1997 SAAB 900 SE review from North America
"Even with the things that have gone wrong with the car, I love it and would buy another one"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
The convertible top has not worked since I bought it. It can be put up or down manually, but that is not so easy to do. It took me forever to figure it out and the latches don't catch when you do it manually. I had to disconnect the motors on the hard top to be able to do it. What fun is a convertible if you can't put the top down?
I was told the transmission needed a bolt that had to be ordered from the dealer when I purchased the car. However, after breaking a motor mount I realized that the entire transmission housing is cracked and needs to be replaced. While waiting to have that done, the transmission locked up and I think I broke a trans axle. Oil was everywhere. It was just a bad scene. Fortunately I purchased a warranty with the car at a reasonable price.
The passenger front seat did not work when I bought the car. After hours of searching the net, I found it to be a relay under the seat that is easily knocked out. It's a pain to get in and I recommend placing a zip tie around it to keep it in place.
The passenger window falls off the track constantly. The last time I fixed it, I moved the front track a little forward and it seems to be holding fine now.
The passenger inside door handle did not work when I bought the car. Luckily I know someone who is good with cars and they fixed it in a few minutes.
I should mention that I put 3,000 miles on the car in a month.
General comments?
The car is fun to drive. It handles great and the turbo makes it even more fun to drive.
The interior is comfortable. The telescoping wheel is a little odd if you are used to tilt.
The memory seats are great if you have more than one driver.
The reverse ring (you must pull up a ring on the shifter to get the car into reverse and the car must be in reverse to get the key out of the ignition) is hard to get used to and drives friends and valet's crazy (but that is funny to me!).
The ignition on the console is hard to get used to and it is another thing that drives friends and valet's crazy. (again, I find this funny)
The waffle vents are a little odd.
Recommended reviews
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|
| Better than a Sebring, but still a GM that pretends it has wings |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1997 |
| Year of manufacture | 1997 |
| First year of ownership | 2008 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2008 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.0 turbo Manual |
| Performance marks | |
| Reliability marks | |
| Comfort marks | |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | |
| Distance when acquired | 116000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 119000 miles |
| Previous car | BMW 5 Series |
| Date of Entry | 1st September, 2008 |