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Light NHTSA footprint — 20 owner complaints and 1 active recall campaign. Either a clean record or thin data; we'll show what's there.
Solid reliability overall. Common issues are concentrated in a few systems.
Buyable on the data — keep up the usual maintenance and inspect normally.
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
Here's what this model is known to do — so you can inspect for it, price it in, or make the seller fix it before you sign.
Run the VIN from the listing — 1 active recall on this model. Recall repairs are always free.
Verdict for buyers: 8.4/10 model. The priciest documented failure is airbags (~$1,100) — get the seller's service records for it or inspect closely. Otherwise an average-risk used buy at a fair price.
We tell you what this model is known for and what to inspect — a vehicle-history report tells you what this exact car has been through. Smart buyers get both.
See the full pre-purchase inspection checklist →A noise, a warning light, a repair quote, "should I buy this?" — get an answer grounded in this vehicle's actual NHTSA record, not generic advice.
Answers use this vehicle's NHTSA complaint & recall record — owner-reported and unverified, not a diagnosis. Verify anything safety-critical with a mechanic.
Recall initiated in feb 2016, notification received from gm in may of 2016, repair is still not available after 10 months from date of recall.
Takata recall - although the recall began february 3, 2016, it has still not been completed. Given the danger of being hit with shrapnel, the situation should be remedied immediately!
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 saab 9-5. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA campaign number: 16v063000 (air bags) and stated that the part needed was unavailable to perform the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The contact had not…
I received this recall notice in may of 2016. The recall was actually in february of 2016. I am being told now that the parts will not be available until some time in the first quarter of 2017. The recall states the issue may "result in injury or death to vehicle occupants".…
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
In the event of a vehicle crash, personal injury to occupants may occur.
NHTSA has an open defect investigation covering this vehicle — the step that can precede a recall, not a finding of fault. EA21002 on NHTSA →
How NHTSA investigations work, and what's open now →
Mostly yes. With a reliability score of 8.4 out of 10 based on 20 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2008 Saab 9-5 is generally a sound vehicle. The areas to watch are listed in the top problem section above — most are budget items, not deal-breakers.
On the NHTSA data, the 2008 Saab 9-5 does not need avoiding. Buyable on the data — keep up the usual maintenance and inspect normally. The record behind that call: No systemic severe-failure pattern in the complaint record; Reliability score 8.4/10 — above the segment average; 1 recall campaign on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Inspect the airbags first — it's the most-reported issue on this model, with 18 owner complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 90,000 miles. Average repair cost runs about $1,100 at an independent shop. Also confirm any open recalls have been completed by running the VIN, and ask for service records covering the problem areas listed above.
It scores 8.4 out of 10 on our NHTSA-based read of 20 owner complaints. The main thing to watch is airbags. Typical failure occurs around 90,000 miles. Priced fairly and clean on inspection, it's a reasonable used buy. Our data covers what this model is known for — pair it with a vehicle-history report on the VIN to see what that specific car has been through.
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is airbags, with 18 complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 90,000 miles. Average repair cost runs about $1,100 at an independent shop.
The airbags is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $1,100 at an independent shop. Typical failure occurs around 90,000 miles. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 20 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $1,100, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.