Faults:

Hand brake cable needs to be replaced.

Catalytic converter heat shield was holed.

Some other items had to be replaced due to normal wear and tear: the coolant reservoir, shock absorber bushings, and anti-rollbar bushings.

General Comments:

I've owned my SAAB 900S 4dr for 3 months now, and have already spent $1,200 on it. It's been very reliable so far, but the repairs are generally expensive. Nothing major has gone wrong with the car, but with SAABs even little problems cost a lot to fix.

That said, my car is in excellent condition partly because the previous owner spent $5,500 on it over his 3 years of ownership.

Performance is less than impressive due to the fact that I have the non-turbo S model with an automatic transmission. Handling, however, is very good and the car corners like a champ.

The seats are extremely comfortable and the dash layout is very driver-friendly. Visibility is also excellent.

Style-wise, the "classic" 900 is very distinctive and is instantly recognisable on the road. For those who don't like today's bland and generic cars, it is a breath of fresh air.

Pre-1994 SAAB 900s are well-known for their durability and practicality, as well as style. If maintained properly and cared for, these funky SAABs will provide their owners with many years of motoring enjoyment.

Faults:

Steering rack leaks - this is common on 900's. This happened at over 200K miles. Still worked, but the leaking drove me crazy.

Front wheel bearing - somewhat more prone to failure on front wheel drive cars in general. Expect 100k miles per wheel bearing if you use a good brand like SKF.

Drooping headliner and dash cracks - these items are eventually going to happen on all classic 900's. Although SAAB used great materials throughout the car, the dash is not one of them. As for the drooping headliner, it happens because the thin layer of foam breaks down over time and becomes brittle and powdery. Similar problem to that of GM cars in the same era.

Fuel pump failure - original was great until 190K miles. Remember to install the external check valve on all 1989 900's. If you don't, you'll have long cranking times to start your car until the fuel pressure builds up.

Heater valve leaks - this will happen to all classic 900's. The deteriorating O-rings between the heater core and valve will cause a leak.

General Comments:

Although Saabs have their quirks, I appreciate them for the safety, style, comfort, economy and performance. If you like to work on cars, the 900's are a blessing. The A/C components are totally accessible, as is the clutch without engine or transmission removal.

The design makes the driver feel as though its somewhat of a "cockpit" with the high A-pillars.

And for quirky, the engine is directly on top of the transmission with the engine's belts (fan, A/C, etc..) towards the rear of the car next to the firewall.

If you like to tinker with cars, the 900's are pretty fun. Saab used great materials for their metals and paints. Seems like it would last forever.

With the hatchbacks, cargo room is immense when you fold the rear seats down. I also love the heated front seats.