Head-to-head reliability
SAAB 9 7X vs FORD F 150
How the SAAB 9 7X and FORD F 150 compare on NHTSA complaints, recalls and crash reports — and which is the lower-risk used buy.
Based on NHTSA owner-complaint & recall records
SAAB 9 7X averages fewer NHTSA complaints per year. SAAB 9 7X has 171 complaints and 11 recalls on record; FORD F 150 has 11,311 complaints and 145 recalls. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | SAAB 9 7X | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 171 Better | 11,311 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 11 Better | 145 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 0 Better | 328 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 34.2 Better | 1131.1 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 0 Better | 287 |
| Reported deathsTied to owner complaints | 0 Better | 1 |
Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall records.
What actually goes wrong
The problems owners report
The most-complained-about systems on each vehicle — what fails, and what owners say in their own words.
SAAB 9 7X
- 01EXTERIOR LIGHTING49
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM43
- 03FUEL SYSTEM41
- 04GASOLINE37
- 05VISIBILITY12
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SAAB 9-7X. THE CONTACT STATED THAT RIGHT HEADLIGHT WAS BRIGHTER THAN THE LEFT ONE, WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS WERE ON, THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT WOULD POINT DOWNWARD, MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR OTHER DRIVERS TO SEE THE VEHICLE AND FOR THE CONTACT T…”
“WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT THE HEADLIGHTS WERE SET ON AUTOMATIC MODE WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY WENT OUT AND I TRIED TO TURN THEM TO THE REGULAR ON POSITION AND THEY DID NOT COME ON, THE HIGH BEAMS DID NOT WORK EITHER. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND FR…”
FORD F 150
- 01POWER TRAIN3,553
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2,071
- 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER1,401
- 04EXTERIOR LIGHTING1,164
- 05ENGINE847
“I started noticing hard and delayed shifts from 7th into 8th gear. My RPM's were not increasing when this happened, and then on a very crowded major road I lost all power, vehicle shut off and drifted, then started up and jerked again very hard. This failure…”
“I am reporting a safety-related transmission problem I experienced with my 2020 Ford F-150 equipped with the 10R80 automatic transmission. While driving normally, the transmission shifts hard (ie: jerks, clunks) between 4-5 and 5-6 gears, and has on occasion…”
Official recalls
Safety recalls on record
Federal recall campaigns — the defect, the risk, and the fix. Confirm any open recall was completed before you buy.
SAAB 9 7X — 11 recalls
The defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2007 SAAB 9-7x; 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT and GMC Envoy XL; and 2006-2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, Buick Rainier and Isuzu Ascender vehicles. Fluid may enter the driver's door master power window switch module, causing corro…
The risk: A short in the circuit board could lead to a fire, increasing the risk of personal injury. A fire could occur even while the vehicle is not in use. As a precaution, owners are advised to park outside until the remedy has been made.
The fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the part number on the door module, and install a new door module if necessary, free of charge. Parts for the remedy are not currently available. An interim letter was mailed to owners in Aug…
The defect: General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2007 SAAB 9-7x; 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT and GMC Envoy XL; and 2006-2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, Buick Rainier and Isuzu Ascender vehicles. Fluid may enter the driver's door module, causing corrosion that could result in a sho…
The risk: A short in the circuit board could lead to a fire, increasing the risk of personal injury. A fire could occur even while the vehicle is not in use. As a precaution, owners are advised to park outside until the remedy has been made.
The fix: Owners will be contacted and dealers will test the driver's door module. If the module is functioning properly, a protective coating will be applied. If the module is not functioning properly, it will be replaced. These repairs will be don…
The defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix, 2006-2009 Buick LaCrosse, 2006-2007 Buick Rainier, Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT, GMC Envoy XL, 2006-2008 Isuzu Ascender, and Saab 9-7x vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the headlam…
The risk: Headlamps that do not illuminate reduce the driver's ability to see the roadway and reduce the vehicle's visibility to oncoming vehicles, both of which increase the risk of a vehicle crash.
The fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the HDM, free of charge. The recall began on May 17, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737. GM's number for this reca…
The defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2007 SAAB 9-7x; 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT and GMC Envoy XL; and 2006-2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, Buick Rainier and Isuzu Ascender vehicles. Fluid may enter the driver's door master power window switch module, causing corro…
The risk: A short in the circuit board could lead to a fire, increasing the risk of personal injury. A fire could occur even while the vehicle is not in use. As a precaution, owners are advised to park outside until the remedy has been made.
The fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the part number on the door module, and install a new door module if necessary, free of charge. Parts for the remedy are not currently available. An interim letter was mailed to owners in Aug…
FORD F 150 — 145 recalls
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 trucks equipped with high series LED headlamps with Autolamp (On/Off) functionality. The Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) may remain activated instead of dimming to parking lamps when the Master Lighting Switch (MLS) is manually rotated from…
The risk: DRL that cannot dim may reduce the visibility of other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the body control module, free of charge. The recall began March 10, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20C03.
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019-2020 F-150 vehicles. The fastener securing the Power Distribution Box (PDB) 12V cable and Battery Monitoring System (BMS) eyelets to the positive battery terminal may loosen and affect the vehicle's systems such as instrument panel displays and br…
The risk: Inoperative vehicle systems or an engine stall can increase the risk of a crash. Reduced braking and steering efforts increases the risk of a crash. This condition could also create a resistive short, increasing the risk of a fire.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the positive battery cable/BMS/PDB joint for excess sealant adhesive and remove any excessive adhesive, reassemble the joint, and retorque the fastener, as necessary, free of charge. The re…
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Ford F-150 and 2017-2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty pick-up trucks equipped with an engine block heater. Water and contaminants may get into the block heater cable's splice connector causin…
The risk: When the heater is plugged in, prolonged corrosion could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring which can increase the risk of a fire.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will disable the block heater cable, free of charge. Once parts are available, Dealers will replace the engine block heater cable, free of charge. The recall began June 3, 2019. Owners may contact Ford…
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 and 2019-2020 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty pickup trucks, and 2018-2019 Ford Explorer, 2019-2020 Expedition, and 2020 Escape vehicles equipped with driver and/or passenger's manual front seat back recliner mechanisms. Also…
The risk: A seat back with an improperly assembled recliner mechanism may have reduced strength and may not adequately restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and Ford and Lincoln dealers will inspect the seat structure and replace them, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 21, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's num…
Check the actual car
Comparing models is smart. Checking the VIN is essential.
Brand averages tell you the trend. A VIN check tells you what's wrong with the specific SAAB 9 7X or FORD F 150 in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- SAAB 9 7X vs FORD F 150
- SAAB 9 7X total complaints
- 171
- FORD F 150 total complaints
- 11,311
- SAAB 9 7X total recalls
- 11
- FORD F 150 total recalls
- 145
- SAAB 9 7X avg complaints/year
- 34.2
- FORD F 150 avg complaints/year
- 1131.1
- More reliable overall
- SAAB 9 7X
- SAAB 9 7X top complaint area
- EXTERIOR LIGHTING
- FORD F 150 top complaint area
- POWER TRAIN