2003 SAAB 9-5 Aero review from UK and Ireland
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Air Con / blower / Heated Screen Panel faulty - took 4 weeks off the road and many trips to dealer to eventually fix.
Front Seats Loose on runners.
Heated Seats faulty.
Severe Dashboards rattles - dash replaced twice to effect a cure.
Faulty Clutch replaced.
Clutch Slave cylinder broke up.
Xenon headlamp leveller broke.
Alarm fault, eventually traced to bonnet sensor.
Washer fluid level warning faulty.
Passenger Electric Seat switch virtually fell off.
Other silly stuff like wipers banging on A pillar etc.
General comments?
Superb performance, brilliant Seats, superb HK Audio, a touch of individually and a good level of equipment on the early 2004 MY 9-5 made this seem like a good buy. I have wanted to own a 9-5 Aero for a while now, and jumped at the chance to buy this one owner, 10K mile year old vehicle.
However, in retrospect I wish I had not bothered.
The car is noisy (tyre roar) compared to others in the class (yes I have owned and driven at length several of the competitors) despite changing to Eagle GDS3 tyres which are supposed to be quiet and the suspension whilst being firm, has a tendency to crash over bumps and makes for quite a lumpy ride on anything other than smooth roads. Although it has never actually broken down, the number of dealer visits and length of time off the road to rectify problems has been just daft on what was originally a £30K odd vehicle. Torque steer when accelerating hard in the lower gears is noticable but expected with 250bhp through the front wheels.
The engine is a bit coarse when revved and the brakes not particularly confidence inspiring needing a firm push on the pedal. The gearchange is ponderous and baulky as well. I just wish I'd not been so blind to these inherent 'characteristics' of the car during the test drive, but there you go - I just wanted one.
Depreciation is horrendous as well, but on a plus note means 2-4 year old cars can be bought at very fair prices.
Maybe I just got a Friday car, I don't know, but its really put me off buying another which is a real shame as the '98 9-3 we ran before was superb for build quality and reliability.
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| Model year | 2004 |
| Year of manufacture | 2003 |
| First year of ownership | 2004 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2006 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.3 HOT Manual |
| Performance marks | 9 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 1 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 10 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 4 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 10000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 21000 miles |
| Previous car | BMW 5 Series |
| Date of Entry | 19th March, 2006 |