1993 SAAB 900 S

Summary:

Breaks down, unreliable, too many repairs needed

Faults:

Gosh, can't remember them all.

Thermostat, hoses blew, U-joint/axle, alternator connections, brake lines, slave cylinder, starter, ABS module... the list really goes on.

Some things needed general replacing (clutch, oxygen sensor), but I had to put loads into this thing. Also, completely unreliable in that it broke down or overheated on the road multiple times, causing me to pull over & need a tow.

Plus, starting it was a matter of crossing my fingers & hoping it got me to my destination.

Also, a lot of mechanics hate working on these. Especially since they're old & defunct, as well as hard to learn & different from typical car setups. I encountered a few who basically said they'd rather not do the work, than spending all day learning & figuring it out, just to do it once, since it's likely no one would ever bring one in again with the same problem.

General Comments:

Could be a good 2nd car or summer vehicle, especially the convertible, which mine was. I liked the car, its look & style, and what it was. A niche car. However I couldn't justify the repair costs nor the unreliability of it. Had to scrap it and get something reliable, which this was not.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 6th February, 2013

7th Feb 2013, 16:09

150,000 miles is like 241,000 kilometers. This thing was worn out way before you bought it. Most probably why the previous owner offloaded it, on to you.

8th Feb 2013, 02:41

My advice to you would have been to get yourself a mechanic that was interested in working on it. I have a 1990 900 for 23 years. They have their issues, but on the whole it's a good solid car. Had mine in for a service the other day. My mechanic confided that he preferred working on these, rather than modern electronic nightmares, as diagnosis on older Saabs is usually straightforward, whereas on modern cars this was not the case... Then again, he was trained on these in the 1980s, so he probably knows them thoroughly.

15th Mar 2017, 14:57

I have the same car this person is complaining about, a 1993 900S Convertible. It is my daily driver; well that and two motorcycles. It has 220,000 miles on it and runs like a top, original engine and likely the original transmission. The interior is near mint, seats in perfect condition. The starter misses every now and again and may go out, but so what.

I dunno... if the car is well-kept it's a tank and will run forever and in fine style. I've had 9 900s, mostly Turbos, and one 9000. IDK if they are more or less reliable than anything else out there, but what they ARE is uniquely fun to drive and comfortable in a way that BMWs are not. Ask me how I know this, LOL... still love Bimmers though.

1993 SAAB 900 Turbo 2.0 turbo

Summary:

Acquired taste, either you love or hate it. I love it

Faults:

Gear box totally went out; 1500 dollars to fix.

General Comments:

This car has excellent power and acceleration, it is extremely comfortable and has surefooted handling. It is sad that the newer SAAB's don't have the feel of the older original 900 cars. The turbo really makes this car fly,

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 26th December, 2010

1993 SAAB 900 S 2.0 NON turbo :-(

Summary:

Great car, but like every car, it has its quirks

Faults:

- All radiator hoses blew at about 300,000 miles.

- Keeps blowing a heated seat fuse every 2-3 months maybe

- Couple seals here and there starting to leak

- Windows starting to go down pretty slow

- New exhaust around 300,000 - was stock before!

- Really nothing has gone wrong with it for 300000 miles. Have all service records since 95.

General Comments:

I'm a HUGE car person, I research and drive cars whenever I have the urge.

This car is insane. I've never seen or heard of a gasoline vehicle last to 300,000 miles!! And it starts right up in the negative weather (live in upstate NY) pretty decent in the snow, but brakes are real touchy so it likes to slide when you just BARELY touch the brake pedal.

The car gets up and moves too for a non turbo. Every luxury the car has, heated seats, sunroof head light wipers, they all work great.

Decent on gas, but slowly going down. I think I'm at 20-22 mpg now, but remember the stupid thing has almost half a million miles on it.

Handles well on corners. Kinda ruff for tall people though. Reminds me of a cockpit haha.

Would definitely recommend to anyone, whether they are weird looking or not. I just have to advise you my best friend is a mechanic and just regular oil changes every 3000 miles keeps these things going forever, they LOVE fresh oil!!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 2nd April, 2009

15th Feb 2014, 14:46

I live in Australia and bought my 1993 Saab Aero (non-turbo) in 1993. I still own it and it's got 405,000 Km 'on the clock'.

It had a gearbox rebuild in 2004 and had no trouble since.

It's never had the head off.

The suspension is original; handles extremely well and inspires confidence on the road with a good solid road feel.

The brakes have got a lot of positive feel and are not 'mushy' like Japanese cars (I know because I also own a Toyota).

Apart from minor problems, some of which were difficult to diagnose, it's been trouble-free in general. It's imperative these cars are serviced on time every time, with a change of engine oil and filter. Apart from comfort, fuel economy and handling, I love the fact no-one else has got one!

I'll keep driving it until either of us dies. Brilliant motor vehicle!

In reply to 15th Feb 2014, 14:46

16th Feb 2014, 18:02

The last comment was mine, re the 1993 Saab Aero (Australia).

It's not an 'S', it's a 900i, and I bought it because I liked the shape. The next year's model was going to be shaped differently and I wanted a 'Saab'- looking Saab.

For the 405,000 Km it's covered, it uses no engine oil.

Brilliant quality engineering.