Ran and idled rough since the day we got it home.
Transmission slipped and shifted erratically since the start as well.
Interior pieces fell of w/in the first 5,000 miles of ownership.
Engine makes excessive noise at various times- a whining, pump/ vacuum sound.
20,000 miles, paint bubbled and pealed.
25,000 miles- Turbo had to be replaced- had been blowing blue smoke and loss of power.
28,000 miles dashboard lights burned out.
30,000 miles - rotors needed replaced- told it was normal.
I wanted to like this car, BUT, it is more than a lemon, it is just a boatload of little issues that make it a miserable driving experience for most miles. It is by far the noisiest car I've ever been in. It shifts when it wants to, for no reason, brakes freeze, and it runs so rough and idles just as rough on most occasions, that your teeth feel as if they might fall out.
The dealer can never find any problems, only "updates the software" whenever a new version is available.
The paint it turns out was not a factory issue, but the result of shoddy work performed by the dealer when the car was in its service fleet prior to our purchase. Of course we asked if any body work or paint work had ever been down, but they deceived us. Buyer beware. We would have never have bought the car with miles had we known. Overall our dealer doesn't know BEANS about Saab's and customer service.
My experience with our Saab 9-5 ARC was nearly identical to this. Two turbocharger replacements within a year of each other, computer firmware updates which take ten days (at the dealer), servo-motor for climate control failed in cold weather, leaking coolant, failed banjo gaskets, leaking oil cooler gaskets, the list is unreal.
The sad part is that it's a great car to drive. It is just expensive to maintain and this one was horribly unreliable.
Own a 2002 9-5 Linear wagon 2.3t. Was a certified pre owned when bought in 2005...transmission let go inside of a week, turbo let go and many other issues too numerous to mention. A piece of junk.
We have a 2002 9-5 Linear Wagon. I could write a thousand page book on how bad this car has been. We are on our third alternator ($900 each), a water pump, fuel pump ($1000), and the odd mechanical problems are something else. What other car would need the alarm siren replaced ($600!) because the battery in it wears out and there is no way to replace it! And you can't avoid the repair, because the key remotes would not work if you disconnected it. I don't believe one word Saab says about safety, because I don't think you could say that the safety systems on the car are any more reliable than the rest of it. These cars are cheap on the used car lots, and there's a reason for it.
9-3 owner here - It is nearly 7 years old and it is THE BEST car I have EVER owned.
I own my 2002 9-5 2.3t Linear Sportwagon and for the last 7 years, my wife and I enjoy driving it everyday. This is our second SAAB, the first one was a 1997 9-3 SE. Throughout the 7 years, we have owned a Dodge, Cadillac, Toyota and the two SAABs have been a joy to drive and an ease to own.
Judging by the comments on this review, Saabs seem to be very hit or miss cars with inconsistent build quality.
All makes and models of cars have issues, but considering that Saab only turns out a mere handful of cars as compared to their rivals, the number of owner complaints per car seems to be extremely high.
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