1997 SAAB 900 SE 2.0 turbo from North America

Summary:

Grrrrrreat!

Faults:

Coolant leaks.

Serpentine belt pulley let go, sending coolant & power steering fluid all over the engine.

Brakes (normal wear).

Temperature sensor in car broke ($25 used part fixed the problem).

General Comments:

Great car, after 10+ years on the road it still runs great with lots of turbo power when cruising down the highway.

I want a new car, but I can't justify selling this Saab. It (still) looks good, has an amazing sound system, and handles well.

The key with this vehicle is to buy one with the 2.0L Saab engine. Do not buy one with the GM built V6.

I don't recommend ANY new Saabs (newer than 2003). After GM bought Saab, they slowly destroyed the independence of the company. Today Saabs are often nothing more than crappy GM cars with fancy interiors and a Saab name badge.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 28th November, 2007

28th Nov 2007, 20:03

I hate to tell you this, but GM has owned Saab since the early-mid 90's so your car is actually a GM built machine.

Glad to hear you still enjoy it :D.

16th Jan 2008, 07:53

Yeah I know when GM bought Saab. As I said they "slowly" took over the internals. The 900 NG and the 9-3 can be "mostly Saab" if you pick a Saab engine/trans.

6th Apr 2009, 23:01

Could you tell me how much it was for the serpentine belt letting go and making a mess of fluids on the engine? Same thing just happened to me and I would like to know about how much it costs.

21st Sep 2010, 17:11

I think the NG 9-5 is a great Saab though.

1997 SAAB 900 SE Convertible 2.0 turbo 4 cylinder from North America

Summary:

This car is reliable

Faults:

Had to replace pulleys and belts; cost $415.00 at my local Saab Dealership

General Comments:

This car is absolutely a fun car to drive.

Handles great, and very quick with the turbo charged engine. Car actually cruises better at higher speeds.

Have driven the car for 2 years with only minor repair work.

Gas mileage is usually around 20 miles per gallon, and a little more on longer highway trips.

I only drive this car for 6 months out of the year. It is in the garage the rest of the year.

As much as I love the car, if it was my only transportation I probably would sell it. When the top is up, the car is small with not much head room. Lots of outside noise from the wind, etc. windows rattle.

But as long I can just drive it in nice weather, it is a great car!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 1st November, 2007

1997 SAAB 900 SE Turbo 2.0 turbo from North America

Summary:

Every Saab I have owned has gone 225,000 miles or more; would buy again

Faults:

Clutch went at 197,000 miles

Fuel Pump went at 160,000

Ignition Cassette went at 120,000.

General Comments:

Fun to drive, handles nicely, very safe and solid; much more comfortable than my previous Saabs (1987 turbo). Well-engineered; lots of nice design touches. I have a great independent mechanic who keeps it honest and have found the Saab to be very reasonable to own and operate. I drive approx 35,000 miles a year.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 18th October, 2007

1997 SAAB 900 SE 2.0 turbo from North America

Summary:

LEMON...never buy a SAAB

Faults:

Everything is wrong with this car is the bottom line.

This is my second SAAB and it is my fault that I bought another. I keep complaining about the problems on the first and the dealer said the new car is better built and experienced none I complained. I got sold and I bought the new SAAB, but it came back with a whole new set of problems. Owning a SAAB is like a nightmare waiting to happen.

I spend an average of $3-6,000 each year fixing this car after the warranty runs out.

I fixed the head gasket at 120,000 KM and then again at 200,000 km.

The car would not start when it gets hot and have spend thousands at the dealers with no success.

The digital ignition module went at 160,000.

The computer for the panel went twice, and I paid over $2,000 to fix each time.

Air condition went at 130,000KM.

A lot of small things goes and every time I take my car into the dealer, it will come back with a list of fixes and and costs hundreds if not thousands to fix.

General Comments:

For a manufacturer that claims to be building planes, I can't believe they produce such a bad car.

If you want a unreliable car that sucks money out of your wallet, then get a SAAB! If you want a reliable car, get something else.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 25th June, 2007

26th Jun 2007, 12:50

Sorry youve had such bad luck with your 97 Saab, typically they are pretty good cars. I have one made in 98 and have 122,000 miles without any probs other than general maintenance.

16th May 2008, 22:29

I have a 1997 900 Turbo convertible and the only problem so far has been a bad direct ignition module. Great car, fast, fun to drive and very good on gas too. It's my first SAAB, but not my last.

30th Dec 2010, 22:12

These are solid cars. There will be repairs, but don't throw your money away!!!