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Sedans Saab 9-5 Saab 9-5 Sedan
2231 messages, Last post on Oct 06, 2009 at 5:47 PM
You are in the Saab 9-5 Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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Hi: I have read the last few posts and as an many Saab owner would like to post a couple of thoughts. 1) I think the 9-5 platform (1999-present) (not the new ones, have not tried one yet) is one of the best platforms out. Resonable (fairly) in price, power, performance, etc. I have a 1999 9-5 V4 auto and manual and I like them both. Problems that I have seen are the displays (have gone though about 4 of them in our three 9-5s (other is a wagon v6). Yes, Saab did replace one for free after I compained, a bit on the phone with Saab USA, one other was under warrenty, but not the other two (found cheap on ebay). 2) The V6 GM engines I would simply say away from. I have a 1995 9000 V6 that the timing belt failed and took the engine with it. Hard to understand interference engines in a car like the 9000 when they had the v4 turbo available. Now I am not sure what I am going to do the 9000. If I had known at the time it was a GM engine, I would NOT have purchased the car and held out for the v4 version. 3) We brought our 2001 v6 9-5 wagon in for 60k service. This include the "free" timing belt replacment. The dealer tried to "scare" me into also replacing the ideler pully and a few other items during this change that would have cost $800 more, saying that the mechanic said that the dealer rep said that there are seeing issues (I have seen other costing from $400-$1200 for this). Saab corporate HAS to look into this practice and let us v6 owners know if this is a real problem or not. It seems like Saab / GM does not want to own up to a v6 timing belt issue and can say "I told you so" if the v6 belt fails and you don't get the $800 service (just like the one did in my 1995 9000). I am really debating whether to sell the V6 wagon for a v4. My take right now, just stay away from the v6 Saabs. Other issues I have seen is the DI in one of my 1999s. I just lost a serpinine belt idler bearing in the other 1999 (130k miles though). Anyone know when the DI recall is really going to happen? I can just see us getting stuck with the wagon when one or both of the DIs fail. Again, Avid Sabb owner of the 9-5 platform. Would not purchase any of the new models, will have to look at the new 9-5 platforms and decide then. |
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Since 99 we have the same 9-5 platform on the Saab. I had a 99 SE V6, only one service visit other than scheduled maint in three years (lease). One of my favorite cars. Have a 02 Aero Wagon. Like the 4 Cyl more, 30 mpg  70mph on the highway. 22 mgp 82 mph on highway. Take off the traction control, put on the sport mode and this car will burn rubber. The above poster who saw the panasonic sticker, on the Harmon stereo, that is the CD drive, not the stereo. I know audio way better than cars. Many CD "drives" are panasonic, very good drives by the way. Harman makes JBL (james b. lansing), Infinity, Harman Kardon, Clarion, Mark Levinson, etc., so when your buddy in his Lexus brags about his Mark Levinson sound system, tell him you have the same amp in your Saab, different logo. Refer to my earlier post to learn how to boost your amp in your Saab amp, the manual is now been wrong for 5 years for every 9-5 and 9-3 owner. What a shame that the amp is set at 32% of the power level from the factory and no directions on how to boost it. 98% of Saab owners don't ever get to enjoy the nice unit they have in their car. This unit will crank! As far as safety, I don't know what car is safer, but if it is a Saab, they sure and the hell aren't telling anyone unless you dig deep or visit a dealership. Then again, I like having a car that I don't see five others just like it on the road, so its really no big deal to me, plus I dumped the GM stock after getting rocked this past year.
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Replying to: smu1976 (Jan 02, 2006 6:37 pm)
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Replying to: minarets1 (Jan 03, 2006 8:26 am) 
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| Saab still makes great cars. I have had six of them, have four 9-5's right now: 2-1999; 1-2001; 1-2002. They are great cars, I love them. There is only one problem: GM. They are up to their old tricks when it comes to warranty and any customer service. Once a customer buys a Saab or any GM car, they become a legal liability in GM's eyes, and are treated as such. So here I am, the owner of four 9-5's, and treated like a pain in Gm's rear. I even took a couple of problems to Saab.Usa, to the president of Saab, a Ms. Kelly (hyphenated) something or other. She replied with two form letters, both obnoxious and mundane in content--and no help. I was as much as told that my problems were tough "%$#^&), and it really didn't matter to her if I bought more saab's or not. Said to resolve with with my local dealer and gave me a toll free number for customer service. So I called Saab customer service. Might as well have peed in the wind. First I asked the lady who answered if she could speak slower and more clearly, since I couldn't understand her accent. She was insulted that I could not under stand her English, which turned out to be not English at all but some derivative.... I really tried to understand her, just couldn't. I finally did understand that she wanted me to talk to my dealer. I asked if she had ever been to a saab dealer (she hadn't). I asked if saab reps ever went to my local saab dealer and tested them on even basic saab knowledge. The answer was no. I told her the truth: my local dealer had such a small knowledge of saab's that I had already forgotten more than the dealer knew. She got huffy and said she refused to be insulted (I think that's what she said),and said she would hang up if I didn't change my tone of voice. So I changed my tone of voice, told her that her status of minor bureaucrat at GM gave her no instant respect and if she couldn't earn respect she didn't deserve it. She got even more insulted, so I said please let ms. Kelly (whatever her name is) know that her Saab division of GM should abandon the slogan "Born from Jets" and adopt this slogan: Saab: "great cars, born of a stupid Company" (how they can be so stupid and build great cars is truly a mystery). Will I buy any more Saabs? What do you think? ssjackson. Reno. | |
| I’ve been a loyal Saab customer since 1969. In that time I’ve owned four Saabs. A 1969 - Saab 96 V4, a 1978 - Saab 99, and 1987 and 1995 - Saab 900s. I traded in the 1978 at 163,000 mi., the 1987 at 247,000 mi. and I’m still driving the 1995, 203,000 mi. and counting. All were new, 2dr coupes with 4 cylinder Saab engines and manual transmissions. In thirty-six years I have never had a major engine repair. A couple of clutches, a couple of transmission seals were the worst engine related issues. Yes, I’ve suffered thru a fair share of problems - seatback cables, seat cushion heaters, alternators, water pumps and the ubiquitous “serpentine belt”. Overall, I would have to rate my satisfaction as very high. I’ve always held the opinion that as much as I’d like to be driving a new car, I’d rather have years of no car payments as long as I could live with the “reliability“ factor. Yes, I do think that the overall quality of the product has declined since GM acquired Saab. (Our local dealer, who had sold Saabs for twenty-five years, finally sold his franchise after GM squeezed the profit margin, to a point where he couldn’t make any money on a sale, and hassled him on unsold inventory.) But from what I’ve seen of the early reviews of the ’06 9-5 I wouldn’t hesitate to continue my allegiance to Saab automobiles. | |
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Well, the posting is #1982, and must only work on the HK version. This peaked my interest becuase I had fooled with the settings for a custom phone cradle that I had made and integrated for my treo 600. There is a start setting for the regular audio and one for the telephone setting. I had to set the phone start settting on max so when I switch to telephone mode if was loud enough. I have the non-HK (Pioneer I think) and the start setting is indeed the start setting and not the gain. I tried 00 for start and 25 for start and confirmed and then cranked the vol, it was very close to the same. Hopefully you HK users can use the gain setting to blow out some speakers. |
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Replying to: cars4ben (Sep 20, 2005 5:29 pm) |
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I'm wondering if someone else out there is having the same problem as I am with my 2004 Saab 9-5 Aero. Overall it has been a GREAT car with one exeption: I have owned it for 18 months and have replaced 6 (six) Pirelli Z rated tires on it. I keep getting bulges in the sidewall(s) that the manufacturer calls road damage and won't replace. We Live in Richmond Virginia (no hills or off-roading here) and the car is really driven only in the suburbs or the highway. Yet about every 3 months, one of the tires has to be replaced (at $300 dollars a pop). The dealer told me getting bigger rims and a different kind of tire would defeat the purpose of the car's design, but these pirellis are getting expensive. Anybody know if putting different rims and a different tire is an option? Thanks
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Replying to: tnedbalski (Jan 16, 2006 12:02 pm) 1) Why keep replacing the tires with Pirellis? There are plenty of other manufacturers out there. Check out tirerack.com for their reviews. 2) Why replace both wheels and tires? Going larger than the 17" wheels on your Aero would likely yield a harsh(er) ride, and make the (very expensive) wheels more susceptible to road damage due to the short sidewalls on the tires. Stick with the 17's, and head for something other than Pirelli. SYJ |
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