Date: Wed, 25 Sep 2002 08:14:27 -0500 From: "Terje Johan Abrahamsen" <spoermegnopsamelig.com> Subject: Re: Thinking of buying my first saab - what to look for?
"Kenneth S." <nimrodnopsams.com> wrote in message news:3D91A942.7089nopsams.com... > Geoff J wrote: > > > > Hi saab lovers. > > > > I'm new to this particular news group but have lurked and contributed > > to alt.fan.landrover for quite a while now (proud owner of a 1987 110 > > 2.5l Petrol). > > > > Anyway back to the point - I'm thinking of buying a 1997 Saab 900 S > > (2.0i) in black with 5 doors with 57,000 miles on the clock. I want it > > primarily as a motorway car and was wondering what are the known > > problems/things to look for etc. with this model. > > > > Thanks in advance > > > > Geoff > > > I have a 1996 900SE, which I bought almost two years ago. (As some in > this news group will know) this car has been a major disappointment to > me. It has been far more trouble than other cars I have owned, and > getting it fixed is expensive, as well as entailing trips to a not > particularly convenient Saab dealer. > > During the time I have owned this car, I have: > (1) had to have one of the front struts rebuilt to eliminate a rattling > noise; > (2) had persistent problems with the check engine light coming on for no > apparent reason, entailing having the car in the dealers three times, > and ultimately having it cured (I hope!) by some fix to the wiring > harness; > (3) had several trips back to the dealer because of a slow leak -- > origin still not discovered -- in the air conditioning system; > (4) found that the steering pulled to the right and was far too > sensitive to road camber and grooves in the road (the first problem > cured by a realignment, and the second (I hope) going to be cured as a > result of advice in this news group); > (5) found the climate control system unsatisfactory (maybe this system > is only in SEs); > (6) found the heated seats don't work; and > (7) had the low coolant warning come on periodically, even though the > coolant level is fine. > > Prior to buying the Saab, I had a succession of large American V-8s, > which I found reliable, comfortable, and cheap to fix. In addition, > several years ago I bought a Mazda Miata (MX-5), for something more > agile. After a series of vacations in Europe, during which I rented > four-door hatchbacks, I decided that one of these was really what I > should have, to replace my Mercury Grand Marquis (an excellent car, but > too large for my daughter's tastes). The Saab is one of the very few > four-door hatchbacks on the U.S. market, and in any case I'd always been > interested in owning one. > > You appear to be based in Britain. If so, you have alternatives to the > Saab, which will give you its advantages, without some of the Saab's > shortcomings. There are many four-door hatchbacks on the European > market. During a recent trip to France I rented a Peugeot 307, which I > thought had everything the Saab has, plus being quieter and riding much > more comfortably. > > Now, you lucky man, you can sit back and watch all the spectacular > flames that will be directed my way from elsewhere in this newsgroup! He-he... You are asking for it.... No, seriously, I think that you must be extremely unlucky, bought the car from a crock or don't know how to drive. I have a 98 900SE, driven it for well over 50000 miles, and the only thing that has gone wrong was the SID unit, that was replaced on warranty. Other than that, oil and tires are about the only think I have changed.
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