18th Feb 2008, 16:36

Oh yeah, like a BMW is going to be more reliable or cheaper to service & repair.

My 2003 Saab 9-3 is extremely reliable.

I certainly would not trade it for a BMW.

My Saab has a very comfortable ride, handles well, get superb fuel mileage, and the interior is gorgeous. As I said it's extremely reliable. I honestly couldn't ask for a nicer car - plus it's a convertible.

I'm very satisfied with my Saab and the Saab dealership where I bring it for service.

13th Sep 2008, 21:01

So an update to my original post:

In the months since I wrote this the car has only gotten worse.

Problems seem to have abated for a while until the clutch springs blew up when I was driving.

The worst thing I've come across yet is when I had to take it to the body shop for some light cosmetic damage...

When they took off the bumper they realized it had been damaged in a prior accident and wasn't fixed properly... the bumper is held in by wire ties and the headlights failed again.

I called Saab and got nothing until I calmly kept bringing up more and more issues and made mention of taking further steps... they finally said take it to a dealer and MAYBE they MIGHT think about fixing something.

Essentially they said, not our problem, not our problem, not our problem... "it's a business"

Well, lets see what happens when it goes into the dealership.

I hate Saab, I hate GM and I really hate my Saab 93 "Sports Sedan"...

Its terrible... it really is.

18th Oct 2008, 23:12

I really don't know why you just don't sue the dealer. Since this car was crashed and not fixed properly, it is no reflection on Saab. Was this even a Saab dealer or a used car dealer? If this car is so bad, why have you simply not traded it in on something else? Bizarre.

19th Oct 2008, 08:14

I agree that if the car has been in an accident, how can you blame the manufacturer?

My experience as a Saab owner has been an extremely positive one.

I think that the Saab 9-3 is a fine automobile.

7th Nov 2008, 17:50

It's obvious the dealer you were/are dealing with is the issue. The car was a in a previous accident. You put the word "fixed" in quotes. Why you sunk that much money into it is beyond me. Why not get an attorney and go after the dealer? I'd be scared of the car too... no matter what make and model it is.

29th Nov 2008, 10:26

Why didn't you Carfax it? If you pay that much money for something, then it is worth the $20 to Carfax. I usually ask if the car has ever been wrecked, then get the VIN #, go home and Carfax it; if they lie, don't go back!

31st Jan 2009, 04:13

It is obvious that this person did not even open the hood when purchasing this vehicle. You probably took one look at it (good looking car), test drove the car and then was unfortunately convinced to buy it by an unscrupulous dealer.

Some of the items you mentioned could have been spotted if a proper inspection was done. Always inspect a car before purchase even a carfax isn't a substitute for a good vehicle inspection. Some rebuilt cars are some of the best cared for cars.

1st Feb 2009, 21:46

I agree with previous post. Why on earth have you continued with this vehicle for so long? You must like agony. Buy a used PT Cruiser. They are fabulous and easy to repair. Good luck!

6th Feb 2009, 12:41

Is this a used car? How much you pay for it? I'm planning to get a used car for my daughter who is going to college this fall. What is the mileage before..., by the way, the dealer is certified and authorized dealer?

10th Feb 2009, 20:59

Have fun working on a PT. The hoods are the size of a peep hole.

12th Feb 2009, 16:08

I am also a Saab 9-3 owner that has repeated problems. I bought mine used as well, but it was not in an accident and was from a certified dealer. I got the car inspected and looked it up in Carfax before I bought it. Mine is an 04 and had 24,000 miles when I bought it.

A week after I bought it, the rear tail light went out. I took it to the dealer, they fixed it, said the bulb had burnt out. Fair enough.

Another week later it happened again. Dealer said same thing. This process went on for about 6 months and through about 8 bulbs. I have owned a car since I was 16 and only once had a bulb burnt out during this time, so I thought there may have been something wrong electrically with the car. The dealer was extremely rude to my suggestion and said he looked at that already.

I took the car to another repair men who said the car was wired incorrectly in the rear light, fixed it and was never problem again.

I wish that was the end of my problems with my Saab, but sadly just the beginning.

In the first year of own the car (making the car only 3 years old and under 30,000 miles) I had the radio stopped working, and air conditioning stop working, continuous electrical problems, gone through two batteries.

Then the warranty expired and the fun stuff happened.

The brakes failed many times and the steering column broke. I finally decided to trade the car in and get rid of the problem.

I would consider my decision to buy my Saab one of the worse financial decisions ever, because of the constant repairs and very very little I got back for it. It ALWAYS had something wrong. I feel the dealers have HORRIBLE customer service.

I must admit that Saabs are beautiful car, and when working correctly drive like dreams, but I have found that many people have more problems with Saabs than other luxury vehicles, and thus would never buy one again.

5th Apr 2009, 10:17

I think your experience is more typical of the Saab experience. I had a 900 that was wrecked by main dealers. The car itself was a thing of beauty but every time SAAB was involved they did more harm than good. Do a search for Saab 900 problems and you will find the whole story plus a few other disgruntled owners.

6th Apr 2009, 03:21

Luxury car owners don't complaint openly about their car problem, because they have more than one car.

Secondly, it looks bad on themselves. Trust me, I'm around with rich business people a lot. Their cars do breakdown as often as any car on the road. Did you ever watch those richest men/women program, one of the rich ladies has more than two Bentleys, and she said Bentleys break down all the time, while taping her interview in the Bentley.

6th Apr 2009, 03:29

"Certified" by dealer and certified by authorized Saab dealer is two different thing. The first is by the dealer, the second is by the Saab authorized dealer. Many people have car problems because they did not buy from authorized dealer because their pre-certified used car price is much higher than open market price. Buyer Beware.