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Where did you get them?
i read the messages on the forum and im getting concerned abt the expensive repairs i might have to carry out...
could you guys pls advise me on how to take good care of the car...do i buy an extended warranty or something? if so,kindly suggest some company...
thanks
raja
is this the same type of bad smell that has been associateed with this car ?
i know that the smell problem is typical of some saabs but i never had it.does anyone know or can qualified the type of odor
Thanks for the input regarding my exhaust/gas smell in the cabin area upon idle. I took my 1999 - 144M SE to my local SAAB Dealer and they diagnosed a collapsed intake hose and such. I then checked with 2 other independent repair facilities and it appears that SAAB released a Technical Service Bulletin in 10/2003 for this very problem. The solution is a replacement hose package and apparently replacement of the oil sending unit and drilling a breather hole in the crankcase and installation of a breather tube.
Has anyone had this done to their Baby yet?
Thanks, AccSell.
I am planning to buy a 2001 saab se from a private seller. Its done 49000 miles and almost completed the warranty. The car is good in condition except that the seller has no service records after mar 2004.
Whats a good price for this car?
Thank You,
Nitin
Our 2002 9-5 needed new rotors after 25,000 miles. And the last year we've had it in the shop 16 times. Mostly warranty-covered items breaking, but still a big hassle being at the dealer every 3-4 weeks. And if you encounter any major problems, Saab corporate won't help you out.
IF HERE SOMEONE CAN GUIDE ME AND ADVICE ME OR IF THIS HAPPENED TO SOMEBODY OVER HERE. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO IN THIS SITUATION AS DEALERS COULDNT FIND ANY PROBLEM
Take SAAB resale figures. Unlike a Lexus or the Germans, no one buys a SAAB at MSRP. The factory has artificially high list prices, subvents the leases and deep discounts to move the iron. As a result the resale values are awful. And the brand is cheapened. (I think though that if you compute the resale values from transaction prices, they aren't that bad.)
All of this reduces the brand to a K Mart item. This strategy (fictitous list prices, move the iron at any cost, poor customer service and no incentives for brand loyalty) must be driven by people who care only that they keep their job for one more quarter and to hell with the integrity of the brand.
Speaking of strategy, the buff books have announcements about SAABs new 9-3 touring wagon/sport wagon. The problem is that it is only going to be offerred in 2WD! No one in their right mind is going to buy one with all the great AWD wagons available in this niche. SAAB by sticking to 2WD has simply given up the "winter car" niche they held 30 years ago.
Maybe they just ought to roll up SAAB and merge with Saturn to form just ONE underperforming division?
I wasn't aware of the 2WD sport wagon - no niche there...sounds like they reached once again into the GM parts bin and threw something together.
I negotiated the $36k sticker on our 2002 9-5 down to $30k, which I thought was an amazing deal. I was shocked to learn 2 1/2 yrs later that wholesale was $9k. That's well below the average 3 year depreciation on most vehicles. And you're right - steep GM discounts, poor customer service and no regard for the integrity of the brand reduces a once cult brand to K Mart items.
Meanwhile, my Audi continues to exceed my expectations at every turn and we LOVE our new Land Rover LR3. It's reassuring to know some brands are still building great products and creating loyal customers.
While I sympathize with you on your resale value, you didn't tell us how many miles it has, what color and equipment or what NADA retail or Kelly Blue Book is. Say, that the average retail value is 15K before a high mileage, bad color or manual shift deduction. Fifteen thousand is OK because that is a 50% residual over three years. Only certain SUVs do much better. Lets keep in mind, that your 9K wholesale price is only a wholesale price and could be mileage, color and equipment driven.
I think it is important to compare resale with transaction price, not suggested list price. The much touted BMW high resale is in part a function of the yuppies paying full list price for the blue propeller on the hood. I'd rather buy a three year old AERO at a great price.
www.cardomain.com/memberpage/807002
Anyone replaced a tranny at home ? does the subframe have to come out ?
My Steering wheel trembles slightly when the car is in gear at a stop light. It does not tremble while on and in park. Anyone know what this could be? Thanks!
The '02 Linears where really bad in this respect (something about the 1st year of the 5 spd auto tranny - the Aeros were less impacted as they had different motor mounts). Suppose your tranny could use an oil change if the engine oil change doesn't do the trick.
My assumption was that as the oil gets dirty (more impurities, nothing to do with additives, free radicals or molecular chains), its lubrication properties degrade (If this is not true, why do we bother to change the oil? Big Oil Conspiracy?). More friction adds to the load on the engine and causes more vibration in the drivetrain... just like turning on the AC and all your accessories can make a 4 cyl idle more "bumpy" - or do you dispute this, too? Why does putting the tranny in N or P decrease the vibration? Less load (my assumption - same reasoning is behind to the recommendation to have the tranny serviced).
There is a "fix" that Saab dealers will perform when people complain about the idle shudder: increase the idle RPM a bit. Explain that please (my assumption was that a slight increase in RPM better handles the load on the engine while idling in gear).
Please show me the errors in my logic.
I sold my '86 Saab turbo with nearly 350,000 km - all original drivetrain, turbo, transmission etc. except the clutch. My '95 Aero has had a couple minor problems and one electronic module failure but that is all. (However finally now at age ten its had to have costly new clutch and exhaust system installed.)
Basically, it's been a fantastic car. I thought we'd trade it off for something but instead we traded off our Honda Odyssey and will keep the Saab for a few more years.
ODI HAS RECEIVED 35 REPORTS OF ALLEGED ENGINE STALLING DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE IGNITION DISCHARGE MODULE (IDM) "CASSETTE" ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES. TWELVE (12) COMPLAINTS WERE RECEIVED ON MODEL YEAR (MY) 2000-2002 SAAB 9-3 VEHICLES AND 23 ON MY 1999-2002 9-5 VEHICLES. ALL COMPLAINANTS REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING AND MOST REPORTED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART. IN THREE (3) INCIDENTS, THE COMPLAINANTS REPORTED SMOKE AND/OR FLAMES RESULTED FROM THE IDM MODULE FAILURE. THE MAJORITY OF THE INCIDENTS REPORTEDLY OCCURRED BETWEEN 40 TO 75 MPH. AT LEAST FIVE (5) COMPLAINANTS REPORTED DAMAGE TO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER FROM RAW FUEL BEING PUMPED THROUGH THE ENGINE. IN ADDITION, TWO (2) COMPLAINANTS, SHOWN IN "OTHER" IN THE FAILURE REPORT SUMMARY ABOVE, ATTRIBUTED NON-STALL DRIVABILITY PROBLEMS TO THE DAMAGED IDM. A PRELIMINARY EVALUATION HAS BEEN OPENED TO ASSESS THE SCOPE, FREQUENCY, AND POTENTIAL SAFETY-RELATED CONSEQUENCES OF THE ALLEGED DEFECT.
Actually, you are exactly right, which is why I'm so frustrated. We are Saab's exact target market. We want a solid and safe car, unique styling, thoughtful engineering and a vehicle that's nice to look at. We will put up with less-than-Lexus reliability and quality, but when the company does not stand behind their product and does not respond to customer safety concerns, that's when I become frustrated. I was glad to see some press on the stalling/transmission issue finally. There is a problem out there.
Not sure where you're seeing all the Audi reliability problems - they seem to be rating close to saab everywhere I look. And everyone I know who has one loves it. Then again, their customer service is top notch, so some problems may be easily forgotten.
re: resale, my Saab 9-5 was black/tan with 30,000 miles on it. Perfect condition. I thought I mentioned I paid $30k, not the sticker, which was $36k. $15k would have been fine, but $9-$12k is lousy.
Retail and private listings may be higher - I see them in the high teens, but that's about it.
The $9k was a wholesaler quote through the dealer. That's what wholesalers are willing to pay for the car from a dealer, meaning trading a Saab is not an option.
I guess Saabs are cheaper in So CA... not too much of a surprise since front-wheel drive is probably seen as a disadvantage in this market segment since it never snows and rarely rains. Since I live "up north" (Chicago with frequent trips to Wisconsin and Michigan), I'd rather not have a rear wheel drive car.