1999 SAAB 9-5 Sedan review from North America
"I love driving this expensive to maintain car"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
The battery has failed twice, it was not detected by the monitoring equipment until the it failed.
The headlight module failed and had to be replaced.
The alternator had to be replaced at 110,000 km.
The right front turn light housing fell out, although the car has no collision history.
Various instrument lights no longer work.
The LED displays have digits that sometimes cut in and out.
Sometimes when the air conditioning is on, the rear vent is producing heat. The dealer doesn't know why.
General comments?
This car has all the bells and whistles, including heated and air-conditioned seats.
I only dealer service, because that was how it was maintained prior to my ownership.
I have had some serious repair bills, though I am beginning to suspect at least part of it might not be the car, but the competence of the dealership. They replaced a headlight three times before figuring out it was the module and not the bulb.
This car is hard to service. When the alternator failed (a rebuilt cost $700.00 , new would have been $1400.00 ) I was shown that the engine had to be lowered out of the car for the service people to get at it.
Recommended reviews
| Stay away from this car |
|
| A comfortable wagon that drives like a rocket, but in fact is a major LEMON |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Year of manufacture | 1999 |
| First year of ownership | 2002 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2005 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.0 turbo Automatic |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 5 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 5 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 3 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 49000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 114000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Ford Tempo |
| Date of Entry | 15th January, 2005 |