Faults:

Ventilator controls broken twice

Fuel cap broken.

General Comments:

Fast and comfortable kilometer-eater.

This thing is fast, provided you keep it in the turbo range. On the motorway, there aren't many cars able to keep up once you shift down into 4th and metal it... provided the airco is off. That cooling system takes a lot of power!

Steering and handling could be better. It's not as sharp and direct as I wished, but it's okay nonetheless.

Shifts are somewhat knotty and getting the thing in first gear can be awkward.

Slightly noisy when compared to todays standards, but not seriously loud or anything.

The controls are somewhat heavy. It has a big steering wheel for a reason and the clutch can be too much when stuck in yet another traffic yam.

Faults:

This car is as good as on day one when I bought it and it feels as tightly packed as when it left factory.

General Comments:

This is an incredible combination of practicality, economy and performance. The car can haul the sink while returning 8.5lt/100km. Above 3500 revs the car transforms itself to a modest sports car. Reliability is pretty good too.

Too bad that the current 9-3 is lagging so far behind this original Swedish design!

Faults:

Parking brake doesn't work.

Ignition module failed.

$500 90,000 mile service.

Sunroof stopped working.

Rust bubbles from bad repair after car was hit.

General Comments:

This car is a nice car when things were working. I would buy another Saab (this is our 6th), but not another 9-3. This car has cost more in the year we have owned it than our `03 9-5.

Faults:

Convertible top would not work when purchased. Topped up fluid level in the Hydraulic pump, and it has been fine since.

Rear Brakes squeal like a bus on light application. Have tried two different types of Pads w/o any improvement.

Lots of rattles and squeaks from rear wheel area.

Sub-woofers rattle and buzz in the "high end" sound system.

General Comments:

Purchased with 75,000 miles on the clock. I expected some minor flaws and mechanical issues. But I am disappointed in the amount of rattles and noise issues from under the vehicle. This was a $ 42,000.00 vehicle when new. It currently sounds like it is coming apart upon hitting any minor road flaw. Above average creature comforts.

Love the climate control system.

Fun to drive and easy to lose track of speed.

Faults:

It's been an expensive year for this Saab, but we still love it.

Any car can lose a neutral safety switch. Labor is the largest component here.

Anybody who runs with a low fuel condition as much as my wife has done perhaps deserves to lose a fuel pump.

A water pump is a common repair across all makes.

Springs do break and repairs can lead to other repairs where the front end is concerned (wheel bearing).

General Comments:

We've never had a nicer car. We've owned 3 Swedish, 2 American, 4 Japanese, and one English car (an MGB) and across almost all measures, this has been the best one for us.

Sylish, fast, comfortable, utilitarian, safe, the HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) is just superb and for winter driving is there anything as good in a FWDer? I don't think so.

With minimum maintenance, ours looking almost as good as the day the car was acquired, these Saabs are every bit as honest and unique as they claim to be and in my opinion, a real bargain for the money spent.