Saab 9-5 Sedan

2237 messages,  Last post on Jul 17, 2012 at 6:08 PM

You are in the Saab 9-5 Forum.

What is this discussion about? Saab 9-5, Sedan

#1695 of 2237 Brakes--aarrgh by 03oddity

May 21, 2004 (4:21 pm)

I too had to have front brakes replaced at 30K on my leased 2001 9-5 SE V6. Got charged over $400 for pads, rotors and labor. They claimed the rotors did not have enough metal remaining to qualify for machining. They put some ventilated aftermarket rotors on that were warped. Took 11K miles and two more service visits to convince them of that fact. Finally they replaced the rotors again on their dime.
 
I'm not a throttle-and-brake driver. First time I've had this happen with any make of car.
 
Don't buy Saabs--lease them!!! Even then you may get stuck with a repair bill. Aarrgh. Don't get me started about the headlamps. They blow every 15K like clockwork...

#1696 of 2237 brake jobs and dealers by ffb13

May 22, 2004 (2:06 pm)

if you go back you wwill note many complaints on both the above.
i was told by my dealer in conn. a reputable and honest place where i know the owner,at 48,000 miles that my car was perfect .no need to do anything.
 
at 53,000 miles---when the warranty ran out ,guess what the same dealer told me that i needed
a new exhaust
new cowl
and that i had an oil leak.needed a new head gasket.
when i told thme that i did not see any leaks they said that they are experts and that only they could see it brcause of the place where it was.
i have all of this in writing.
to make the story short,they were out to make money.
now 75,000 miles and all ok.
 
same applies to brakes and rotors.
 
and the same has happened at mercedes,bmw,and others.........
 
in one delaership in vermont i was given the 60,000 mile service for 399 versus 699 elsewhere,but guess what,they did not do the full service.under threat of legal action and taking them to the attny.gen. office they complied and did the entire service 3 days later.
now they have posted the correct price.but who knows.
if they can take you they will.
 
so the old saying --caveat -emptor---or buyer beware.........

#1697 of 2237 SAAB folds their tent and moves to Motown by blockislandguy

May 24, 2004 (5:53 pm)

For those of you wondering about how much leeway the General would give SAAB, they are now going to be packing up their tents in Atlanta and SAAB USA headquarters and all SAAB USA employees (80) will move to Detroit to work near the flagpole.
 
Two things strike me about this announcement. SAAB's Atlanta location always puzzled me because it was not close to their major customer bases (the Northeast, for one), major media markets, good ocean shipping, etc. What does Atlanta have to offer an imported car headquarters except cheap real estate? Secondly, neither the Atlanta location and certainly not the new Detroit location exposes them to the hip automotive influences that seemingly incubate on the left coast. This move only makes sense if the real plan is to lay off half of the 80 people, have other GM people handle their duties like PR , warranty, etc. and shove the remainging 40 people into some unused basement down on Third Ave near Selden.

#1698 of 2237 Saab in Atlanta Now In detroit. by buddhabman

May 25, 2004 (8:56 am)

That is weird. But doesn't Porsche have a big facility there. Does it have something to do with a testing track or facility. Mama Hen bringing her baby back home.

#1699 of 2237 Re: SAAB folds their tent and moves to Motown [blockislandguy #1697] by ponytrekker

May 28, 2004 (8:52 am)

Replying to: blockislandguy (May 24, 2004 5:53 pm)
Kiss that brand goodbye. Your next SAAB 9-5:
 

#1700 of 2237 Re: Free at Last, Reply to Buddhabman [paulr11 #1683] by marc4

May 31, 2004 (1:01 am)

Replying to: paulr11 (Mar 26, 2004 3:09 pm)
I agree....the Saab emblem should have a lemon in the design as to warn all potential Saab owners that you will be purchasing a lemon vehicle. I have a 2001 Saab 9-5 with 40,000 miles and I am at the dealership every other week. I know everyone at the Saab shop by their first name. The service is also horrible. Charles River Saab tried to rip me off by charging me for warranty parts!!!! Can we say avoid this dealership at all costs. Please folks, if you want to buy a car go for a Lexus, Acura, or any other luxury Japanese cars. These cars will last longer and save you a heck of a lot of money in the long run. I will soon trade in my Saablemon for the new Acura TL. AGAIN, AVOID SAABS

#1701 of 2237 Re: Free at Last, Reply to Buddhabman [marc4 #1700] by aerodriver

May 31, 2004 (11:17 pm)

Replying to: marc4 (May 31, 2004 1:01 am)
Whoa, there!! Every brand has its lemons, and Saab (while much improved--see JD Power results) is no different. But speaking as a three-peat Saabster, it's a love/hate relationship for Saab owners, with love eventually winning out. Remember why you bought the car: it's fun, it's different, it's not Japanese/German, and it's not for everyone. Your Saab has lots of virtues and some quirks, and that's why you feel a genuine pride of ownership when you slip the key into the center-mounted ignition. No luxury-loving Lexus/Acura owner feels the same thrill.
 
You didn't buy your 9-5 for its bulletproof reliability. Enjoy your 9-5 for what it is, a fun and exciting car with occasional lapses, and exploit the hell out of the warranty Saab provides. While you're sitting in the dealership's service waiting room thumbing thru the new car ads, ask yourself: do you really want to drive some other company's cookie-cutter sedan?
 
Hang in there. I've been where you are, and I assure you it gets better.

#1702 of 2237 Re: New 9-5 Aero electronics [buddhabman #1692] by smk

Jun 05, 2004 (8:05 pm)

Replying to: buddhabman (May 18, 2004 9:44 pm)
Thanks for the input and wrote to SAAB. They purchased my lemon back. I did love the car but am too risk averse to buy another one.

#1703 of 2237 Re: New 9-5 Aero electronics [smk #1688] by smk

Jun 05, 2004 (8:10 pm)

Replying to: smk (May 08, 2004 10:02 am)
Okay. Just an update to my SAAB story. SAAB agreed to repurchase my vehicle back and refunded my money. It was a little bit of a hassle but honerable on their part. The dealership I dealt with gave me a convertible while the mess got straightened out. I'm back on the market looking for a car and am too chicken to buy another SAAB. I really loved the car but its not worth the hassle of reliability. I'm afraid I'm venturing out towards the Japanese brands this time around.

#1704 of 2237 What about it then? by cwmozart

Jun 08, 2004 (9:00 pm)

After three Volvos, I decided the S-80 was NOT my next upgrade, esp. since the test car stalled a half mile from the dealership. The 9-5 is the most interesting car on the road at the moment, despite the rusting lug nuts, so I bought a pristine 2001 steel-grey which I love. The reports I am reading here of expensive brakejobs, etc. for 9-5's are laughable; the figures as shown are not at all scary. To wit: owning Swedish cars in the Washington, DC area is a bracing experience (one of the priciest areas to be, why am I here?), but if the alternative is Japanese, Detroit or WAY OVERPRICED Germans, then Swedes look pretty sweet. My main query: have any regular contributors had simply stellar experiences owning a 9-5? I got a 100K warranty and am looking waaaay down the road.
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