1994-2002 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
I bought a 99 9-3 in Jan 2002 and have had two reoccurring problems:
1. The front suspension / bushing noise on cold mornings. The Saab dealer "fixed" the problem while it was still under warrenty by "tightening the subframe" in April 2002. In November 2002, the weather dipped below 32F and I still have the noise. It actually has gotten worse since last year and on the coldest days this past winter, I could hear the awful noise for 10 miles. In January 2003, I asked my dealer why the noise wasn't corrected by "tightening the subframe". He only suggested that I should bring the car in every 10,000 miles to get the scheduled maintenance (oil, air and filter changes...etc) and that they would take care of it then. Now I do the regular maintenance on my car to save money because I'm in grad school - so I guess I'm up a creek?!?
2. In February 2002, the knob that controls where the air comes out of the HVAC unit broke off. This was fixed in April of 2002 however the fixed knob was as stiff as it was before it broke off. Today the knob broke off in my hand again.
Now seeing as these two problems are very common among 1999 9-3's, you would think that the dealer would take the effort to properly correct them so that they don't reoccur. However it seems like the dealer has performed temporary fixes so that I can become a repeat customer after my warrenty ends (it ended in June 2002). What should I do about these problems? Should I humor myself by getting estimates from my dealer to fix these things? When others ask me whether I like my Saab, I tell them yes. But I also tell them that I've discovered the Saab dictionary's definition of the word "quirky" actually means bad quality and poorly engineered. The suspension will make noise (might I add on a car that only 4 years old) regardless of what the dealer does and the air box knob will break off in your hands (2x within 16 months). And to get these items properly fixed, you'll end up paying through the nose!
Any suggestions?
posted by 129.25.28...
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