2001 Saab 9-5 opinion?

Question

Looking at a 2001 Saab 9-5 with 88,000miles for $5000. The car was in an accident and the back bumper completely replaced. Just wondering:
1. If this is a good deal?
2. Are Saab's good cars?
3. Are repairs really expensive for Saabs?
4. If we'd be better off with an older Toyota or Honda with more miles?

Answer 1

Saabs are not everyday cars. They are very, VERY complex, and require a special type of owner. I know it sounds silly, but this car picks its owners. I never wanted a Saab. My last car was a Jaguar XJ, which is incredible, but I'm 26, and it just started feeling so big and like it was designed to be a mobile sofa for old people. A friend of mine buys and sells cars, and always tries to get me to buy one. One was an Audi A6. I HATED this car. There was nothing to like about it. Nothing original, just a bloated, boring car that handled like a tank and crawled away from stop lights. Then one day, he said, "I picked up this Sun Green Metallic Saab 9-5- I think it is the car for you." Yeah, right, I thought.

Right he was.

To answer your question:
1. This is an average deal, considering it was in an accident. You need to have the car inspected (think $90).

2. Saabs are luxury performance cars.
Whether they are good- well, depending on who you talk to, the 9-5 is either the greatest car or the greatest source of heartache on earth. I think they are incredible cars. What impressed me? The little things that make the Saab 9-5 greater than the sum of its parts. The clip on the window for your valet or parking tickets; the bizarre air vents; the anti-whiplash head-rests; the rotating chrome dome light; the floor-mounted ignition, designed to make the car impossible to hotwire and prevent your knees from being shattered in an accident; the 5-star crash test rating; the airbags surrounding you; the light-wipers; the incredible paint; the hi-fi stereo (sounds AWESOME); the mindblowing performance (I'm ALWAYS going 85+mph effortlessly); the weird, airplane like control panel; the heritage; the styling; the paint colors; the interior design (the leather is awesome); the optional VENTED-COOLED SEATS!!??!; the REFRIGERATED GLOVE COMPARTMENT?; the heat-resistant window treatment..... the list goes on and on.

THAT SAID, this is a good car for someone that loves the car. You have to be emotionally attached to the car. Many have compared the car to a beautiful girl who gives a little and asks for a lot in return. Here's why.

3. Repairs are expensive. The 9-5 has several known issues:
1) sludge buildup- this will destroy your engine over time. You have to have a Saab mechanic look at this car for you. I am having my 9-5 de-sludged (along with a oil separator repair and a 90,000 mile service) and the cost is $1000.
2) ABS failure- the dealer charges something like $3200 to fix this, but can be done over the internet for $180.
3) The SID computer display can fail, and fetches tons of cash at the dealer; can be fixed online for $85-300.
As far as other issues, some have sticking ignition issues, but it is unclear if this is very common; lightbulbs blow out quite frequently. As far as the rest, everything in my car works extremely well.

If you de-sludge the car (or find that it doesn't have any, which is possible), then you should keep only synthetic oil in it, and change it every 212 hours worth of driving (estimating 45 miles per hour on average) or just try the 3000 miles or 3 months rule. So yes, the repairs can be costly. A synthetic oil service could be $80.

4)An old Toyota or Honda? May be more reliable, may not; do research. Some Toyota Camry's and Avalon's have the same problem with sludge. I had the problem in an Acura. Certainly don't base your decision on the brand names or that they are Japanese. These cars have problems too, and prices aren't too much cheaper than Saab parts. I think this question comes down to whether you have your heart set on the Saab, and whether you can afford time-wise and monetarily to give the car the care it requires.

And about the Consumer Reports comment, CR rated this a Best Used Car and gave this generation a High Reliability rating. That, and their website lists known problems as a hub screw issue. Obviously, they have a lot of research to do.

And again, to the comment above, the 2.3t L4 engine has a timing chain, and it would be unusual to have to replace it at 88K miles.

Answer 2

1)- check kbb.com for what the car's worth. You can decide if it's a good deal or not.
2)- Saabs are very good cars. A little different from the mainstream, but some people prefer that.
3)- Parts will be a little more expensive for the Saab than they will be for the Japanese imports, but most of a typical repair cost is labor, which will be about the same. Find a garage in your area that works on Saabs and talk to them.
4)- An older car with more miles is usually a bad bet. What matters MOST for any car with more than 40-50k miles is how it's been taken care of. Has all the recommended service been done? If the car's been kept clean and all the oil changes and transmission fluid changes and tune-ups have been done on schedule, THAT's much more important than comsumer ratings when the car was new. At 88K, I'd check to see if the timing belt's been changed. If not, it's probably due soon. Cooling system & water pump are a concern too (all true for ANY car, not just the Saab).

THAT being said, an older car with more miles will be CHEAPER to buy, but you need to evaluate carefully based on the car's service history whether it will continue to be cheap to drive it. After 120k miles and 7 years you can run into all sorts of problems that could sideline the car.

Consumer Reports can be of great help when trying to assess the reliability history of used cars.
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/index.htm?EXTKEY=SP72C00&CMP=KNC-CROYPICARS&HBX_OU=51&HBX_PK=pi

Answer 3

Saabs are the worst mistakes I have ever made, and I've made it 3 times. As Shane said, they pick you. And then they fail- in the most random, annoying, frustratingly expensive way- and that's assuming someone can figure out where the failure is coming from. Also, since they don't make them anymore, parts are becoming more difficult to find, and therefore more expensive. If you have buckets of money, go for it, because they are FUN to drive, comfortable, cool, and classy. But it will fail, and your Saab story will break your wallet. Mine is a 2001, and currently, I can't use the windows, I have no defrost/heat/air, a clunk happens evertime I turn right, and 2 tires have blown this week. I take care of it, but it just turned 125k miles, so everything is going to start to go. Good luck, because some are pretty strong. I had a 900s that wouldn't die- and I challenged that little car. Ultimately lost it to a deer, and have had 2 9-3's since. It's always something. Just know going into it, it's not a Honda, and it will not go forever :( Good luck!

Answer 4

Saab's are superb cars and i have VW, Vauxhall, Rover in my time its a myth that spares are expensive granted they are if you buy off Saab but so are are main car dealers parts, If you have kids this is the safest car you will drive, The persons that suggested ford and skoda well why not horse and cart? Buy the Saab and as for going bust it was GM that made them bust Saab are also Scania and they build aircraft trust them They are made with galvanised steel so no rusting mine is 10 years old and not a bit of rust and i live in Scotland were it rains a lot. In the towns the petrol is heavyish but on the motorway it is fantastic for a big car

Answer 5

saabs are not VERY VERY VERY complex cars - what a stupid statement ..