1990 SAAB 9000 S review from North America
"Stylish and comfortable, but terribly unreliable"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Transmission cooler line rusted through at about 90 000km.
Resistor blew out in the blower fan control, fixed relatively easily.
Car stalls intermittently, when warm or cold, only at idle or at very low speed (e.g., in traffic).
Transmission shifts poorly-- shifts too late or too soon, sometimes jerky, sometimes "lugs" the engine. Transmission also whines in first gear.
Many electrical failures (interior and exterior, including brake lights).
Idle air controller replaced; did not fix stalling problem.
Heater smells funny...
General comments?
This is a very nice car... when it works.
On the highway, it's very comfortable, stable, and responsive. Just never drive it in the city...
The stalling problem is so bad that I'm afraid to make left turns through lights!
Nobody (I've been to five different mechanics-- all euro specialists) can figure out what's wrong!
I plan on selling it very soon.
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| 1990 - 9000 9000S 2.3 non-turbo A European road car that fits me like a glove and is not just an autobox |
|
| One of the most perfect and versatile automotive designs ever |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Year of manufacture | 1990 |
| First year of ownership | 2003 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.3i Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 1 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 10 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 0 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 3 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 89000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 100000 kilometres |
| Date of Entry | 9th March, 2004 |