Saab maintenance - Saab Forums

Escape · #1 03-03-2008, 03:37 PM

Hi guys!
My buddy is getting a car, and he has $8000 to spend.

SO he found this really nice 2003 Saab 9-5, with 87,000 miles.
It cost him 7900 with tax, and he was really enjoying it for the first week.
So a couple of days ago I drive up to get some gas, and ask the mechanic what he thinks about Saabs.
And hers what the guy tells me:
"They are ok while ther new, but once they reach 80k they become terrible. They begin to have serious problems with the engine, and are very expensive to repair. We actually don't have a lot of the parts Saab uses, so if something does go wrong, your buddy is going to have to drive up to the Saab warehouse, and get the parts there for thousands of dollars."
So, I wanna let my buddy know about this, but Im not quite sure about all of this info. He has 30 days to "return" the car, and Im wondering what I should tell him.

So guys, are Saabs really THAT bad with high mileage?

Let me know!

-Tim

bojib · #2 03-03-2008, 03:53 PM

You sure you want to repeat what a mechanic says? They aren't exactly known for their honesty, or willingness to work on anything more than a couple years old.

Escape · #3 03-03-2008, 04:42 PM

Well, I don't WANT to trust him, but if hes right, I gotta tell my friend to get another car!

This is why I came here; to get an expert opinion.

If any of you Saab owners can let me know about this mileage issue, Ill be very grateful.
Thank you guys!

Roto · #4 03-03-2008, 06:22 PM

LOL....typical mechanic "I don't know jack crap about this car" talk. Sure, this car needs to be maintained properly as it's not a ford truck, but hey, it's a fun car and it's not that expensive to maintain. (if you skip getting parts at the dealership that is).My mechanic has the same mindset about my car when I brought it in for inspection, but now he does work on many saabs becuase they're so easy and not so expensive to work on.

stella · #5 03-06-2008, 09:03 AM

Hi, Tim,

My Saab has almost 150K miles. Only work I've had to have done is regular maintenance (i.e.: replace belts, new brakes, replace valve cover gasket, etc.) I own a '99 9-5 wagon. The engine does NOT burn oil--very clean.
Your friend should find a reputable Saab mechanic in the area.