1995 SAAB 900 SE from North America - Comments

3 separate incidents of timing belt failure causing serious engine damage.

The car is comfortable and well appointed.

Unfortunately, the 2.5L V-6 timing belt/tensioner design has been a problem. (I think Saab discontinued this engine's use after 1998). I followed all recommended Saab maintenance (timing belt/tensioner changes every 30,000 miles) and still had failures at 15,000, 10,000 and 7,000 miles after service.

We have also had a premature timing belt failure. Plus lots of other odd problems that a specialist mechanic shop couldn't ever stamp out. We are getting rid of this car, unfortunately. We have loved it - but the chronic problems are KILLING us. Thanks, GM, thanks for nothing.

We have had no problems with the V6 engine on the 900SE. The timer-belt problem did not arise until about 60,000 miles. Not having experienced the kind of problems reported by a few drivers and being a long-distance driver, I cannot fault the car along the lines suggested by some reviewers.

No complains from my v6. It runs smooth at 90k. Love it!

I purchased my Saab from a used car dealer who swore it was a great car, had been checked over mechanically and was in excellent mechanical condition, the body and interior I could tell for myself was in great condition.

Within one month the brake line broke and nearly I nearly drove into the rear of the semi in front of me going 65mph on the expressway

Within two months, two tires blew out and again I almost died on the expressway behind yet another stopped semi.

Then after paying over $750.00 for brake line (and all the parts that go with it, caliper, SRS, Etc.) replaced, and a towing bill then, a $1,000 bill (let's not forget towing costs too, in all new tires (which the tire tech said he see's alot of tires overheat on Saab's in general (?).

Then I needed to leave for New Orleans and help my family recover from severe Hurricane/Flood damage. I took the car in for a regular oil change and asked them to inspect it for the long drive. They gave me a laundry list of brakes, rotors and right ball joint loose that also requires an arm (and leg) in replacements for another $1500.00 (this mechanic informed me that the rotors have to be replaced because of the spec on the factory rotors is too close to cut further and the arm of the ball joint is all one unit on the Saab to drive the expense up triple of American made car ball joint replacement).

Spending my life savings on buying the car, the repairs on the car, then the work done on my families homes in New Orleans (where's the help the government said was in New Orleans?)...I'm busted.

On the way back from New Orleans I stopped in South Carolina, shut the car off when I arrived at a hotel. The next day I started the car and it sounds like it's eating rocks. I shut it off immediately, checked the oil thinking they forgot to put oil in when they did the oil change (I have heard of worse things happening in garages), tried to start it up again and nothing, absolutely nothing. After being towed to two different mechanics (two more tow bills), it turns out that the gasket for the timing belt cover worked it's way loose and somehow got under the timing belt causing it to "Jump Time" according to the local Swedish Import Mechanic destroying the engine and it's going to cost $4500.00 to replace the engine with a new one that only has a one year guarantee.

What type of car engineers are the Swedes I have to ask myself. I have owned a Mercedes since 1983 (which I sold when I bought the Saab and sorry I did that) which in it's entire life of repairs that I owned it, never cost me as much as the Saab did even before the timing belt incident. Never Again will I buy a Saab or buy from used car dealers.

I have had my 900SE for quite some time now. Bought it used with 82K miles and have had absolutely no problems. I "upgraded" from a 1993 900 turbo convertible and, as nice as that was, this is even more fun.

Have a 900 SE convertible with now 200,000 km.

Change timing belt every 40,000 km with upper roller replacement ($500), and every 80,000 with additional lower roller replacement ($1,200). Car runs absolutely fine.

It is lousy mechanic's providing lousy service that is the main problem of a Saab 6cyl engine. I have had such problems with a Nissan 4WD diesel with $6,000 engineoverhaul @ 140,000km and another $2,000 overhaul 20,000 km thereafter.

In this event it was also lousy mechanics performing bad work.

Have now a second 900 SE convertible because of the pleasure driving it and for the use by my kids. The 3rd Saab in the family is a 900 S convertible that is still going strong.

By the way if you get sick of your 2.5L Saab engine why not replacing it with a US$2,300 brand new 3.2L 54degree Opel motor, that is GM's identical engine to the Saab 2.5L engine, just bored bigger and without Timingbelt issues.

Cheers to that and keep out of the sun.

I've owned my 1995 900SE V6 2.5 hatchback for ten years. When purchased it had 66k miles and I promptly replaced the cam chain parts for free (parts and labor) as it was still under warranty. Since then the car has performed nearly flawlessly. Other than a busted water pump, the wheels were a bit soft and tended to get out of round. After a new set of 16" wheels (from 15"), Kumho tires, I replaced all the struts with KYB gas-adjust units which brought everything back to like-new feel. It gets 30mpg highway, drives like it's on rails, and carries more stuff then you could imagine. Also, replaced the rotors with performance ATE brakes. I'll be replacing the muffler, getting a full tune-up, replacing all the belts and it should be good for years to come even with 173k miles! When the time comes I really will hate to get rid of it.

The GM V6 is junk! Just like the European V6 GM puts in the Cadillac Catera. Google saabnet for help with repairs and modifications.

The 97 models had larger diameter brake rotors so upgrade to 97 spec brakes instead of replacing with the same under size brakes that eat up brake pads and warp rotors.

As for repairs, ask any Ford Taurus, Lincoln Continental, Chrysler LH-LHS (Intrepid, New Yorker etc.), or Cadillac owners about cost of repairs and frequency of repairs.

Really you should buy some tools and a repair manual and do as much preventative maintenance and repairs yourself, as you can handle. There's classes at community colleges or adult learning centers for basic repairs or even engine rebuilding. Most car repairs are easier to do than you would think. I mean if you can change a light bulb in your home you can change your spark plugs and oil.

And Acura? Don't make me laugh, Acuras from the 90's have rusted out, and need a lot of work too. Most of the ones for sale don't have their original engines. The newer ones are better but I wouldn't buy one used. I've worked as a mechanic, used car dealer, and classic car restorer. And there isn't a single vehicle that doesn't have problems. I would take mechanical repairs on SAAB's over the severely rusted Japanese crap any day. And the American luxury cars need lots of mechanical repairs and they rust out too fast. You wouldn't believe how many 1995 to 2005 GM front wheel drive cars need new subframes because of rust. Cadillac Northstar engines make everything else look reliable.

Thankfully SAAB has been set free from the idiots at General Motors. And Jaguar is safely out of Ford's hands.