2004 SAAB 9-3 ARC review from North America
"SAAB is a substandard product with substandard support from the company"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Distance to empty display inaccurate - on warranty - (dealer explained they were all like that, and the best he could do was disconnect the feature). The problem remains and I use the gas gauge instead.
Electronic door locks quit working - on warranty - fixed twice within two years. Still happens from time to time, but seems to work it out itself...
Tensioner for the seatbelts quit working - on warranty - fixed.
Tensioner for seatbelt quit working - not on warranty - paid to fix.
Tensioner for seatbelt quit working - still not working (passenger side).
Power steering pump leaking - on warranty - fixed.
Power steering pump leaking - not on warranty - still leaking.
Interior fan won't work in extreme cold temperatures. Have not tried to fix it, yet.
Speed sensors on the transmission have been replaced six or seven times (gearbox malfunction display) leaving me with only the second and fifth gear. This is getting to be a very expensive problem - replacing both sensors every 20 or 30K now at about $260 per visit per sensor.
Transmission whines (and has for a long time now). My mechanic can't figure it out, and I've absolutely given up on taking it to the SAAB dealer. They have been completely and utterly unhelpful.
A CD has been stuck in the player for about six months now. I have no idea what to do about it (I'm getting tired of the same old song... and dance).
General comments?
Simply put... it's junk.
I still own it because the resale value for the car dropped so dramatically and so quickly after I purchased it (see Consumer Report), that it made sense to me to try to get as many miles out of if as I could. I commute approximately 90 kilometres (one way) to work every day. Unfortunately, it is money pit and a focus of significant frustration.
I wouldn't own a SAAB again if someone gave me one.
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| This car is bittersweet |
|
| Worst car I've ever owned or heard of |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Model year | 2004 |
| Year of manufacture | 2004 |
| First year of ownership | 2004 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2009 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.0L turbo Automatic |
| Performance marks | 6 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 4 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 4 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 2 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 6 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 0 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 230000 kilometres |
| Previous car | BMW 5 Series |
| Date of Entry | 15th July, 2009 |