[Roberson999]

Hi, Thanks for having me here,
I have been a great Saab enthusiast and recently I found an affordable one Saab 9-3 used car in California
I am someone who “looks before they leap” so I am researching this vehicle to ensure it is in good shape before buying.
They are asking for the price of $3,000 and it has 153000 miles with a Salvage Title.
If you guys have any suggestions on what to look at.
thanks

UPDATE
Thanks for everyone comments, I've gone through everyone comments
I decide to run the VIN Check on this luckily found the auction records but unluckily the auction records is removed, as it's already sold. What do you guys think, there was accident reported but I can't find the pictures! please have a look at the report (It's only $15 if you guys don't want to spend $40 for a Carfax)

here is the report: Get Instant Vehicle History Report

 

[shedyed]

Hello, I just bought a 2003 9-3 convertible, but has more miles on it, but the owner has kept service records, and the interior (leather) doesn't have tears or stretched stitches or that 'worn leather' look (or weather-beaten look). I'd just ask him about the roof, unless it was recently replaced, because leaks are a given for any old ragtop. The interior might show (or smell) from dampness. But I have owned old ones previously, and a working roof is a dealbreaker for me. There are YT videos to show manual raising/lowering, so there is still some 'wiggle room' but the replacement of the roof might fall on you as a second owner.

Aski him why it has a salvage title; was it rescued from a flood or something? Some videos will show you how to look for the VIN on the engine, the front or side panels, the trunk, and the door wells if any of these have been replaced due to an accident. A carfax might work better in case you're working with a broker and not the owner.

It's a slightly different ballgame if the airbags were deployed in said crash. what worked for me is that the previous owner always had it serviced at a shop that specialized in European imports (Volvo, Saab, Audi, BMW, MB)

 

[jfran395]

The license plate has me curious - did the owner drive it from New York to California? Or did he have it shipped and decide he doesn't like it for some reason? And as the owner of a 2004 convertible, I'm in complete agreement with the post above - make sure the top works. Convertible tops get very expensive very quickly, and putting it up and down manually is not a good long-term solution. If you're not comfortable with Saabs, a pre-buy inspection with a mechanic could be $$$ well spent. Good luck!

 

[lamprx]

Hi, Thanks for having me here,
I have been a great Saab enthusiast and recently I found an affordable one Saab 9-3 used car in California
I am someone who “looks before they leap” so I am researching this vehicle to ensure it is in good shape before buying.
They are asking for the price of $3,000 and it has 153000 miles with a Salvage Title.
If you guys have any suggestions on what to look at.
thanks
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Hi, Thanks for having me here,
I have been a great Saab enthusiast and recently I found an affordable one Saab 9-3 used car in California
I am someone who “looks before they leap” so I am researching this vehicle to ensure it is in good shape before buying.
They are asking for the price of $3,000 and it has 153000 miles with a Salvage Title.
If you guys have any suggestions on what to look at.
thanks
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View attachment 53535

www.saabman93.com
Mr. Barry is outside of Wilmington, NC and repairs Saabs, refurbishes them and sells them also. Has about 15-20 Saabs for sale right now from convertibles to pretty 9-5's. He has done us well in service and in talking to other customers he has done a great job of keeping theirs on the road. One owner from South Bend, In was quoted $thousands to fix a/c issue and Mr. Barry fixed it for $750. He had a write up in either Motor Trend or Car & Driver about a year ago.

 

[Crossblue1]

Hi, Thanks for having me here,
I have been a great Saab enthusiast and recently I found an affordable one Saab 9-3 used car in California
I am someone who “looks before they leap” so I am researching this vehicle to ensure it is in good shape before buying.
They are asking for the price of $3,000 and it has 153000 miles with a Salvage Title.
If you guys have any suggestions on what to look at.
thanks
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View attachment 53535

I remember seeing that Saab for sale on Craigslist. I live on Long Island. I can see the registration and inspection sticker on the windshield so the salvage can't be that serious. NY is really strict with making sure a salvage title car is registerable. Lots of hoops. But yeah, it's a little suspect that it's a New York car now in Cali. Absolutely check the drop top for full function. Sensors and actuators could run you up to the thousands real quick. Deffa do a VIN check to find out why it was salvaged. Could be something simple as a fender bender..or something serious like a flood. We had a LOT of the flooded cars from the south on an old air force base in Calverton last year. Insurance just brought them there to be auctioned off. I picked up a nice parts car for $650 there. Do some research and good luck!

 

[1988twoLiter9000]

Also check for oil change records. Don't wait 10k miles to change oil..
+++MY ADVICE; Before you drive daily do a good engine flush. Like a serious one. I used the replace one quart oil with 1qt. Cheap ATF when changing oil, and let car idle in driveway 20 minutes, and replace oil again with straight Castrol or better!!!. MY CAR HAD 88K MILES and found out it was chock full of sludge!..
+++ transmission services are easy to do as well..
take out 3 quarts and replace 3. Drive a little and do it again.
Drop 3 qts. Add 3qts then drive some. And repeat until you have put in about 9 to 12 fresh courts ....doing 3 at a time if I remember correctly.

I had a 9-3
2003 that pastel blue color and with busted convertible so manual only, but still was good car after the oil services I did I had piece of mind that's for sure. Goodluck.

 

[APC900]

Check upper strut mounting bearings.
Check for leaks in the trunk around the tail lights. Those lead to rust in the dog-leg areas.
Check around the top of the rear shocks for rust.
Check to see what type of oil the previous owner used....use full synthetic if you buy the car.
start there.