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2006 Saab 9-5 repairs by problem area

Engine (48%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (5%)

Brakes and Traction Control (3%)

Suspension and Steering (15%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (21%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (4%)

Other (4%)

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Chart based on 136 repairs.

See TSBs and recalls for the 2006 Saab 9-5.

2006 Saab 9-5 repair cost distribution

$2500+ (1%)

$1000 - $2499 (11%)

$500 - $999 (24%)

$100 - $499 (36%)

< $100 (28%)

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Chart based on 110 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

See repairs for all Saab 9-5 model years.

Saab 9-5 in Pennsylvania, United States Dec 2012 - Sep 2013
May 2013 73800 mi US $400	PCV check-valve failed.

Saab 9-5 in British Columbia, Canada Jul 2014 - Jun 2017
Mar 2015 97960 mi	Parasitic Battery Drain. If vehicle left >48 hours dead battery. Appears to be radio amplifier drawing current after key removed. Still working to clear. Suspect is related to ignition cylinder as radio continues to work with key removed.
Apr 2015 98360 mi C $100	Identified that cause of Battery drain was not parasitic drain. It was caused by a bad cell in the battery. Replaced battery & all OK (old battery 3 years old)
Aug 2015 100440 mi C $500	DIC (Direct Ignition Cassette) had been setting error codes for some time & there were occasional misfires on hard acceleration. Ordered new OEM DIC from US supplier & installed.
Jan 2016 98020 mi C $30	Replaced Valve cover gasket. Entirely preventative as OEM gasket was still in place, but had minor leak.

Saab 9-5 in California, United States Jan 2015 - Dec 2016
Feb 2015 149200 mi	Leaking water pump Replaced tie rod Oil pressure sensor replaced TWICE unit and ignition switch need to be replaced. Parts on order.
Oct 2015 151300 mi US $401	Drive belt and pulleys
May 2016 155200 mi US $600	Replace flex pipe. Replace heater control valve.
Dec 2016 157000 mi US $440	Power steering hose

Saab 9-5 in Pennsylvania, United States Oct 2010 - Jul 2013
Oct 2011 106000 mi US $1500	Slight oil leak from pan was diagnosed as a bad pcv hose that increased pressure on oil pan seal. Hose replaced and new seal installed. Replaced throttle body assembly and two hoses with valves in the PCV system attached to the throttle body assembly. After replacing the PCV hoses and throttle body the car ran better, but as well as it should. The direct injection cassette DIC was misfiring on one cylinder, replacing it resolved the issue.

Saab 9-5 in Connecticut, United States Oct 2011 - Jun 2022
Jun 2012 91000 mi US $450	Faulty Direct Ignition Module replaced
Nov 2012 98000 mi US $200	Faulty thermostat and coolant sensor replaced.
Jan 2014 103000 mi US $450	Flex center pipe replaced.
Jun 2016 146000 mi US $700	Front Passenger Window Lift assembly replaced. One of the engine seals leaked oil.

Saab 9-5 in Rhode Island, United States Nov 2010 - Jul 2012
Mar 2011 59000 mi US $50	high beam failure - orange relay replaced under CPO front emblem enamel flaked off - emblem replaced under CPO. Parking brakes too loose, did not hold well - had dealer adjust.
Jul 2011 61000 mi	AC/fan shuts off intermittently. Have not repaired yet.
Sep 2011 63000 mi	vacuum hose leak - hose replaced under warranty fan cutting out - heater control head and relay replaced under warranty

Saab 9-5 in California, United States Oct 2009 - Nov 2015
Apr 2009 33000 mi	Replacement of peeling interior trim bits (under warranty).
Jul 2009 41000 mi	Replacement of shorted out front sensor for the dratted self leveling headlights (under warranty).
Sep 2009 48000 mi	Replacement of a leaky coolant hose and a new battery (under warranty)
Oct 2009 49900 mi	Replacement of DIC, usually needs replacement at 60000 miles. This one at 50000. Also had brake fluid replaced. (DIC was under warranty, brake fluid not.)
Sep 2011 86000 mi	Electric gas door lock, will be replaced under warranty
Apr 2012 96000 mi	Hoses for transmission needed replacement
Jun 2012 99000 mi	thermostat and temp sensor were damaged.
Aug 2012 103300 mi US $300	Bushings
Nov 2012 108000 mi US $4100	transmission died
Feb 2013 112300 mi US $1500	All engine seals needed to be replaced
Sep 2013 123000 mi US $200	Oil seals
Jul 2014 138800 mi US $2000	All seals needed to be replaced.

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Saab 9-5 in Massachusetts, United States Nov 2010 - Oct 2012
Mar 2011 64000 mi US $634	Had new Xenon Bulbs put in.
Apr 2011 65000 mi US $205	LH axle seal leaking gear oil. Removed LH axle and replace axle seal. Refilled transmission oil and road tested. Vehicle OK Spring for arm rest
Aug 2011 75000 mi US $430	Replaced trailing arm and sway bar bushings
Sep 2011 78000 mi US $333	Heater bypass valve gave out at 75,675. Known issue with car. Plastic part in coolant system gives way. Actually the rubber gasket gives out.
Dec 2011 81000 mi US $561	rear camber issue. Known for 9-5 wagons. Was advised of rear steering knuckle bushing wear. Had rear upper and lower knuckle bushings replaced(both sides). Vehicle was sent for an alignment. Still needs shims for rear alignment issue.
Jan 2012 US $561	RH front camber out of spec(-1.4). Installed front camber bolt kits (supplied). Rear Camber out of spec(LH -1.5, RH-1.6). Installed supplied rear camber shims.
Apr 2012 81300 mi US $1930	Left rear shim added. Bought 4 New Tires Bridgestone Potenza-RE960 P235/45 R17. New Throttle body, had new O2 sensors put in. Had rattle in driver's side door looked at. Was the soft felt pad. Greased manual shifter. ï‚§ Installed new Koni FSD shocks â€¢ 9-5 rear spring spacers 15mm o $796.67 ï‚§ Replaced the front springs with the wrong ones â€¢ 2 new strut mounts â€¢ 2 new seals â€¢ 2 new spring supports â€¢ 2 new strut bearings o $480.52 ï‚§ Wheel Alignm
May 2012 81900 mi US $270	Put new correct front spring on (bought new correct front springs & back[ left back as is])
Jun 2012 83000 mi US $90	Put rear shims back in. Was having a problem with rear alignment. Still have it wrong, but now know what has to be done. A 6mm and a 3mm shim behind the rear bearing will fix the sag on the back of a 9-5 wagon.

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Saab 9-5 in Texas, United States Jul 2011 - Jul 2022
Jun 2013 52000 mi US $600	Replaced steering fluid pipe Replaced 2 of 4 engine mounts Battery replaced. 4 years old.
Oct 2013 53200 mi US $300	DI cassette failed. Coded 1312
Mar 2015 57000 mi US $210	Direct ignition cassette failure. Cause MIL Several codes.
Aug 2015 57900 mi US $77	Right Headlamp Washer broken. Replaced.
Jun 2022 80000 mi US $220	Replaced radiator- leaking. And main hoses.

Saab 9-5 in New York, United States Mar 2011 - Mar 2012
Dec 2011 78000 mi US $140	replace battery

Saab 9-5 in Minnesota, United States May 2015 - Jun 2015
Jun 2015 120000 mi	I needed to change out my spark plugs.

Saab 9-5 in Luxembourg May 2016 - Nov 2019
Jun 2016 124000 mi €350	Replace driver door window actuator
Jun 2017 140120 mi €900	Driver side headlight failure. Had to take to dealer to program headlight ballast ($480), replace light, and program the auto leveler. In addition, they fixed a "wiring issue" which added 1 hour labor. All in, about $900.

Saab 9-5 in Utah, United States Jan 2016 - Jan 2017
Jun 2016 168000 mi US $550	Replaced crank position sensor. Replaced exhaust mid-pipe and resonator
Oct 2016 173500 mi US $1000	Replaced ignition cassette, plugs Temp gauge dropping to zero while driving. Replaced thermostat.
Nov 2016 173900 mi	Replaced radiator hoses after blowout

Saab 9-5 in Oklahoma, United States Feb 2013 - May 2014
Apr 2013 69800 mi US $100	Replaced bad tstat

Saab 9-5 in Ontario, Canada Oct 2010 - May 2015
Nov 2010 45880 mi	Problem with audio controller on steering wheel
Feb 2012 58880 mi C $300	Thermometer gauge and thermometer sensor
May 2012 61120 mi C $613	Coolant bypass valve failed. Valve normally lasts from 100,000-120,000 kilometers. Coolant system had to be flushed as well.
Aug 2012 64360 mi C $725	Electronic Control Unit or Ballast which controls the HID headlamps failed. Ballast parts, one for each headlamp, HID lights and labour all total the cost.
Jul 2013 72320 mi C $550	PCV Valve Engine spark plugs
Aug 2013 73160 mi	Direct Ignition cassette (DIC) finally gave out after almost 120,000 kns,
May 2014 79980 mi C $800	Fuel pump failure.

Saab 9-5 in Malaysia Feb 2013 - Jun 2018
Feb 2013 81840 mi $500	Subframe bushes were worn. Knocking sound when changing gears
May 2013 86900 mi $1000	Shock absorbers were bad. Knocking sound while driving.
Oct 2013 95160 mi $20	Replaced check valve for brake booster vacuum line. Brake was not working well when car started. Check valve broke.
Mar 2014 98580 mi $600	Radiator gave way and dump all the coolant on the road. Had to get the car towed to the workshop and replaced the radiator.
Jul 2014 103820 mi $200	Bearing for the intermediate shaft failed. Replaced it and found that my wheel bearing was jammed good. Had to replace the whole steering wheel knuckle, wheel bearing and outer CV joint.
Oct 2014 109300 mi $120	AC fan was shutting off intermittently. Non of the AC Panel buttons could restart the fan, and the fan will turn back on automatically when it felt like it. Turn out to be the Fan Control Unit or Fan Resistor pack that was faulty.
Jan 2015 114560 mi $50	Check valve for the PCV system broke, and the hoses had a crack. Replaced the PCV with an Aluminum type and replaced hoses. Throttle body needed to be reset.
May 2015 121580 mi $70	Fixed the hydraulic lifts for the bonnet. Changed battery after 1.5 years of usage. Maintenance free type DIN66L.
Oct 2015 128940 mi $400	Alternator bearing seized, pulley was dislodged, serpentine belt came loose.
Dec 2015 132060 mi $200	Leaking high pressure power steering hose Changed outside temperature sensor
May 2016 139500 mi $300	Engine mounts were shot. replaced them and all is well.
Jul 2016 143180 mi $20	Brake booster hose cracked causing loss of braking power.
Sep 2016 145700 mi $500	Transmission was leaking oil. Changed the transmission oil seals.
Dec 2016 150660 mi $200	Front absorbers were shot
Jun 2017 156240 mi $100	AC compressor had to be changed. Was not providing sufficient pressure. Had a weak battery symptom. Replaced battery
Jul 2017 158100 mi $30	PCV hose was hard. Just replaced as part of preventive maintenance.
Sep 2017 159960 mi $750	Replaced gearbox.
Nov 2017 161820 mi $60	Strut mount cracked and made clunking noise when going over bumps
Mar 2018 163680 mi $500	High pressure power steering hose sprang a leak. Replaced hose Steering rack was replaced. It was hard to turn, and made a loud clicking and cracking noise when turning the wheel AC Expansion valve was stuck and caused the AC to not blow cold air. Replaced valve and filter drier.

Saab 9-5 in New Jersey, United States Jan 2012 - Mar 2012
Feb 2012 71000 mi	Broken seat rails Replaced window regulator Driver door weatherstripping decayed

Saab 9-5 in California, United States Oct 2010 - Sep 2015
Sep 2014 84000 mi	Had to replace PCV hoses and cam cover gasket
Dec 2014 87000 mi US $450	HAD TO REPLACE OIL COOLER HOSE THAT HAD A SMALL LEAK IN IT.

Saab 9-5 in Arizona, United States Oct 2010 - Feb 2013
Nov 2010 60000 mi US $900	PCV valve replacement; "throttle body" repair
Dec 2010 65000 mi US $1700	electrical relays replaced. 60000 mile service
Apr 2011 70000 mi US $1400	engine management system repair
Nov 2011 80000 mi US $980	Heater control valve leaking; replaced
Jul 2012 92000 mi US $650	vacuum leak causing fueling errors.

Saab 9-5 in Ontario, Canada Dec 2010 - Nov 2014
Jan 2012 53620 mi C $100	Faulty thermostat triggered check engine light.
May 2012 55680 mi C $350	Coolant was leaking out. Heat Control Valve was faulty and needed replacing.
Aug 2012 58060 mi C $170	Xenon headlight had burned out. Bulb was replaced and headlight is working fine.
Sep 2014 67580 mi C $250	Reasonator needed replacing
Oct 2014 67780 mi C $300	Fuel Ignition Module steering rod bushings

Saab 9-5 in Utah, United States Sep 2012 - Oct 2013
Aug 2013 97300 mi US $1600	Had to replace all struts and shocks as well as the bearings.

Saab 9-5 in Ontario, Canada Sep 2011 - Sep 2014
Oct 2011 71920 mi C $320	Valve and hoses in the fuel system Valve taking coolant into the Heater Core

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Saab 9-5 in Utah, United States Feb 2010 - Jul 2011
Sep 2010 40000 mi US $500	Replaced alternator
Jan 2011 50000 mi US $100	Replaced coolant thermostat

Saab 9-5 in California, United States - Sep 2009
Sep 2009 27000 mi	Fuel pump failed. Replaced fuel pump. Sunroof assembly making noise when vehicle goes over bumps. Replaced sunroof cassette. Dye on driver's seat peeling.

Saab 9-5 in Ontario, Canada Jul 2011 - Sep 2015
May 2014 79980 mi C $650	Exhaust at the manifold
Sep 2015 84320 mi	Needed an engine computer. Ran like it had a tank of bad gas. Heavy throttle was awesome, but idled like it was trying to save itself (600-1000 RPM bounces). Kept tripping the check engine light, would invalidate the emissions test due in Dec.

Saab 9-5 in Vermont, United States Jun 2015 - Jun 2022
Jul 2015 156200 mi US $1800	new clutch, rear main seal, slave cylinder, re-seal oil pan
Oct 2016 167500 mi	New crank position sensor, new cat back exhaust.
Feb 2017 170000 mi US $715	Replaced leaking power steering hydraulic hoses.
Jul 2017 175000 mi	Repaired leaking vacuum hose, back of throttle body. Cured rough idle. Removal of the throttle body for cleaning (by me) may have accelerated the splitting of the already-deteriorated hose end.
Sep 2017 178000 mi US $1000	Replaced exhaust system from the cat back.
Oct 2017 178000 mi US $650	Cut out and repaired and painted drivers side dogleg rust damage.
Jun 2022 200000 mi US $300	Replaced front rotors and pads…..

Saab 9-5 in Arizona, United States Dec 2015 - Sep 2016
Sep 2016 109000 mi US $250	dddddd

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Saab 9-5 in Great Britain Feb 2013 - Jan 2014
Sep 2013 114000 mi £350	Car starts intermittently on key switch transponder failed
Nov 2013 116300 mi £100	Full beam wouldn't work so failed MOT. Bulb fine so electrical fault checked back to dry joint on a relay that needed welding/soldering. Â£100 was more than I was expecting of a bulb for Â£5. Full beam light didn't display. Now fixed.