Faults:

All amounts in USD.

The day I bought the car, the rusted exhaust broke off at the catalytic converter. Magnaflow muffler and 2 1/2 inch exhaust, $300.

A week and a half later, the shifter came off in my hand. The little plastic ball broke. Got a used one from junkyard, $60.

Shortly after, I found out the left front CV boot was torn, and the joint was surely damaged. Replaced it. $85.

At the same time, I found my right rear brake caliper was frozen. Replaced at the same time as CV joint. $75.

I thought the car was ready to go. Left front wheel bearing went out one week later. Just finished replacing it. Didn't have a press, had to have an auto shop do the bearing pressing for me. $85 for parts, $75 for labor.

I hope I'm done for a little while.

General Comments:

I love this car.

The way it drives and handles is amazing.

At low speeds, turbo lag is severe, but once on the freeway it passes other cars like they're sitting still.

Leather seats are beautiful and comfortable.

Shifting is very rubbery, but I'm used to it.

Don't like the slippery plastic steering wheel--I want to leather wrap it.

Moving seatbelt on passenger side doesn't work--doesn't matter too much, I'm the driver, not the passenger!

Missing the cargo cover.

I've had this car for about 6 weeks and spent nearly $700 in repairs, and that doesn't include the Friday and Saturday nights spent working on it instead of cruising in it.

I paid $2500 for it, which is WAY too much for a project car.

Now I'm so far upside down that I'm going to keep it. However, that may just be a cover excuse, because I've been bitten by the Saab bug.

I haven't driven many cars that feel this good at 100 mph, and even fewer that go from 60-100 so quickly.

The moral of the story is, when buying a car, don't get the "gotta have it's." Check it out, make sure you know what you're getting.

I don't regret buying a Saab, I just regret buying THIS one.

Faults:

Broken engine mount.

Bad ground wire.

Broken shifter linkage.

Replacement of CV joints.

New wires, plugs, distributer cap.

Interior lights doesn't work.

Radio malfunctioned.

No second gear.

Master cylinder rebuilt.

General Comments:

It would seem from all of the statements above that I would not like my car. However, I actually love it. I bought the car when I was sixteen and have since then run the guts out of it for the past seven years. This car has seen unpaved mountain roads. I have raced this car over snow and mud. I believe this car is a true survivor.

I have done little to maintain the car aside from regularly changing the oil. So why do I really like the car? Well, even though nothing works on it, I can get on the highway and go 90 miles an hour no problem. The car feels sturdy and safe. Theres no rattling, the steering wheel doesn't shake, and there is little road noise.

I believe that the inherent quality of the vehicle is retained even as the years pay their toll on the Saab. I bought the car for 3,200 dollars, and in seven years I have barely put a grand into it.

This car isn't luxurious or sexy, but it is essentially reliable. Little things go wrong from time to time, but the engine has ALWAYS run smooth and strong. I recommend this car to anyone on a tight budget.

Faults:

So far I have not had any problems, although the typical older SAAB trademarks can be found, such as the cracking dashboard, broken air conditioning, but besides those things, everything else works.

General Comments:

This car has already gained my trust. It works and handles beautifully, and really gets noticed (some people love the look of SAABs, and others don't).

The interior is very comfortable, and the exterior is almost mint shape, even though the previous owner told me he used this car as his primary vehicle (including the winter).