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Should I buy a Saab 9-3, and what do I need to know before doing so??

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25K views 22 replies 6 participants last post by  CrashEd 
#1 ·
This is my first post here, so hi the everyone :thumbsup:

Having had a recent prang in my current car (the less said about that the better ;)), my hunt for a new vehicle has begun somewhat prematurely! We've just had our first child so I've been eyeing up estate (station wagon) cars for some time now. I've always liked the shape of the 9-3 and having heard the recent news regarding Saab's demise, I figured I'd look into buying one s/h. However, there is something niggling me that this is a bad idea!

I've looked at a few now and I think I've settled on the 1.9 TiD Vector Sport [120] 5dr Diesel Sportwagon. I need a diesel as I'm doing approx. 50 miles a day to and from work (mainly fast roads, some traffic) and I'd prefer a manual to an automatic as I need decent fuel economy. Most of the ones I've looked at have >110k miles or more on them for around the £3500 mark. You can pay a bit more and get an 80-90k car for £4000+. Most are 55 or 06 plates. The Vector has all of the mod cons and the nice leather seats, and as I'll be spending plenty of time in it, those things will be useful.

So, I guess my questions are:

- Is a 9-3 good for >150k miles? I hope to get a good 3-4 years out of it doing 10k miles a year. Is this achievable?
- Are parts widely available? ('running parts' and the more obscure stuff)
- What is reliability like? What do I do if something major breaks? Are Vauxhall (GM) covering spares/repairs?
- What are the common faults that I should be looking for?
- I heard that keys and the 'steering lock' fault can be big issues on this car? Is this true or is it one of those internet myths?? Is there anything else to be worried about?

If there is anything more I should know before parting with my 'hard earned' then please let me know. I had a Saab 9000 a few years ago and it was a cracking motor, I'd love to own another Saab!!




[h=2][/h]
 
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#2 ·
This is my first post here, so hi the everyone :thumbsup:So, I guess my questions are:- Is a 9-3 good for >150k miles? I hope to get a good 3-4 years out of it doing 10k miles a year. Is this achievable?- Are parts widely available? ('running parts' and the more obscure stuff)- What is reliability like? What do I do if something major breaks? Are Vauxhall (GM) covering spares/repairs?- What are the common faults that I should be looking for?- I heard that keys and the 'steering lock' fault can be big issues on this car? Is this true or is it one of those internet myths?? Is there anything else to be worried about?If there is anything more I should know before parting with my 'hard earned' then please let me know. I had a Saab 9000 a few years ago and it was a cracking motor, I'd love to own another Saab!![h=2][/h]
Hi Ed, welcome to SC. In my opinion the saab diesel should be good for 150-160k miles (if looked after) my bro in law has a 2005 plate that's done 130k and it sounds better than mine @78k!.common faults we could list all day, as with many makes of diesels. main things to watch for (in my opinion) are; DMF / CSC & clutch - EGR valve - water pump - alternator - front and rear wishbones/ bushes - etc etc.... i'm sure lots of people on here will add to this list but don't let this put you off. i love my car albeit expensive to maintain (at the minute). :)
 
#6 ·
Hi Jase, thanks for posting. Forgive my ignorance, but what is the DMF/CSC? I heard that the clutch is expensive to replace :(Do you find parts easy to come by?
DMF = Dual Mass Flywheel CSC = Concentric Slave Cylinder Yes they can be expensive and yes they will fail - i got a quote from saab for these recently - £1300 ! luckily i know a saab indy who said they can supply and fit for £700.
 
#9 ·
Welcome to SS,

I am currently on 78k with my 05 1.9TID 150,
Having had the car typical issue - replaced alternator and battery
General service items - Belt, water pump, oil changes, filters etc
The gear box is now borderline Fukd barely getting into drive anymore so this is going in to have this replaced which I am not looking forward to when it will come in at nearly 2k,
Passenger window has issues again regulator has been replaced before haven't had chance to look at this again yet
rattles on the front end believed to be the anti roll bar drop links which can be brought for £16 on ebay each two bolts even I should be able to fit this

Haven't had any issues sourcing parts at all since owned the car (2009).

Things to look out for -
If diesel and above 70-80k make sure belt/water pump has been changed if not use this in bargaining the price and get it done as a priority - Don't take someones word for it either it will be extremely expensive if they have lied and it then goes.
Coil springs prone to corrosion then splitting


If you like your music listen to the stereo before you buy as they are a nightmare to upgrade -
Aim for the Green/black monochrome screen which normally will indicate a 7 speaker system and there will be an amp under passenger seat if there are no door speakers it won't be a 7 speaker system.
Or the nav unit which will have either 7 or 13 speakers.
 
#14 ·
Hmm, seems as though a s/h Saab diesel could be a gamble. But then I guess you'd have the same with any Audi/BMW. Two keys looks like a must. Although it's good to know that you can get hold of blanks and fobs.


make sure when you buy as deano points out make sure there is a minimum of 2 fobs that work with unlock the car also check that the hard key/s supplied with the fob unlocks the passenger door..

to remov e the hard key press on the saab emblem on the fob & pull.

my dealer has fobs in stock now,picking one up 2moro..:D
Let us know how you get on with the fob. Would be interested to know the cost and what is involved.
 
#13 ·
make sure when you buy as deano points out make sure there is a minimum of 2 fobs that work with unlock the car also check that the hard key/s supplied with the fob unlocks the passenger door..

to remov e the hard key press on the saab emblem on the fob & pull.

my dealer has fobs in stock now,picking one up 2moro..:D
 
#18 ·
I just traded my 2001 93 2.2TID in. It had 33k on the clock when I purchased it at 3 years old. 148k on the clock when I sold earlier this month.

Repairs:
EGR valve 3 months after I purchased.
Water pump and a seal on the back of the block this year.
injector oil seals (common fault)
Intercooler hose
drivers seat belt - it wasnt retracting as well as I'd have liked but it would have passed MOT.
1x glow plug
front suspension bushes/arm


Obviously regular services, tyres, brake pads, bulbs, the stuff that everry car needs.

Cant think of anything else. It never broke down, always started first time and I'd say the engine ran as well as it did when I got it but it was run exclusively on Mobile 1.

never had any exhaust sections at all. original clutch. the 2.2 has a timing chain rather then a belt so no changes there and it didnt rattle.

For the record I got another Saab (3rd), a 95 1.9Tid.

Oh and it returned about 47/48mpg on a 40 mile round trip to/from work.
 
#19 ·
Thanks for posting, it's good to hear a few positive stories amongst the 'horror' stories. It seems as though there are a lot of happy 9-3 drivers out there.

I still have my heart set on a 9-3, but I can't decide which one. It'll definitely be a 9-3 TiD Sportwagon, probably the 120 as I'm doing 50-odd miles a day and need the fuel economy. Also I hear that the swirl valves on the 150 can be problematic, and pricey. I'm finding it hard to find a 9-3 that fits the bill and is tidy and has reasonably low mileage, (circa 70k). Autotrader doesn't seem to be throwing much up in the £4k-£4.5k region that I fancy buying. Will check out the local auctions soon as I need a car asap.
 
#20 ·
Quick question about which 9-3 to go for:

There seem to be two types; the circa 2005 model (ICM1/2/3 radio, climate control and SID on the upper dash near the windscreen) or the circa 2006 with the totally different dash (no upper SID).

Are there any pro and cons to the two different types of 9-3?
 
#21 ·
the later dash(MY07 onwards)with the sid in the speedo & tacho cluster you can change the head unit as there is no fibre optic system,you can't do that easily with the earlier dash..
 
#22 ·
Have you thought about the 9-5 estate Tid. I have a 2.2 tid that returns around 45mpg (combined) and you get the extra space and poke from the 2.2. The 9-5 isnt as sexy as the 9-3 SW but the 9-5 has been in production for over 10 years so i would say that most probs are sorted out by 2002 onwards. The 9-5 is also more alike the german large cars ie smooth quiet and enough space to do whatever you throw at it (i have never come accross any object i cant fit into it yet).
Ps to get 45mpg combined i drive with the cruise control pretty much all the time thus sticking to the speed limits thus saving my once endangered licence.When i have give it the beans the mpg has dropped as low as 40mpg and even with the caravan on the back i get between 32-34mpg on my way to cornwall twice a year (340 miles).
 
#23 ·
Well, after a 3 week search for a reasonable SW, I gave in and bought a 9-3 Saloon 1.9 TiD 120! It has 69k on the clock and I only paid £3k for it. It is the linear airflow model but it has most of the bells and whistles of the Vector, minus the leather seats. It very tidy, has had the EGR valve replaced recently and I'm quite pleased with it. At least I can now get to work! Maybe in 6 months or so I'll try and find a SW at the right price...
 
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