4 year old 900XS with 85,000 miles on the clock has now started to crunch gears going into second gear only. Any ideas/advise ? or is this a common problem with SAAB gearboxes?

Common problem or not but the quote from the garage is anything between £550 and £1800..... Buyer beware a number of internet sites quote the gearbox as Saab's weakest point...

5 speed gearboxes on the classic 900 were always a weak point. The preceding 4-speed was as hard as nails.