2009 Saab 9-5

The Verdict

Worst problem area

Airbags & Restraints

Airbags & Restraints leads by volume: 2 of 2 complaints (100%) mention it.

Complaints filed fell from 20 in 2008 to 2 in 2009.

Fuel cost, fuel economy, and complaint history by model-yearScroll sideways to see all 5 years. Fuel figures show the range across trims for years with more than one EPA-rated configuration.Also cataloged for 2009: 2 configuration(s) of a different vehicle class, excluded from the comparison bar only (but included in the figures above).
Category	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	vs. 2009 Midsize Cars
Annual fuel cost ($)	3,700–3,900	3,700–3,900	2,950–3,100	3,900	2,600–3,100
Combined MPG	20–21	20–21	20–21	20	20–24
City / Highway MPG	17–18 / 27–28	17–18 / 26–28	17–18 / 27	16 / 27	17–20 / 27–32
CO₂ tailpipe (g/mi)	423–444	423–444	423–444	444	370–444
Complaints filed	17	20	2	2	9	Not compared
Recalls issued	2	2	1	0	0	Not compared
Crash-involved complaints	0	0	0	0	0	Not compared
Fire-involved complaints	0	0	0	0	0	Not compared
Injuries reported	0	0	0	1	0	Not compared
Deaths reported	0	0	0	0	0	Not compared
Configurations compared	2	2	2	1	3

1 NHTSA recall campaign as of Sep 16, 2026. Check your VIN with NHTSA to see whether one applies to your car.

EPA rates it 20–21 MPG combined.

EPA estimates $2,950–$3,100 a year in fuel costs, using EPA's assumptions.

Every EPA-rated configuration on this page, one row each.A number tagged (low) or (high) is this page’s own cost-table figure of that name, above.
Configuration	Transmission	Cylinders	Displacement	Drivetrain	Fuel Type	Vehicle Class	City	Highway	Combined	Annual Fuel Cost	CO₂
Configuration 1	Manual 5-spd	4	2.3L	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	Midsize Cars	18 mpg (high)	27 mpg	21 mpg (high)	$2,950 (low)	423 g/mi (low)
Configuration 2	Automatic (S5)	4	2.3L	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	Midsize Cars	17 mpg (low)	27 mpg	20 mpg (low)	$3,100 (high)	444 g/mi (high)
Configuration 3	Manual 5-spd	4	2.3L	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	Midsize Station Wagons	18 mpg (high)	27 mpg	21 mpg (high)	$2,950 (low)	423 g/mi (low)
Configuration 4	Automatic (S5)	4	2.3L	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	Midsize Station Wagons	17 mpg (low)	27 mpg	20 mpg (low)	$3,100 (high)	444 g/mi (high)

Complaints by category, in the same fixed order on every page
Category	Complaints	Crash-Involved	Fire-Involved	Injuries	Deaths
Engine	0	0	0	0	0
Transmission & Drivetrain	0	0	0	0	0
Fuel System	0	0	0	0	0
Electrical	0	0	0	0	0
Brakes	0	0	0	0	0
Steering	0	0	0	0	0
Suspension, Wheels & Tires	0	0	0	0	0
Airbags & Restraints	2	0	0	0	0
Driver Assistance & Speed Control	0	0	0	0	0
Body, Seats & Latches	0	0	0	0	0
Visibility & Lighting	0	0	0	0	0
Other	0	0	0	0	0

A complaint that names more than one category is counted in each, so the rows can add up to more than the total number of complaints.

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE · Campaign 16V063000 · Feb 3, 2016
Defect: 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 Saturn Astra vehicles manufactured April 11, 2007, to July 24, 2008. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator on Saab 9-3 and 9-5 vehicles and will replace the driver's frontal airbag module on Saturn Astra vehicles, free of charge. The recall began on March 1, 2017. Owners may contact Saab customer service at 1-800-955-9007 or Saturn customer service at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 28810.