Saab›900›1995›Overview/saab/900/1995/base/

1995 Saab 900

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1995 900.

Body PASSENGER CAR

The 1995 Saab 900 is a passenger car that requires 4.5 quarts of 10W-30, 10W-40, or 0W-20 API oil in its engine. Within the 1990–2000 production span, this model year accumulated the highest volume of owner grievances at 132 total complaints, with Power Train issues cited as the primary concern alongside seven recalls. That complaint volume marks the 1995 model as the reliability low point of its generation, a statistical outlier when compared against the 2000 model's single reported complaint.

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.5 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type10W-30 / 10W-40 / 0W-20 APIOEM · verified

Lug nut torque78-96 ft-lbsOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 47 · 520 CCA battery. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 47 · 520 CCAOEM · verified

Tire size195-60VR15OEM · verified

Wheel / rim6 inOEM · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	182.7 in
Overall width	67.3 in
Overall height	56.7 in
Wheelbase	102.4 in
Curb weight	3131 lb
Track (front / rear)	57.1 / 56.3 in

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.5 qt of 10W-30 / 10W-40 / 0W-20 API engine oil, DOT 4 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 78-96 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake Fluid	DOT 4
Engine Coolant	ETHYLENE GLYCOL
Engine Oil	MINERAL OILS: 10W-30 OR 10W-40 API
Engine Oil Capacity	4.5 qt
Engine Oil	MINERAL OILS: 10W-30 OR 10W-40 API
Engine Oil Capacity	4.5 qt
Engine Oil	MINERAL OILS: 10W-30 OR 10W-40 API
Engine Oil Capacity	4.6 qt

Engine torques

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs	11 ft-lbs
Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs	7 ft-lbs
Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs	6 ft-lbs
Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings	36 ft-lbs
Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings	36 ft-lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts	60 ft-lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts	59 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	16 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts	78-96 ft-lbs
Automatic Transmission Drain Plug	28.0-38.0 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-3-4-2
Cylinder Firing Order	1-2-3-4-5-6
Spark Plug Gap	0.039 in
Spark Plug Torque	18.0 ft-lbs
Spark Plug Gap	0.039 in
Spark Plug Torque	18.0 ft-lbs
Spark Plug Gap	0.031 in
Spark Plug Torque	18.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	1.60 lbs
Standard BCI Group Number	47
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	520 cca
Standard BCI Group Number	47
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	520 cca
Standard BCI Group Number	47
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	520 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test	13.0-14.5 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	13.0-14.5 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	192 °F
Engine Oil Pressure	36.25 psi
Engine Oil Pressure RPM	2000 rpm
Engine Oil Pressure	65.41 psi
Engine Oil Pressure RPM	2000 rpm

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket	24 ft-lbs / 20 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	67 ft-lbs / 35 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.039; Rear: 0.039 in
Rotor Max Parallel Variation	0.0006 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.003 in
Rotor Minimum Machining	0.94 in / 0.39 in
Rotor Discard at or Under	0.89 in / 0.33 in
Rotor Finish	0.87 μin / 0.31 μin

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages

26 ft. lbs., Step 2: 45 degrees, Step 3: 15

26 ft. lbs

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

1	44 ft. lbs.	44 ft. lbs
2	59 ft. lbs.	59 ft. lbs
3	90 degrees.	90 degrees

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

1	44 ft. lbs.	44 ft. lbs
2	59 ft. lbs.	59 ft. lbs
3	90 degrees.	90 degrees

Engine Flywheel Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

48 ft. lbs., Step 2: 30

48 ft. lbs

Main Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages

37 ft. lbs., Step 2: 60 degrees, Step 3: 15

37 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs at 60,000 mi; coolant every 15,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 15,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

At 5,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Air Bag System (inspect) · Battery (inspect) · Body Fasteners (torque) · Body Latches, Locks & Hinges (inspect) · Brake Power Booster Unit (inspect)
Every 10,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Air Bag System (inspect) · Battery (inspect) · Body Fasteners (torque) · Body Latches, Locks & Hinges (inspect) · Brake Power Booster Unit (inspect)
Every 15,000 mi	Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
At 30,000 mi	Suspension Shock or Strut (inspect)
Every 30,000 mi	Brake Hydraulic System (drain, refill & bleed) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System (inspect) · Fuel Line (inspect) · PCV System (inspect)
At 35,000 mi	Brake Hydraulic System (drain, refill & bleed) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
At 60,000 mi	Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System (inspect) · PCV System (inspect) · Spark Plug Wires (inspect)
Every 60,000 mi	Distributor Cap (inspect) · Distributor Rotor (inspect) · Fuel Filter (replace)
Every 65,000 mi	Transmission Assembly (drain & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The federal record for the 1990–2000 Saab 900 generation reveals a dramatic inflection point between 1993 and 1994, when complaints surged from 8 to 67, recalls jumped from zero to eight, and TSBs exploded from 2 to 45 — almost certainly marking the rollout of the redesigned NG900 platform. The 1995 model year sits squarely at the peak of this problem arc, logging 132 complaints (nearly double the already-elevated 1994 figure), 7 recalls, and 50 TSBs, making it the single most complaint-heavy year in the entire generation. The dominant complaint areas — Power Train (24), Electrical System (16), Engine & Engine Cooling (15), and Service Brakes, Hydraulic (11) — suggest broad, systemic teething issues rather than an isolated defect, and the presence of 7 crash complaints and 3 fire complaints adds a safety dimension that the data does not root-cause but cannot be ignored. By 1996, complaints fell by half to 66 and continued declining to 22 by 1997, indicating that Saab was actively resolving the new platform's problems year over year. For a used buyer, 1995 is the worst possible year to purchase in this generation — it represents the peak of unresolved first-generation problems, and a 1997 or later model offers dramatically lower complaint volume with the benefit of the same fixes reflected in the 43+ TSBs issued by that point.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

132

Owner complaints

7 involved a crash · 3 a fire

NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars

Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’90 ’91 ’92 ’93 ’94’95’96 ’97 ’98 ’99 ’00

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 132 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Power Train24

Electrical System16

Engine & Engine Cooling15

Service Brakes, Hydraulic11

Structure9

Vehicle Speed Control8

Seat Belts7

Visibility7

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 7 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

02V308000Air BagsReported 14/11/2002

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… Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW AIR BAG ECU. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN APRIL 4, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT…

95V068000Power Train:Manual TransmissionReported 29/03/1995

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. Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE TRANSMISSION LINKAGE COMPONENTS AND COMPLETE A SPECIALLY DEVELOPED SERVICE ADJUSTMENT PROCEDURE THAT WILL ENSURE THAT WHEN THE SHIFT IS MOVED TO THE REVERSE…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 50 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
130089009	2013-09-01	Engine And Engine Cooling	Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules
850	2001-03-13	Air Bags	SUBJECT REGARDING REPLACEMENT OF SRS WIRING HARNESS. *TT
8111984	2000-01-01	Visibility	INFORMATION ON REPLACING CONNECTING TAB ON ELECTRICALLY HEATED REAR WINDOW. *TT
8112156	1999-07-01	Structure	SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT IRRITATING ROAD AND WIND NOISE PENETRATING INTO THE CABIN…
8112099	1999-07-01	Structure	CONCERNS WITH CRACKS IN SOFT TOP COVER FOIL STRIP. *TT