The 2004 Saab 9-3 is a small car that came with a 2.0L 4-cyl engine. At 22 years old, many are reaching the point where repairs cost more than the car is worth. Running or not, we'll make you an offer and tow it away for free.
| Body style | Subcompact Cars, Compact Cars |
|---|---|
| Engines | 2.0L 4-cyl (turbocharged versions available) |
| Transmissions | Manual 5-spd, Manual 6-spd, Automatic (S5) |
| Drive | Front-Wheel Drive |
| Fuel | Premium Gasoline, Regular Gasoline |
| Fuel economy | 17–20 city / 25–30 highway / 20–24 combined MPG |
| EPA annual fuel cost | $2,800–$4,100 a year (EPA estimate at current fuel prices, 15,000 miles) |
| Tailpipe CO₂ | 370–444 grams per mile |
| Versions tested by EPA | 8 configurations: 9-3 Convertible, 9-3 Sport Sedan |
| Age | 22 years |
Specs, fuel cost and emissions from the EPA's fueleconomy.gov data. Your car's exact equipment may differ.
NHTSA lists 5 safety recalls covering the 2004 Saab 9-3. Open recalls don't stop you from selling or junking the car, but check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which apply to yours.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2011 Saab 9-3 Convertible vehicles manufactured July 30, 2003, to February 15, 2011. In the affected vehicles, the driver's side front seat belt retractor may break, causing the seat belt webbing not to retract.
Risk: In the event of a crash, a seat belt that has not retracted may not properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing their risk of injury.
General motors is recalling certain model year 2004 Saab 9-3 sedans. Some of these vehicles were produced with front seat belt retractors that, over time, could fail to retract.
Risk: Using a seat belt that has not retracted, and in the event of a crash, a seat occupant may not be properly restrained increasing the risk of personal injury.
Certain sport sedan and convertible passenger vehicles were produced with a vacuum pipe check valve for the brake booster that may fail from exposure to elevated temperatures. This could result in sudden loss of power brake assist, usually with little or no warning.
Risk: If this condition were to occur when minimum stopping distance is required, a crash could occur.
Some sport sedans were built with seat belt retractors that were damaged during the manufacturing process. If damaged, over time, the automatic tensioning system (ats) cable in the seat belt retractor could break causing the belt webbing to not retract.
Risk: In the event of a crash, a front seat occupant may receive more severe injuries.
Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 207, "seating systems." the backrest locking mechanism on some front seats may have been installed incorrectly.
Risk: This could cause the seat back to fold forward in a frontal crash, resulting in injury to the driver and/or front seat passenger.
Owners have filed 207 complaints about the 2004 Saab 9-3 with NHTSA. 10 reports involved a crash and 2 reports involved a fire. Owners reported 8 injuries.
Complaints are reports from owners and aren't verified by NHTSA. One complaint can list several components. Mileage is the median odometer reading owners reported for that component.
Manufacturers have filed 82 technical service bulletins and communications with NHTSA covering the 2004 Saab 9-3. These are repair instructions for known issues, not recalls.
This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic assistance from TAC.
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about changing the tire and wheel size on vehicles. General Motors will only support a t
Vehicle Wide Programming (VWP) is a new process to update software on GM Vehicles. It provides the ability via a single selection within Techline Connect to first identif
This bulletin provides information for use on a Product Assistance Claim (PAC), which is formerly known as a Product Allegation Resolution (PAR) claim.
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications (technical service bulletins).
NHTSA opened 3 defect investigations covering the 2004 Saab 9-3.
Seat belt retractor
Odi has received eight complaints of front seat belt retractors breaking on model year 2004 Saab 9-3 vehicles.a common failure scenario involves the driver hearing a noise and the belt suddenly losing tension.a non-functioning seat belt increases the risk and severity of injury in the event of a crash. General motors i
Front Suspension Coil Spring Fracture
To date, ODI is aware of 142 non-duplicative complaints related to the alleged defect.In addition, ODI is aware of 2,626 subject vehicles with one or more warranty claims related to the alleged defect.In total, ODI is aware of 2,714 unique subject vehicles that have experienced one or more front suspension coil spring
Front suspension coil spring fracture
On august 28, 2008, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened a preliminary evaluation (pe08-051) to investigate alleged front suspension coil spring fractures in certain model year (my) 2003-2004 Saab 9-3 vehicles sold or registered in salt belt states.(note: for purposes of this investigation, the salt belt in
It depends on its condition, whether major parts like the engine, transmission and catalytic converter are still there, and current scrap and parts prices where you live. Its parts make up much of its value. Enter your ZIP code above for a free offer on your specific car.
Yes. We buy 2004 9-3s that don't start, were in an accident, failed inspection or have a blown engine or transmission. Towing is always free.
Yes. Open recalls don't prevent a junk sale. NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2004 Saab 9-3; you can check whether any are still open on yours with the VIN lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Usually the title and a photo ID. Rules differ by state, including what to do with your plates and whether to file a notice of sale. Check our state-by-state car title guides for the official forms.
Data retrieved October 2026.
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