Selling a junk Saab 9-5
Any 9-5 sells for scrap or parts, running or not. Below: what owners report most often for each model year, the recalls on file, and which of those change the offer. Enter your ZIP for a buyer near you.
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What owners report about the Saab 9-5
NHTSA has 724 owner complaints on file for the Saab 9-5, model years 1998 to 2011, the 336th-most of the 423 models in our data. The most-reported components are electrical system (325, 45%), engine and cooling (83, 11%), air bags (64, 9%). 17 complaints involved a crash, 25 a fire, and 2 say the vehicle had to be towed. The median mileage when the problem was reported is 68,595 miles. The 1999 model year has the most complaints (157). Data as of 2026-10-12.
When the top complaint is electrical system, the question for a seller is whether a buyer will resell the car, pull the parts or scrap it. Read our guide to selling a car that doesn't run: it explains which offers assume the part works and how to describe the car so the price holds at pickup.
Saab 9-5 by model year
| Year | Complaints | Most reported | Crash | Fire | Recalls | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 1 | Brakes | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1999 | 157 | Electrical system | 5 | 1 | 2 | 78,000 |
| 2000 | 140 | Electrical system | 3 | 5 | 3 | 76,968 |
| 2001 | 141 | Electrical system | 2 | 10 | 4 | 58,700 |
| 2002 | 89 | Electrical system | 3 | 6 | 6 | 47,000 |
| 2003 | 69 | Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 4 | 77,800 |
| 2004 | 30 | Electrical system | 1 | 3 | 2 | 46,500 |
| 2005 | 15 | Equipment | 2 | 0 | 2 | — |
| 2006 | 29 | Air bags | 0 | 0 | 2 | — |
| 2007 | 17 | Air bags | 0 | 0 | 2 | — |
| 2008 | 21 | Air bags | 0 | 0 | 2 | — |
| 2009 | 2 | Air bags | 0 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 2010 | 2 | Visibility and wipers | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2011 | 11 | Lights | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not confirmed defects. Median miles is the odometer reading owners gave when they reported a problem, shown only where 20 or more reports include it.
Saab 9-5 recalls
NHTSA lists 9 recall campaigns across these model years, most often for electrical system (2), air bags (2), wheels (1). Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer. Before you sell, check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a buyer who plans to resell the car will.
- 2006 model year, air bags (campaign 16V063000, Feb 2016): General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2006-2011 Saab 9-3 vehicles manufactured May 31, 2002, to February 15, 2011, 2006-2009 Saab 9-5 vehicles manufactured June 7, 2005, to May 28, 2009, and 2008-2009 S…
- 2002 model year, seats (campaign 08V160000, Apr 2008): SAAB IS RECALLING 57,389 MY 2002-2008 9-5 SERIES VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 201, "OCCUPANT PROTECTION IN INTERIOR IMPACT." DURING COMPLIANCE TESTING,…
- 2001 model year, fuel system (campaign 07V087000, Mar 2007): ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE FUEL PUMP RETAINING TABS HOLDING THE FUEL LINES WERE DAMAGED DURING PRODUCTION.
- 2002 model year, electrical system (campaign 06V410000, Oct 2006): CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH B308 6-CYLINDER GASOLINE ENGINES MAY EXPERIENCE OVERHEATING AND BURNOUT OF THE ISOLATED GATED BIPOLAR TRANSISTOR (IGBT) WITHIN THE IGNITION DISCHARGE MODULE (IDM) DUE TO INCREASED…
- 2000 model year, electrical system (campaign 05V399000, Sep 2005): CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH B205/B235 4-CYLINDER GASOLINE ENGINES AND B308 6-CYLINDER GASOLINE ENGINES MAY EXPERIENCE OVERHEATING AND BURNOUT OF THE ISOLATED GATED BIPOLAR TRANSISTOR (IGBT) WITHIN THE IGNITI…
What a Saab 9-5 is worth as a junk car
Buyers price a junk 9-5 on four things: its weight at today's scrap steel price (the floor), the parts still on it that can be resold, whether it starts and drives, and how far they have to tow it. None of those come from a complaint database, so use this page to describe the car accurately and our junk car value guide to work out a ceiling for the metal. Then get more than one offer.
Guides for selling this car
How to sell a car that doesn't run 
How much is my junk car worth? 
How junkyards price cars 
Catalytic converters and junk cars 
How to prepare your car for the junkyard 
Junk car scams and how to avoid them Other Saab models
- Saab 9-3 1,688
Questions people ask
- What is a junk Saab 9-5 worth?
- What a yard can recover: the car's weight at the current scrap steel price, plus parts it can resell (the catalytic converter, engine, transmission and wheels if they're good), minus towing and processing. The same 9-5 gets different offers from different buyers, so compare at least two. Our value guide shows the public benchmark.
- Will a junkyard buy a Saab 9-5 that doesn't run?
- Yes. Junkyards and junk car buyers take cars that don't start, and most arrange the tow. Tell them honestly whether it starts, whether the engine and transmission are still in it, and whether the catalytic converter is on; those are what change the price.
- Should I fix an open recall before selling a Saab 9-5?
- Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer for as long as the car exists. If the car is going for scrap, the repair won't change the scrap price. If a buyer might resell it or pull parts, a completed recall can help. Check your VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup first.
- Where do these Saab 9-5 numbers come from?
- From the complaint and recall data NHTSA publishes for every make and model, counted by model year on 2026-10-12. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and the count rises with how many of the model were sold.