RRH

Waited three months for my new Saab 9-3 Aero convertible- only had it two days (and 178 miles) and have had to make my first call to Saab Assist already.....

Temp gauge has been off the scale (the hot end) this afternoon- no warning 'bongs' though, although they may just be busy telling me I haven't got my seatbelt on, or I need to brush my hair or something.......

Will let you know the verdict, but have to say I am not massively impressed

scooby_matt

Doesn't sound like the usual Saab quality, hope it's nothing too serious

RRH

As do I, or else the dealer needs to start stretching his **** as he'll have a car to stick up it

scooby_matt

Jap or German, it's the only way my friend!

RRH

Inclined to agree matt, have both german and Jap in the drive, and the boys pile of french shat.

The saab is absolutely lovely, and still have the 400bhp STi in the garage, but I really couldn't be sure if I prefer the saab to my Isuzu Rodeo pickup- which I love dearly...

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

'Jap or German, it's the only way my friend!'

Jap cars are reliable but I dont get where the current German stuff rates as any more reliable than anything else, it just isnt.

RRH

AA didn't want to touch it, they're collecting it tomorrow and taking it to the saab garage. Will give them 24 hours to sort it or they can replace it. Want a new one now as this one's dirty

logiclee

No its more Jap or Czechoslovakian according to JD Power.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Seems a bit iffy for a Saab to not last longer than 178 miles, I know of examples with 250,000 on (mines still running in at 75,000, could it not just be teething troubles, a manufacturing fault, I dont think its typical of a brand new Saab to not get past 200 miles without a new engine. Very inconvenient and dissapointing but not the end of the world as its under warranty and you have several other vehicles to go at, at least you were not relying on it to get away from a Hurricane or anything !

Do they use Vauxhall units these days, mines the older model and it still has a Saab derived unit but in a Vauxhall based chassis.

RRH

Quality seems to have slipped somwhat under GM control... my mate had an old 9000 and did 200,000 miles in it, never had a problem.

His latest 1999 9-3 is in for a new engine at 30,000 miles.

Point taken about it not being the end of the world, and its a valid one. Just glad I contract hired it and din't buy the bloody thing

logiclee

Yep, Diesels and some petrols.

s70rjw

iTrader: (2)

Neighour has a 9-3 diesel with Sport kit. Lovely looking car.As already said quality has slipped... bonnet grille moves from side to side and interior rattles

ZIPPY

Stop moaning you big t#rt, fancy getting a convertable version, saloon versions only my friend, you didnt leave your curling tongs on the dash did you, they may have overheated and made the gauge give a dodgy reading, did you also remember take your perming kit and rollers out of it before it was towed away ?

Love Zippy

RRH

at least I still got hair pm me your new mobile no Zippy

RRH

Well they can't work out why it's doing it so they've ordered a new instrument console- they tell me I should have the car back for the end of the week.

They have offered me a 1.8 vectra as a replacement until its fixed.

Not at all happy.

SimonD

No big surprises there. Our 9-5 is quite comfortably the most unreliable vehicle we have ever owned (and I ride Buell motorcycles - so that is saying something). A trawl around the Saab sites suggests that our experience is not untypical.
Great long distance cars but the post-GM models are horribly unreliable.
I've posted here about this before but in 45k miles (from new) we have had failed DI unit (coil pack), head gasket, power steering, water pump, turbo, rear shocks + countless minor electrical bugs. This from a car bought new in 2001.

Good luck with yours and glad to hear that you didn't buy outright. Depreciation is crippling!!!!!

From a reliability point of view the only cars that I would touch these days are Subaru and Toyota. I've had and heard about too many horror stories with BMW, VAG and Mercedes to trust German quality these days.

skinters

DI cassette and rear shocks I can see going at about 90k on average, Headgasket at 100K+ if head not re-torqued (180K if head checked) waterpump at 100k+. The turbo should last for up to 200k with regular synthetic oil changes.
For that lot pre- 45K miles is really bad. Sorry to hear!
Quality on the GM cars does seem to have slipped - they've definitely lost that bulletproof feeling/image over the years (whether originally justified or not!)

Andy M3

I think decent Europeon cars stopped being built in the 80's. My dad used to have a round shape Audi quattro coupe he bought new in 1989. It was 2.2 n/a slow as hell - but he stopped using it as a daily hack after 10 years and 150000 miles, so it spent most of it's time in a field. He would use it periodically, but apart from the odd MOT - which it nearly didn't have, it ran fine with no servicing and pure neglect until i sold it for him in 2003 and got £1500 for it with no SH and a rotting floor pan. Still started first time and although slow and heavy - drove spot on. Same can't be said for the new stuff though

Johnny50

My old man had nothing but trouble with his 9-3.
But his current 9-5 has been fine.

SimonD

I agree that our tale of woe may not be entirely typical but I've heard from many other owners who have experienced shock failure at anything from 30k upwards and turbo failure from similar mileages.

At the end of this we have a car that listed for £25k or so when we bought it in Jan 2001 (ok we didn't pay anything like that) and is worth no more than £5k now.............to someone who doesn't know it's history!!!!

Roojai

I used to live in Hong Kong and it was Jap or 'German if it was less than 5 years old and therefore cost a fortune'

So it was always jap only in then end. German build just does not last much past 10 years

RRH

Well finally after three days Saab UK finally graced me with a phone call.

Suffice it to say I am glad I contract hired it; with their level of customer service there is no way on earth I'd ever buy a Saab, or, to be honest, ever have any more to do with them.

They don't do 'good will' gestures apparently, and the vectra they offered me as a hire car 'should be perfectly sufficient'. They see no reason why they should have to give me another saab until mine is fixed, and she admits that i would be quite within my rights to reject the car- although I really don't want to have to do this as it would be a right pain in the **** with the contract hire company.

I still don't have it back, nor do I have any real indication of when it will come back, or even if the dash array they have ordered will fix the problem- they couldn't figure out what the problem is so they are guessing apparently.

So that's just been a lovely start to my day...

BrettC

RRH

Sorry to hear of your saab troubles mate.

I am on saab number 7. However all these have been 'real' saabs i.e, before GM got properly involved.

Like you I have had nothing but hassle and trouble with saab main dealers. Everything, from (i) not phoning to let you know how things are going, (ii) ordering things so when you come in they can fix the car while you wait, ie having half days off from work and then when you arrive and after sitting for an hour and a half someone eventually bothers to come and tell you that the item needed had actually not arrived, (iii) not fixing problems yet charging you porshe'esque' rates for the work.....i could go on with things like this for ages but im boring myself let alone others.

Saab maindealers are some of the worse cutomer care garages i have ever used. And I have vowed never to use them again.

Saab (non main dealer) specialists in my experience on the other hand have been great. This doesnt help you though.

I am a huge fan of pre GM saabs (despite some of their faults....i mean character)

But I really know what you are experiencing now...I just hope it doesnt ruin your saab experience.

Cheers

Brett
Saab 9000 2.3 Aero

PS Even my local saab specialist always give me a replacement 9000 if they have to have mine for a couple of days!

RRH

To be honest Brett the dealers have been pretty good; its saab UK that are not doing what I feel they are morally obliged to sort.

BrettC

Sorry mate, mis-read your post.
I had the opposite problem.

Hope you get it sorted anyway.

RRH

Finally fixed and I picked her up this morning. Must have been left outside as she's absolutely filthy