Serpentine belt blew, locked up pulleys, smoke filled the cabin and car froze at and skid to a stop; $650.
Ignition switch electrical part failed, caused the car to turn off randomly, first time at 75 on highway (lost power steering, power brakes, almost crashed) ; $350.
Crankshaft pulley sensors failed, $500, caused the car to throw me forward doing 35 and slam my face in to the steering wheel.
Head bolts (2) needed re-torqued, caused loss of coolant out of engine, $550 and may need head gasket replacement soon.
Idle speed and fuel/air mix continue to fluctuate after being reset, $100 so far.
Blew a coolant hose to the engine, emptied the coolant everywhere and filled the cabin with smoke, $170.
Passenger door handle, little metal part inside snapped off and broke, $55 used DIY.
Seatbelts in front lost tension and got slammed in doors, needed replaced, $165 used DIY.
ACC sensor fan in cabin broke, $110 DIY.
ECU computer screen died, $125 used DIY.
These car's just aren't reliable. I LOVE the car and the handling and speed, but it's so unreliable, and I need a car I can count on to not only start,but get me where I need to go. This one can't.
Car was good for a few weeks, then the serpentine belt blew, and every other month since then it's been in to the shop due to some stupid problem.
It's been towed 4 times since I got it, and the cabin has filled with smoke doing 65mph+ twice. Twice it has stalled completely (no power brakes/steering) over 65mph due to serious problems.
Tiny stuff, like a sensor that is magnet on the end of a wire, cost well over $200, and at $90/hr labor, it builds up quickly.
Nobody here except the dealership will touch Saab's for anything, but basic maintenance. The dealer is nice and cut me breaks on parts and labor costs, but it's no good if the car breaks every other month.
Dangerous things like the ignition switch should be recalled (the ignition's on 9-3 models were recalled, but the 900's suffer from the problem too).
The dealer says none of this is out of the ordinary, and that in fact my Saab is doing quite well for it's age. If you can afford the downtime and repair costs, this is a great car, but I can't. I'm getting a Lexus ES300 that's more reliable and cheaper to fix.
Sounds like you are having really bad luck. It also sounds like you do not know how to drive, as if the car did "crazy" things by itself.
Nobody is that unlucky. It sounds like you are 'heavy-handed' Slamming doors... standing on the pedals too hard, releasing the peddals by sliding your foot off it and letting it bounce out... hitting the switches and knobs as if they had offended you... no wonder it breaks.
Bottom line.- treat the car with a bit of respect, treat her like you'd treat a lady... It works.
It seems that your troubles all stem from the lack of maintanence. Serpentine belts should be changed at every 50,000 miles. The belts themselves are rather inexpensive, and can be bought from most aftermarket parts stores for under $50.00 (US). Hoses too should be checked regularly, as all hoses are prone to break down over time. If you flush your radiator once every other year you will extend the life of the hoses some. I would not discredit the SAAB vehicles for the problems you've had. Their quality is above most american cars. I personally have had excellent luck with my '97 900s which has the four-cylinder with a manual transmission--no turbo.
Have a SAAB 900 SE since 1997. Lots of problems since purchased. Once the warranty ran out, I usually spend $3000-4000 a year fixing it. The Digital Ignition went after 4 years. The fuel pump went....The CIS went....The light wiper went.... This year. its just 2 months into the year, I already spend $3000 to fix a damage head gasket, etc etc. I still suspect the SAAB dealer do not have a clue what they are doing or just didn't both looking. I have complaint that I am losing coolant every winter the past 4 years and they keep charging me $90 only to tell me nothing is wrong and just top up the coolant and then charge me for $20 for coolant. Car over heated a few times...
Finally I took it to the corner garage and he took a look and says the return hose from engine and coolant leaks and that was the problem. How dumb could the dealer be? That solved the problem for a few months, but the damage was already done... and thus the head gasket repairs this year!!!
Parts availability is another issue. I end up with a few weeks a year without the car waiting for parts. I have decided that this will be my last SAAB (Although i have three previously). I am going with a Honda or other Japanese. I no longer want to buy a car that I have a wait for parts. And I am definitely not going to buy a north American.
I have had my 900 se turbo for two years - got it with 42k miles and now have 55k - the coolant started leaking from the engine... told that I will need a head gasket replacement ($1700). sounds like others have had a similar problem and fixed it with less expense. my serpentine belot went also - last week - pulley snapped ($500 for belts and pulley). I love the car... love the way it handles and also (boo hoo) feel I need something more reliable.
Hey man I feel you. I have a 97 900se and although I too love the styling and the speed I've had many problems with this car. The turbo failed at 60k, The ignition switch was replaced twice. The computer failed on the car 800$, I can't tell you how many times I've had to replace both tires and rims. The low profile/aluminum wheel combo is just plain impractical for real world streets. Currently the car is in a garage getting ready for its second engine replacement. And while they're at it I suppose I'll have them replace the transmission as first gear has not been working for some time now. I too am considering a Lexus is300. They have a Saab look to them without the unfortunate reliability issues.
I have a 1997 Saab 900 SE Turbo and it has a 167000 miles on it and it still runs fine for me.
Yeah I also have a 1997 se turbo, the only problems I've had is the coolant sensor, and I have a leak in the wiper fluid hose. theres 170k miles on it and turbo is still good.
I was just given a 1997 900s 2.3L with 230k miles. The previous owner had the radiator hose blow out and the serpentine belt went at the same time. Before that she had problems with the car as well and spent a lot of money on little things up until the hose and belt went.
As a mechainic/D.I.Y I find the car is easy to work on and parts are expensive. Though you have to give credit where it is due the car has 230k miles and still runs strong with the original motor and transmission. I am/was having a similar issue with this Saab as the original poster with the car dying at random and I feel it is or was the ignition switch. The car is fairly simple to work on and everything is well thought out for disassemble, repair, reassembly.
I have a 1997 Saab 900SE 2.0 Turbo Convertible, the car is awesome to look at and drive. This car has 130K miles as of today 01.04.2007. Current issue that needs to be resolved.. on 12/23/06 the engine pulley cracked/disintegrated and the serpentine belt was damaged, resulting in loss of waterpump pressure and thermostat. The thermostat locked up coolent was not circulating, thus, hose has heated and expanded.
My remedy, replace the pulley $140 (Aftermarket) ~$250 (Saab Dealer). Next, Serpentine belt $29 and thermostat$28. and 'O" ring ($2.12) get most of these with free shiping at most online stores. Saabs are unique and will fit well with unique drivers who love art of speed and life. Have fun and always be thankful.
My 1997 Saab se turbo. is driving me nuts. I replaced the alternator, the starter and belts and the ignition switch and coil are fine. All the lights turn on in the car, but when its time to ignite I get nothing??? what can I do? ;- (
Sorry to hear that fellow Saab 900se owners who are experiencing troubles.. dont blame the car its either a lemon or the driver(s). Saabs themselves are innocent.
I live near Sherman Oaks, CA and if you need a great Saab Certified and Experienced mechanic let me know. He is so honest and a real SAAB professional. Has his own independent Saab shop after 15 years working for Saab. So if interested, all S. Californian Saab owners post your desires here for response.
I have a 1997 900 turbo convertible. I purchased it used and I still love it. But... The passenger seat electronic adjustment switch has never worked and my drivers side just quit working. Is this a common problem? Any suggestions.
Also have a quirk with the high beams. When I start out in the morning, the drivers side high beam does not work. After driving for about 15 minutes, the problem solves itself and the high beam works normally for the remainder of the day. Again, any thoughts or suggestions?
I'm thinking of buying a 1997 Saab S. It only has 68000 km on it so that seems good, and I test drove it today and was very satisfied with handling, comfort, etc (although I did notice a bit of a lag when I hit the gas pedal)... but by what everyone is saying, it sounds like I might need to reconsider! Are the problems only with turbo cars, or are Saabs in general just expensive to maintain?
I have a 1997 Saab 900S Convertible.
I love the car I have had to change a few things, but it was always under 200$ nothing too bad. However the heat is not working in it. Also I cannot change wee the air flow comes from. Is there any where I can buy new knobs after-market and any suggestions on what may be wrong with the heat.
Still love my car. I really only drive it in the summer, but I had a problem with my primary car and need to drive this for a few days and noticed that the heat was not working.