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Save up to $379 on Your Auto Insurance. Compare Quotes from Top Providers Now! Find the Best Deal and Apply! - Adv.
Rebecca of Huntersville, NC October 9, 2008
Rebecca of Huntersville NC (10/09/08)
I have had to have my Saab 9-3 convertible repaired six times in three years. In August I spent 1000.00 because the warranty has run out. In two weeks time I was in a parking lot with the top 1/2 up and stuck. This was the sixth time this has happened to me. I have contacted Saab and they have reviewed this case and feel that is not an on-going issue. Six times is ridiculous and is not normal. I had my Chrysler Sebring for 150,000 miles and had it repaired once. I would fix the car again but feel that it will just break again. I do not have the money to continue this two times a year.
Patrick of Dedham, MA September 3, 2008
Patrick of Dedham MA (09/03/08)
The 9-3 standard 4 door saab with 200 miles on and less then one week old rolls while in gear. On a very slight incline it edged forward into the side porch of my home damaging the front fender of the car. I also have a 2006 9-5 standard that rolls while in gear.
Someone could get killed if you don't always use the emergency brake. Please address this issue. Thanks Erik of Carmel, IN August 7, 2008
Erik of Carmel IN (08/07/08)
The original Saab's were great cars until GM, desperate to get their hands on Saab's superior engine and turbo technology, bought the brand in 1999. Since then the cars have been plagued by mechanical failures, frequent malfunctions, and fervent frustration on behalf of the owner. Judging by the complaints on this site, Saab 9-3's and 9-5's have become painfully expensive to maintain, especially with inferior parts like transmissions, SIDs and ignition cassettes crapping out all the time. But notice how almost all the complaints reported are from people who own a newer Saab built after MY 2000. GM destroyed a fantastic car by switching out high-quality imported parts for cheaper mass produced ones, for example the turn signal on your Saab may look eerily familiar to that of a Buick. GM did the same for the transmission, brakes, engine parts, and anywhere they could save manufacturing costs. They eliminated the hatchback, cut out design features, and removed other incredibly handy yet seemingly unnecessary features such as fog lights and Weather Band radio. The move pleased those on Wall Street but alienated masses of previous Saab owners who filled a unique market niche. The end result? A car that looks nothing like a true Saab, drives nothing like a true Saab, and is nowhere near reliable as well as a true Saab. A true Saab is any Saab built before MY 2000 and an even truer Saab is one built in the 80s-early 90s before GM bought a 50% stake in the company. Seriously, ask a true Saab owner. They'll tell you they were some of the greatest, fastest, safest, most reliable cars ever built. While Saab's today are still know for their safety and performance, they are water downed, always breaking-down versions of their predecessors. I myself own a '99 Saab 9-3 hatchback, the last of the true Saab era and successor to the Saab 900. It is a marvelous piece of engineering. Despite having a couple GM parts ie a Plymouth turn signal, it is still an actual Saab. Designed by Saab engineers and built in Sweeden, it runs fine, gets good gas mileage while maintaining excellent speed and performance, and only suffers from minor problems like missing SID pixels and a bent radio antenna. My buddy recently bought an old '87 Saab 900 from the pre-GM era (meaning before GM bought part of Saab in the early 90s) and it continues to have no mechanical problems. I talked to dozens of true Saab owners who consistently report their Saab ran for 200K, sometimes 300K! So blame the engineers, market strategists and executives at GM for your problems because I guarantee the founders of Saab wouldn't be proud of what their brainchild has become. Want my opinion? If you're gonna go Saab buy used. If you want a newer car, buy a Honda. Or better yet, a hybrid.
Sharma of Lineboro, MD July 29, 2008
Sharma of Lineboro MD (07/29/08)
On July 25 2008, my daughter was driving my 2004 Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan. She went off the road, side swiping 2 trees before slamming into a drainage pipe/embankment. The left side curtain airbags were the only ones that deployed. The car is a total loss with extensive front-end damage. If not for her wearing her seat belt, I would likely be making funeral arrangements.
This is the second front-end collision with this vehicle without the airbags deploying. I questioned Saab in 2004 about the first incident which their reply was that the car performed as it was designed. That accident was significant enough to trigger all the seat belt sensors and fry the main computer.
Silviu of Chicago, IL July 25, 2008
Silviu of Chicago IL (07/25/08)
I would like to start by stating that I am a repeated SAAB customer and I like the way the SAABs drive. However, recently I have had some bad experiences with my current SAAB 95. The car currently has 87k miles and I have had to change the ignition cassette twice (once at 46k and again at 60k). About 2 weeks ago the check engine light went off and I took the car to the dealership. After charging me 125, they told me that I need to change the ignition cassette. This would be the third time in a 41k mile period. To put it mildly, this is excessive. I have never had to change the ignition cassette of any of my previous cars (SAABs or other luxury cars), and I have driven some of them more than 87K miles. I've called the SAAB customer service and I've complained about the sub-standard components that they have used in my car. I have asked them to replace the ignition cassette (since this would be the 3rd time I would have to change it) but they are still researching the issue. I am sure I would end up paying for the repair out of my pocket. It seems to me that, relatively recently (in the last 3-4 years), the quality of parts that SAAB and their dealerships are using is sub-standard. I would think that a company like SAAB would treat their repeated, loyal customers much better (it certainly was the case in the past). However, GM seem to have left their quality imprint all over. No wonder they are loosing market share and customers. I was going to purchase another SAAB in the next 6 months, but after this experience, I would probably look for another manufacturer ...
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