Direct ignition failed @ 220,000km replaced with used unit with 6 month warranty, exhaust, muffler, and heat shield (used a Saab part) replaced @ 264,000km with an aftermarket unit made by Walker Dynomax for Starla.
Driver's side window lift replaced with a used Saab unit.
All brake rotors and pads replaced with new Saab parts.
Upper and lower engine mounts replaced.
Left front ball joint replaced.
Heater and blower replaced with used Saab parts.
Car exterior is Charcoal Grey (Edwardian Grey), with dark grey "Bridge of Weir" Scottish Leather.
I was fortunate to have purchased this car from a Saab fanatic. The car had been serviced (by the book) exclusively at Saab Dealerships for its first 210,000 kms. The dealerships bills for service and repair were astronomical!! Fortunately however, I had found a local Saab mechanic prior to purchasing the car, and so maintenance/repairs are now reasonable.
Quality used parts are used whenever I can to save money however, never at the expense of safety ie. clutch, and upper/lower engine mounts have been replaced with brand new OEM parts.
A brand new OEM exhaust system costs $1,300.00 Canadian Dollars (labour not included). I purchased a direct replacement exhaust system made by Walker Dynomax for Starla, for less than half the price, installed!
The car does not burn oil! Oil is changed every 5,000 kms with 10W40 in the summer and 5W30 in the winter.
The engine runs strong and smooth. Mid-range torque is plentiful and the engine pulls strongly in 5th from 3500rpm - 6500rpm.
The 5 speed gear-box is the best I've ever experienced. Smooth positive action, low effort, and short throws.
The original clutch would have lasted longer had it not been for one recent incident: driving under hard acceleration in 1st gear, my foot slipped off the clutch pedal prior to selecting 2nd gear, which resulted in a serious thud and chipped clutch plate.
The clutch was replaced with OEM parts for $1,100.00 Canadian Dollars, including labour. Up to that point, the original clutch could have lasted, in my estimation, another 30-40k easily.
Leather interior (Bridge of Weir Scottish Leather) is perfect.
The headliner does not sag, and the interior is in mint condition.
The dash top is not cracked.
The interior accomodates 5 full grown adults comfortably (4 super comfortably).
A little door in the trunk opens to the rear passenger area, enabling full size skis to fit in with ease. Furthermore, the backseat bottom cushion can un-hinge itself to expose a completely flat bottom while the rear seat bottom locks into place against the front seats. Great for carrying bulky item(s), like TV's.
The car has one dime size rust spot on the left rear fender lip (hardly noticable). Otherwise no rust on the body, and the paint is original.
Underneath, the rear axle, tie rods and other exposed suspension pieces show surface rust however, the actual body underneath shows no rust at all, and the factory undercoating is entirely intact.
The ABS brakes perform well, with good feel and balance. The ABS unit has never been replaced.
The air conditioning does not blow cold air, and has not been serviced since 1997.
I have installed 16x7 Saab Ronal cross-laced rims mounted on Michelin XGT tires, 225/50/16.
Driven conservatively, the car will average almost 600kms on a full tank of gas (65 litres).
The car is equipped with all options: electric moonroof, power trunk, tilt and telescoping steering wheel, heated front seats, and self-leveling rear suspension.
An excellent review. I have an 1989 Saab 9000 CD Turbo Automatic, and I can empathize with your concerns.
I too had to replace the exhaust however, the automatic transmission cost me over $1,200 CDN to fix/replace. Otherwise I love the car.
My car is also Edwardian Grey with the Bridge of Wier grey leather. I have yet to see a late '80's early 90's Saab 9000 any other colour but Edwardian Grey.
A nicely written piece and an equally nice Saab 9000 CD. Bravo.
Great review. I have an '89 automatic 9000 CD also Edwardian Grey with the Bridge of Weir dark grey leather interior. I've recently replaced the exhaust with a used one for $200 CDN, and replaced the fuel pump. The automatic transmission has been a weak link. It's not working as smooth as I'd like it too. I've read that this is something automatic Saabs are known for - I still love the car though. It has been relatively reliable, solid and proven to be a good value. I bought it used 5 years ago with 120K, and I can't seem to part with it. I've almost got 190K, and everytime I think of getting a "new" car and go test one, it doesn't seem it's all that much better than my trusty Saab. It's a very big car, I fit 2 baby seats side by side, and there's still room to accomodate 1 adult.
Like the previous comment, I can certainly empathize with your concerns and agree that it's a well written piece. Good work!
Someone above said "My car is also Edwardian Grey with the Bridge of Wier (sic) grey leather. I have yet to see a late '80's early 90's Saab 9000 any other colour, but Edwardian Grey."
Mine 9000CD's a '90 with the Buffalo coloured dark grey Bridge of Weir leather, but the exterior is the lighter, silver metallic, not the Edwardian grey. Gearshift bushing wear-out, flaky ACC/fan and signs of rust on the lower rear passenger doors are my only complaints at close to 200K kms - and 13 years after it was built ;-)
Fascinating to see the similarity in failures running through the various reviews.
My 1990 Saab 9000 Turbo 2.0L had the AC/heater blower fan fail at 152,000 miles. The automatic transmission is a weak link; although it continues to function and I am reluctant to have it overhauled yet. The motor mounts and part of the exhaust system on mine had to be replaced at 161,800 miles.
As with the review above, every time I think about trading in, I realize I don't like the new car I drive better than my old faithful Saab. Best regards.
I have a 9000 CD turbo and love it. I have had to replace the broken radio antenna and the drivers tail light. The felt on the interior roof needs replacing. My CV joints and boots are worn out and need replacing. But all in all I am willing to put a lot of money into this car because it runs very well even after having over 180,000 miles on it. Finding some parts has been a little difficult sometimes. It is the best car I have owned so far. The body is great and there is no rust or dents on it. -J.B.C Columbus Ohio.
I own a royal blue 1989 SAAB 9000 CD turbo made the year I was born. I live in Alaska the car runs great no matter how hot or cold it is. These cars are great in snow, rain, and ice.
While looking for an inexpensive, but reliable second car, I came across this site. It lead me to test drive a 1990 Saab 900 and a 1989 9000 CD.
Prior to reading these reviews, Saab were just "one of those cars" out there and I never considered one before. Both cars I drove were automatic turbo models with about 135,000 miles.
Things that impressed me were that they had lots of leg room (I'm 6 ft with a large build) and their styling was not too out of date even though they were about 15 yrs old. The fact that they have a timing chain instead of a timing belt says the engines should last a while.
However, I thought the shifting was pretty notchy and they were sluggish from a dead start. I also felt the handling was vague, but I come from a long line of Japanese cars so maybe it was just different.
I am on the fence now and might try driving a newer lower mileage car before I move on. I really want to like Saabs because so many people can't be wrong, but right now they seem a bit... (dare I say) overrated.
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