Saab Electrical System: Interior/Under Dash

Saab is recalling about 70,000 vehicles over a problem with the electrical system. This could cause a short circuit; the resulting heatbuildup could cause smoke or a fire in the passenger compartment.

Campaign
88V173000
Manufacturer
SAAB CARS USA, INC.
Reported
1 November 1988
Vehicles
70,000
Built between
Aug 1986 – Jun 1988
Models
1
Recall type
Vehicle
Initiated by
Manufacturer
Owners notified
18 January 1989
Repaired
Not reported
Unrepaired
Not reported

Does this affect my vehicle?

This recall covers vehicles built between August 1986 and June 1988. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.

  • 1987-1988 Saab 900Built August 1986 to June 1988

What the defect is

Wiring harness may chafe against sharp edges under the dashboard and against a support under the rear seat (1988 models only).

What could happen

This could cause a short circuit; the resulting heatbuildup could cause smoke or a fire in the passenger compartment.

What gets fixed

INSTALL RUBBER PROTECTIVE STRIPS TO SHARP EDGES AND COMPLETELY ENCASE WIRE HARNESS IN A PROTECTIVE PLASTIC TUBE.

Timeline

  1. Vehicles builtAugust 1986 to June 1988
  2. Recall reported to NHTSA1 November 1988
  3. Owners notified18 January 1989

Your rights

A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.

That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 1 November 1988.

To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.

Official source

Recalling manufacturer
SAAB CARS USA, INC.
Recall initiated by
MFR

Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Additional notes

System: electrical/wiring harness.vehicle description: passenger cars.

Check your own vehicle

This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.

A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.

Same component

Same brand