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2010 Saab 9-3 Aero

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2010 9-3 Aero.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic (S5)

The 2010 Saab 9-3 Aero is a passenger car that, under its hood, requires 7.1 quarts of oil with a viscosity range of 0W-30, 0W-40, or 5W-30 API, and pairs its engine with an automatic transmission (S5) to achieve EPA fuel economy ratings of 19 city, 27 highway, and 22 combined mpg. In terms of reliability, this model year has accumulated 30 total owner complaints, with the most frequent issue reported in the Air Bags system, and it has been subject to 4 recalls, placing it in a period where Saab’s ownership transition was already underway and these figures reflect a vehicle that demands careful pre-purchase inspection of its safety components.

Model year2011 2010 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004

Quick specs

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

Engine oil capacity7.1 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type0W-30 / 0W-40 / 5W-30 APIOEM · verified

Lug nut torque80 ft-lbsOEM · verified

EPA fuel economy19/27/22 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

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

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 48 · 700 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12605566. Note the factory engine air filter is now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. 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 48 · 700 CCAOEM · verified

Tire sizeP235-45R17OEM · verified

Wheel / rim7.5 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	12605566
Engine air filter	32019926 discontinued
Spark plug	55571391 alt 55564215
Battery	93189922
Front wiper blades	12778383 alt 12781786
Serpentine belt	12827647
Thermostat	12622410 alt 3522676
Cabin air filter	95528293

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

Transmission

Automatic (S5)

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	182.7 in
Overall width	69.3 in
Overall height	56.3 in
Wheelbase	105.5 in
Curb weight	3479 lb
Track (front / rear)	59.4 / 59.1 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	60/40

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined	19 / 27 / 22 mpg
Drivetrain	Front-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuel	Regular Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

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

This engine holds 7.1 qt of 0W-30 / 0W-40 / 5W-30 API engine oil. Torque lug nuts to 80 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-3-4-2. 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

Engine Coolant	DEXCOOL OR EQUIVALENT
Engine Oil	SYNTHETIC · 0W-30 · 0W-40 · 5W-30 · 5W-40 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	7.1 qt
Power Steering Fluid	SPECIFICATION NOT SUPPLIED BY MANUFACTURER

Engine torques

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs	M6 Bolts: 6 ft-lbs, M8 Bolts: 16 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	7.3 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts	80 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Fill Plug	37.0 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Drain Plug	37.0 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub	170 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub	170 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-3-4-2
Cylinder Firing Order	1-3-4-2

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	2.0 L
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	46
Oil Capacity	2.0 L
Standard BCI Group Number	48
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	700 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test	20-22 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	20-22 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	180 °F
Injector Primary Resistance	12 @ 68 degreesF ohms

Brakes

Wheel Application	15
Torque Caliper to Bracket	21 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.197; Rear: 0.197 in
Wheel Application	17
Rotor Max Parallel Variation	0.0006 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.0031 in
Rotor Minimum Machining	1.181 in
Rotor Discard at or Under	1.06 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Torque to Knuckle — tightening sequence 1 stages

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

18 ft. lbs., Step 2: 100

18 ft. lbs

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

74 ft. lbs., step 2: 75

74 ft. lbs

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

1	22 ft. lbs.	22 ft. lbs
2	150 degrees.	150 degrees
3	15 degrees.; Bolt 11	15 degrees
1	26

Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

18 ft. lbs., step 2: 23

18 ft. lbs

Main Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages

17 ft. lbs., Step 2: 70 degrees, Step 3: 15

17 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs every 80,000 mi.

Every 20,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Air Bag System (inspect) · Battery (inspect) · Body Latches, Locks & Hinges (inspect) · Brake Hydraulic System (inspect fluid level) · Brake Line (inspect)
Every 40,000 mi	Engine Air Filter Element (replace)
Every 60,000 mi	Drive Belt (replace) · Transmission Assembly (drain & refill)
Every 80,000 mi	Spark Plugs (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

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

Owner complaints about the 2010 Saab 9-3 Aero dominate in one area — the air bags, 21 of 30 reports (70%), well ahead of the next concern. That matters, because the air bags are also the target of recall 16V-063 on this vehicle — so the single most useful check before buying or servicing one is confirming it was actually performed. 0 of the reports describe a crash and 0 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the air bags pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

232

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

Owner complaints

0 involved a crash · 0 a fire

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 30 complaints on record, top 7 components.

Air Bags21

Fuel System, Other2

Engine2

Seat Belts2

Fuel/Propulsion System1

Electrical System,Air Bags1

Vehicle Speed Control1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 4 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

16V063000Air Bags:Frontal:Driver Side:Inflator ModuleReported 03/02/2016

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… 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…

14V318000Seat Belts:Front:RetractorReported 12/06/2014

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2011 Saab 9-3 Convertible vehicles manufactured July 30, 2003, to February 15, 2011. In the affected vehicles, the driver's side front seat belt retractor may… Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's seat belt retractor, free of charge. The recall began on October 6, 2015. Owners may contact Saab customer service at…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 232 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
PIT3271Q	2026-04-01	Unknown Or Other	This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel…
PIP6104	2026-03-09	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and…
PIP4902V	2026-03-09	Unknown Or Other	This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into…
PIP4902U	2026-01-08	Unknown Or Other	This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into…
PIT5214G	2025-11-20	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific 9-3 Aero. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 48 battery Vehicles taking 7.1 qt Engine oil filter 12605566 Engine air filter 32019926 Spark plug 55571391 Battery 93189922

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2010 9-3 Aero take?

7.1 qt of SYNTHETIC 0W-30, 0W-40, 5W-30 OR 5W-40 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2010 9-3 Aero have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the 9-3 Aero get?

EPA figures are 19 city / 27 highway / 22 combined mpg.