2002 SAAB 9-5 Linear Wagon 2.0 t

Summary:

Huge disapointment! I had always liked SAABS, but never again

Faults:

Ran and idled rough since the day we got it home.

Transmission slipped and shifted erratically since the start as well.

Interior pieces fell of w/in the first 5,000 miles of ownership.

Engine makes excessive noise at various times- a whining, pump/ vacuum sound.

20,000 miles, paint bubbled and pealed.

25,000 miles- Turbo had to be replaced- had been blowing blue smoke and loss of power.

28,000 miles dashboard lights burned out.

30,000 miles - rotors needed replaced- told it was normal.

General Comments:

I wanted to like this car, BUT, it is more than a lemon, it is just a boatload of little issues that make it a miserable driving experience for most miles. It is by far the noisiest car I've ever been in. It shifts when it wants to, for no reason, brakes freeze, and it runs so rough and idles just as rough on most occasions, that your teeth feel as if they might fall out.

The dealer can never find any problems, only "updates the software" whenever a new version is available.

The paint it turns out was not a factory issue, but the result of shoddy work performed by the dealer when the car was in its service fleet prior to our purchase. Of course we asked if any body work or paint work had ever been down, but they deceived us. Buyer beware. We would have never have bought the car with miles had we known. Overall our dealer doesn't know BEANS about Saab's and customer service.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 28th November, 2005

9th Feb 2007, 15:43

My experience with our Saab 9-5 ARC was nearly identical to this. Two turbocharger replacements within a year of each other, computer firmware updates which take ten days (at the dealer), servo-motor for climate control failed in cold weather, leaking coolant, failed banjo gaskets, leaking oil cooler gaskets, the list is unreal.

The sad part is that it's a great car to drive. It is just expensive to maintain and this one was horribly unreliable.

2002 SAAB 9-5 Linear 2.3t

Summary:

This is one of the best put together vehicles I've owned when it's working properly

Faults:

The first thing I noticed wrong with my Saab 95 was the rear suspension was completely broke down. The struts had to be replaced. This was done at no cost to me, but made me nervous the dealership may not have looked the car over before putting out on the line for sale.

I got the car back from getting the rear suspension serviced, it handled like it was on rails, but before I could even put 100 miles on it the turbo blew. That handy factory warranty saved the day once again. The dealership replaced the turbo at no cost to me.

I got the car back from the dealership this time and noticed it seemed to want to stall when shifting from park into reverse. I also noticed smoke coming from the tail pipe. I noticed the power the car had before the turbo work was done was no longer there. The car acted like any other non-turbo powered 4 banger on the road. Oh and if that wasn't bad enough every time I hit a little bump in the road the suspension makes a sound similar to that of a gas station bell, the kind that goes off when you run over the black rubber hose at the pumps. I took the car back again this time voicing my lack of confidence in the vehicle. The dealership responded by trying to set up a deal to get me into a Chevy Malibu. I politely declined and insisted my car be fixed properly. The kicker to this story is I purchased the car from the dealership second hand 3 weeks ago. I've yet to even make my first payment on the car and it's already spent more time in the shop than on the road.

General Comments:

Even with all the problems I've had with this car, I don't know of another vehicle out there that I'd like to have. I like the looks, power and handling of this car. I'm afraid, however, that I'm not going to have a nice experience with it.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 14th June, 2005

15th Jun 2005, 07:51

It sounds to me like you bought what should be a nice car from the wrong dealer. Only a dealer who knows nothing about cars would sell the car (in warranty) without fixing it first. And those problems should have been a no brainer to diagnose and fix, especially if the dealer has any type of service. My suggestion is to take it to some other dealer of the same brand and have them look it over.

12th Jan 2007, 12:39

I am the owner of the same care and absolutely love my 9-5. However I am having the same problem with stalling when backing up into reverse. This vehicle has had 2 throttle bodies and 1 computer replaced and continues to have the same problem. I was wondering what they diagnosed as the problem with the car in the review? We have had several technicians look at the vehicle and are yet to have a diagnosis.