Saab 900

About

The Saab 900 is a mid-sized automobile produced by Swedish manufacturer Saab from 1978 until 1998 in two generations: the first from 1978 to 1994, and the second from 1994 to 1998.

Photo & info: Wikipedia

Specifications

From Wikipedia — confirm against the actual car before purchase.

Drivetrain: Front-engine, front-wheel-drive
Class: Compact executive car (D)
Assembly: 🇸🇪 Sweden
Predecessor: Saab 99
Successor: Saab 9-3

Generations

Saab 900 NG1994–1998

Photos

Real cars from Wikimedia Commons — colours and trims as photographed.

1979 · Turbo

Turbo · red

Hatchback

Photos: Wikimedia Commons — click any for full resolution & licence.

By year

Trims, economy and safety change year to year — pick one (US market).

1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997

Trim · engine	Drive	MPG comb (city/hwy)	CO₂ g/mi	Fuel cost
Auto 4-spd, 4 cyl, 2.3 L	Front-Wheel Drive	20 (18/26)	444	$3,400/yr
Auto 4-spd, 6 cyl, 2.5 L	Front-Wheel Drive	20 (17/24)	444	$3,400/yr
Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo	Front-Wheel Drive	21 (18/26)	423	$3,200/yr
Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 2.3 L	Front-Wheel Drive	21 (18/26)	423	$3,200/yr
Man 5-spd, 6 cyl, 2.5 L	Front-Wheel Drive	19 (16/23)	468	$3,550/yr

Economy & emissionsTurbo / SCMidsize Cars

$4,000

more over 5 yrs vs. avg

14.2

Barrels/yr

Safety — NHTSA crash test

Stability control · NoCollision warning · NoLane-keep assist · No

Recalls & complaints

Recalls: 7

Air bags
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE AIR BAG ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT (ECU) IS DESIGNED TO SENSE AND DISCRIMINATE FRONTAL IMPACT EVENTS, COMMAND AIR BAG AND SEAT BELT PRETENSIONER DEPLOYMENTS IN A TIMELY MANNER, AND PERFORM CONTINUOUS DIAGNOSTICS OF THE AIR BAG SYSTEM IN THE VEHICLE. DUE TO THE POSSIBLE INSUFFICIENT SEALING OF THE BOTTOM OF AN ELECTROLYTE CAPACITOR, IT IS POSSIBLE FOR IT TO LEAK ELECTROLYTE WITHIN THE AIR BAG ECU. ALSO, IN HIGH HUMIDITY ENVIRONMENTS, THE OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE AIR CONDITIONER CAN CAUSE RAPID COOLING OF THE ECU, WHICH IN TURN MAY CAUSE THE FORMATION OF CONDENSATION WITH THE UNIT.
Power train
IT IS POSSIBLE TO MOVE THE SHIFT LEVER INTO THE REVERSE GEAR POSITION, REMOVE THE IGNITION KEY, AND STILL HAVE THE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL, OR, TO ACCIDENTLY DISENGAGE REVERSE BY STRIKING THE GEAR LEVER.
Electrical system
UPON STARTUP, A VOLTAGE DROP TO THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE CAN CAUSE A MALFUNCTION WHERE ENGINE SPEED FLUCTUATES FROM 600 TO 3,000 RPM FOR UP TO 30 SECONDS BEFORE NORMAL ENGINE IDLE OF 900 RPM.
Seats
ONE OR MORE OF THE ARC WELDS CAN BE MISSING ON THE SEAT BACK FRAME RECLINER.

Top recall areas: Air bags · Power train · Electrical system · Seats · Exterior lighting

Trims & economy: fueleconomy.gov · recalls & rating: NHTSA

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Reviews & research

Independent reviews, news and owner communities — off-site.

Video reviews

Road tests & walkarounds on YouTube

Expert reviews

Edmunds, Car and Driver, MotorTrend & more

News

Latest coverage and updates

Owner community

Real-world ownership on Reddit

Full history

The complete Wikipedia entry

For sale

Find one for sale

Search the open market for a Saab 900 now — eBay Motors plus sellers who list directly with rTracer. Live listings land here as the feed goes live.

Market value. No used Saab 900 has one set price — see what they actually sold for recently, then compare with what's on the market now.

Search eBay Motors ↗See sold prices ↗

Maintenance & ownership

Check the Saab 900's recall history, investigations and owner complaints at NHTSA — the best free read on reliability and what tends to go wrong before you buy.

Check at NHTSA ↗

The universe

Coming: a full spec sheet, and a drivable 3D model of the 900 on any road in the rTracer atlas.

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