recalls) · EPA combined: 21–24 mpg · NHTSA: Not rated
Verdicts computed from NHTSA owner complaints, defect investigations and recalls. Cars on the road from New York State registrations. (How we judge.) Data checked 2026-10-06.
Year by year
| Year | Engines | Drive | Fuel economy | Crash rating | Recalls | Owner complaints | Most-reported problem | CarPlay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo manual available | AWD, FWD | 21–24 mpg | Not rated | 0 | 0 | — | — |
| 2011 | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo manual available | AWD, FWD | 20–24 mpg | Not rated | 4 | 30 | Air bags (25) | — |
| 2010 | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo manual available | AWD, FWD | 21–24 mpg | Not rated | 4 | 30 | Air bags (22) | — |
Owner complaints are unverified reports to NHTSA, counted as filed: older years have had longer to collect them and sales aren't adjusted for, so see Which year to buy for a fair comparison. Most-reported problem: the component named in the most complaints that year. Sources: EPA, NHTSA, Apple.
Trim-by-trim features for Saab aren't in our data yet: so far we have them for BMW, Genesis, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Subaru, Toyota, and more brands are on the way.
Every NHTSA-rated version: crash ratings, safety tech, recalls, complaints
| Year | Version | Stars | Forward collision warning | Lane departure warning | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Saab 9-3 C FWD | Not Rated | No | No | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | Saab 9-3 SW AWD | Not Rated | No | No | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | Saab 9-3 SW FWD | Not Rated | No | No | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | Saab 9-3 4 DR AWD | Not Rated | No | No | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | Saab 9-3 4 DR FWD | Not Rated | No | No | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | Saab 9-3 SW 4WD | Not Rated | No | No | 4 | 30 |
| 2011 | Saab 9-3 4 DR 4WD | Not Rated | No | No | 4 | 30 |
| 2011 | Saab 9-3 SW RWD | Not Rated | No | No | 4 | 30 |
| 2011 | Saab 9-3 C FWD | Not Rated | No | No | 4 | 30 |
| 2011 | Saab 9-3 4 DR RWD | Not Rated | No | No | 4 | 30 |
| 2010 | Saab 9-3 4-DR w/SAB | Not Rated | No | No | 4 | 30 |
| 2010 | Saab 9-3 Convertible w/SAB | Not Rated | No | No | 4 | 30 |
| 2010 | Saab 9-3 Wagon w/SAB | Not Rated | No | No | 3 | 30 |
Source: NHTSA.
Every EPA-rated version: engines and combined mpg
| Year | EPA model | Engines | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 9-3 Convertible | Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo |
21–24 |
| 2012 | 9-3 Sedan AWD | Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo |
22–23 |
| 2012 | 9-3 Sport Sedan | Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo |
22–24 |
| 2012 | 9-3 SportCombi | Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo |
21–24 |
| 2011 | 9-3 Convertible | Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo Auto (S5), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo |
21–23 |
| 2011 | 9-3 Sedan AWD | Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo |
20–23 |
| 2011 | 9-3 Sport Sedan | Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo Auto (S5), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo |
22–24 |
| 2011 | 9-3 SportCombi | Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo Auto (S5), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo |
21–24 |
| 2010 | 9-3 Convertible | Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo Auto (S5), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo |
22–23 |
| 2010 | 9-3 Sedan AWD | Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo Auto (S5), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo |
21–23 |
| 2010 | 9-3 Sport Sedan | Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo Auto (S5), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo |
22–24 |
| 2010 | 9-3 SportCombi | Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo Auto (S5), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo |
22–24 |
Source: fueleconomy.gov.