Faults:

Rear muffler system.

Failed A/c system which required new coolant and charging every summer.

Electrical system problems.

Sticky gearbox during the winter.

Seized engine at 70,000.

General Comments:

This vehicle was the first car I bought after saving for years.

I ended up buying the car all over again with the money invested.

I kept investing because I believed it would be the last problem.

This particular year was said to have many problems.

Faults:

CV Joint right side went out at 175000 miles.

Car makes grinding noises when attempting to put car in reverse. Have had it pop out of gear on numerous occasions.

Rust is bad on lower part of doors.

Slow to move away from stop, but passes in and out of risque situations like a breeze. Car is very comfortable and receives compliments from passengers.

Seats worn badly on driver's side.

General Comments:

Car is wonderfully reliable. Though when repairs are necessary, they can be pricey. My previous Volkswagen was forever in the shop nearly costing car payments on a monthly basis. The Saab has fewer necessary repairs and is a much more comfortable ride. Looking forward to having it until at least 350,000 miles!!

Faults:

Valve cover gasket leak - slow weep.

Thermostat housing gasket, heater core hoses and radiator hoses replaced.

Needed upgraded linkage to cure shifting problem (would pop out of reverse, hard shifting)

Upper idler pulley replaced as PM.

Serpentine belt replaced.

General Comments:

This has been my first foray into owning a Saab and I have to say that I'm impressed. I'm a DIYer and have done all of the upgrades and maintenance myself on this car - otherwise, I probably wouldn't be able to afford it. Funny thing is - most people think I spent about 4 times more on this car than I actually did - it has that prestige look to it (which I have to admit was a factor in my purchase)

Parts are slightly more expensive then domestic US, but the build quality is so much better. I've been impressed by how well the car is built - almost on par with my roommate's BMW 325is (he ends up working on it far more than I work on my Saab).

Handles great - with great road feel - almost too sensitive actually. Great thing about these cars is that you can find a decent example for very little money relative to comparable makes and models.

If you end up looking at one of these cars - make sure you check out the suspension for steering drift or vibration at higher speeds (60-70mph), noticeably stiff shifting and occasionally popping out of reverse, head gasket and/or valve cover leaks.

I also like the simplicity of the design - the turbo models have a direct ignition cassette that often goes out and cost about $300 to replace, while my car, being naturally aspirated, doesn't have that problem. Also, stay away from the V6 models of this car - in my opinion every one of them is a complete design failure (you must replace the timing belt every 30k miles otherwise you'll fubar the engine). Not so with the 2.3L inline four - it has a nice little timing chain that should last the life of the car with diligent maintenance.

Faults:

Nothing. No really!

General Comments:

I have owned only Mercedes, and the I bought an A-class. Oops. (see review of mine elsewhere). Wife always wanted a SAAB convertible so I thought 'why not?'

It has been fantastic. Sure it doesn't handle on rails, but the trade-off is a very smooth ride. The performance is a bit Jeykll & Hyde, but overall this car is FUN.

If I were on a sensible car diet this would be a cream bun.

A wolf in sheep's clothing. Looks like old man's sensible convertible, but has 185bhp 145mph 0-60 in 7.5secs performance, which is enough without being a liability.

Best rear seat and boot space in class. Great build quality.