2002 SAAB 9-5 Linear review from North America

The first thing I noticed wrong with my Saab 95 was the rear suspension was completely broke down. The struts had to be replaced. This was done at no cost to me, but made me nervous the dealership may not have looked the car over before putting out on the line for sale.

I got the car back from getting the rear suspension serviced, it handled like it was on rails, but before I could even put 100 miles on it the turbo blew. That handy factory warranty saved the day once again. The dealership replaced the turbo at no cost to me.

I got the car back from the dealership this time and noticed it seemed to want to stall when shifting from park into reverse. I also noticed smoke coming from the tail pipe. I noticed the power the car had before the turbo work was done was no longer there. The car acted like any other non-turbo powered 4 banger on the road. Oh and if that wasn't bad enough every time I hit a little bump in the road the suspension makes a sound similar to that of a gas station bell, the kind that goes off when you run over the black rubber hose at the pumps. I took the car back again this time voicing my lack of confidence in the vehicle. The dealership responded by trying to set up a deal to get me into a Chevy Malibu. I politely declined and insisted my car be fixed properly. The kicker to this story is I purchased the car from the dealership second hand 3 weeks ago. I've yet to even make my first payment on the car and it's already spent more time in the shop than on the road.

Even with all the problems I've had with this car, I don't know of another vehicle out there that I'd like to have. I like the looks, power and handling of this car. I'm afraid, however, that I'm not going to have a nice experience with it.