5th Feb 2008, 12:30

There is an interesting twist to all angry and disappointed folks that would never buy another Saab and instead they would drive a Japanese car! Here it is. This is from SF Chronicle:

"..On Feb. 7, a state judge in Louisiana is scheduled to give final approval to an out-of-court settlement of a class-action suit against Toyota covering 3.5 million vehicles. Under the settlement, Toyota will repair vehicles with sludge damage if owners can prove a reasonable effort at maintenance... "

And you thought your Lexus was soooooo perfect! :) I guess proper maintenance is the key regardless of the brand. (Audi is facing a similar challenge)

15th Feb 2008, 08:42

Do you really think that late oil change causes engines to cease? com'on! I once had a ford grand torino and didn't have the time or money to change oil regularly. I traveled all across the country and never had a fault. my '98 Saab 9-5 on the other is pampered like a baby, not too much sun, never valet parking, regular oil change and maintenance.

Result: changed gearbox, changed entire engine twice.

I let you make your own conclusions.

15th Feb 2008, 11:26

The higher operating temperature and higher RPM's of today's 4 cylinder turbo-charged engines REQUIRE frequent oil changes.

Synthetic oil works best.

If you want to stretch oil changes and drive a car into the ground an old V8 Torino would be a better bet.

11th Mar 2008, 11:41

Last year I bought a 2006 Saab 93 Sportswagon here in the UK with nearly 10k on the clock. Within a month I thought it was on fire with loads of smoke coming from the engine bay. when the engine stopped, the smoke cleared and didn't restart until a few days later. Now it does it at all kinds of odds times, sometimes on start up sometimes 50 miles into a journey, sometimes just 2 miles into a journey. The smoke is horrid and choking, but I have yet to have it do it when I actually have a mechanic looking at it. Saab say it can 't be anything wrong with the engine or a warning light would come on. Oh, and they say it only needs a service every 18k miles! Anyone have any ideas what this could be?

25th Mar 2008, 17:48

It's not as much an "oil problem" or even an "owner problem", as much as it is a horrible engineering problem by the rocket scientists... I mean jet engineers at Saab. They are great driving cars... until they break that is. Mostly due to poor engineering of a few major engine and exhaust components, and a foolish recommended maintenance schedule from Saab. It IS Saab's fault, plain and simple.

I've been involved in automotive repair for over twenty years, and seen people go WAYYYYYYYY over the recommended oil change schedule without having anywhere near the adverse effects that these particular cars have had. If anyone would care to wager over the repair bill for my wife's 9-3, I'd be more than happy to take that bet with you that I am right and you are wrong.

The BIGGEST problem is that Saab, even in its own customer provided literature, recommended using SEMI-synthetic oil at intervals up to 10 thousand miles. I will say though that anyone who has ever spent five minutes around cars knows that you should, in a turbocharged car, use synthetic oil, and change it anywhere from 5-8 thousand miles, depending on driving habits and climate.

So how many of the affected cars were serviced even at dealers improperly? What about all of the 6 TSB's (yes, that's SIX revisions to the PCV systems) Saab has issued for the PCV systems and the Special Policies that Saab has issued for sludge for "some" customers... is that the unsuspecting owner's fault? What a load of horse manure from those of you blaming JUST the owners.

There's a literal TON of info to wander aimlessly through on the Saab message boards.

I would NEVER EVER suggest a person to purchase a 98-2002 Saab 9-3 or 9-5 with a 4 cylinder engine, unless you have a thick wallet, extremely good credit or the patience of a Saint... you'll most likely need all three.

Shame on you Saab... there was a right way and a wrong way to go about this... you chose poorly. Oh... and if any of you are curious... Saab denied our sludge claim as well because I didn't have the "proper documentation". Well... I'd like to see the internal documents from Saab that ignored the proper and improper way to design, engineer and build an oiling system and the PCV system on an automobile.

C.S.

3rd Apr 2008, 09:09

I have been having an issue with my 2004 Saab 9-3 Aero recently. I get in to start it, it try's to turn over but won't start. No warning lights come on during or after. I took it to a local car parts store to see if their computer would read an error code, NO CODE.

Is this something others have been experiencing? I'm at a loss for what to do.

9th Apr 2008, 15:27

This has happened to me (last poster's) question. It sounds like your gear selector switch is going. I'm not a mechanic, but I understand that this switch tells the ignition that the car's in park. If it's not sending that signal, the car won't start. Next time, try shifting gears and putting it forcefully back into park, then try starting again. I understand replacing this part costs at least $750.

15th Apr 2008, 14:43

My engine "went bad." I bought my 2000 Saab 9-3 SE used 2 years ago. Last week the engine lost compression in the #3 piston and my mechanic is offering a used engine for $3800. I still owe $5500 on the car so I am now upside down on my loan. I have 104K miles on it but have had synthetic oil changes every 4 months. The car literally died and I was able to limp it.5 mile back to work by continually restarting it. I was greeted with a horrible burning smell. I had it towed to the shop and my best bet is to fix it for 4k or sell it for 2K. I am a student and don't think I want the hassle of additional repairs. I've learned my lesson...don't buy pricey cars until you have a big paycheck.

30th Apr 2008, 21:41

How much should front rotor and brake pads w/installation cost on a 2002 SAAB 93?

8th Jun 2008, 03:12

It's not only you guys in the US who have a problem. Six months ago I bought a Saab 9-3 with 67,000 miles on the clock. I got it from a Saab dealership and the car has full service history. I was so pleased with it - it drove like a new car. But yesterday I was on the motorway when the oil light came on. I thought this was strange as I had topped up the oil recently. Suddenly the car juddered to a halt and died. It was very scary - luckily I was driving slowly in the near side lane and was just able to pull over before it died completely. The AA came to rescue me and told me that the engine had seized up. The car is effectively a write-off because it will cost me as much to fix it as replace it. The most annoying thing is that I only bought another Saab because my previous car - an ancient 9000 Turbo with about 160,000 miles on the clock - had been so reliable!

Mike from London.