2002 Saab 9-3 consumer reviews

THis car is lots of fun to drive! IT has very comfortable seats- well designed ergonomically for the back and the neck. With the turbo , it takes off nicely off the line. A few design quirks , which are typical of SAAB , but overall a great car.

I've had this car for 4 years & I love it!!! The styling is unique , and the turbo give nice pickup to move through traffic easily. And of course , once the top goes down .....

Ths SAAB 9-3 convertible sets itself apart from most other convertibles with its unique styling. The 4 cylinder Turbo engine has plenty of pop when you need it , yet gives decent gas mileage. This car is great for someone who may have considered a BMW or AUDI , but didn't want to quite spend that much , yet didn't want to step down into a lower class of convertible. It handles nicely & is a blast to drive. About the only downside is that the interior design is a bit quirky, due to the ignition key being in the center panel, but other than that , it's a fine car that has given me no problems at all in 5 years.

I've never had such a great car, has great features and handles very well, I like the safety of this vehicle also. There are so many air bags, I can't imagine how someone couldn't feel safe in this vehicle.

I purchased a new 900S in 1997. I initially went into the dealer to buy a VW (Dealer sold both Saab and VW) but based on the price of the Jetta and discounts offered by Saab, it was only a few thousand more to buy the Saab. Why not step up? From day one its been a love-hate relationship. I love the upright seating position, the reasonable blend of handling, interior space, fuel economy, and comfort. I hate the maintenance costs, reliability, and support from Saab USA. I owned a VW Jetta for about 6 years during which I clocked more than 340,000 miles. The VW never stranded me. Aside from maintenance, I never had to put a dime into it. Conversely my Saab 900s has had a laundry list of odd problems in addition to the required maintenance. It has stranded me twice despite my strict attention to the maintenance schedule. I wouldn't have minded some of the odd repairs so much if the dealer and or Saab USA stood behind the vehicle. Neither did. Here are SOME of the non-maintenance problems I have experienced with the Saab 900S. All except as noted were out of warranty. I am not including normal wear and tear things like belts, brakes, fluids, battery, etc. Rebuilt transmission at < 100K About $1000. Didn't need a clutch... needed a $50 bearing. Labor was $950!!! Two fuel pumps (I NEVER let tank go below one-quarter, about 4.5 gallons) Each about $850 - $1000 to replace. I didn't mind the first as I rationalized it as maintenance, but the second pump went about 30 months after the first. Left me stranded on the highway. Sucked to drive a Saab that day. Main Engine Seal replaced. About $1000. Shift Seal. Not yet replaced, but estimate is $200 - $300. 4 Info Computer/Radio Display panels. Two in warranty, two out of warranty. About $300 each. Driver Seat heater. Dead just after warrantly expiration. Estimate was about $500. Not replaced. Passenger side headlight wiper. Estimate $500. Not replaced. Seat skins separating. Estimate $1000 per seat. Not replaced. Power antennae. About $400 new plus labor.

This is my second Saab, my first having been a 1983 900S that I got used back in 1989. My experience is completely different from Dano's. I bought my 9-3SE used and it had about 45k on the odometer. I'm up to 60k now and have had absolutely no problems with it at all. I had to have the direct ignition casette (DIC) replaced a couple days ago but that was done under warranty, even though I am past the warranty expiration. Also, the DIC wasn't giving me problems, but I was eligible for the replacement so I had it done. The car handles wonderfully, though I'll admit I installed a thicker rear sway bar. The turbo lag is noticeable, but not awful. While not a champ from 0 - 60, it flies from 5 - 75. The seats could be a bit more supportive, especially around the sides of the hips, but overall they're not too bad. The hatchback design (which they sadly did away with in the 2003 model) has always been a favorite of mine. With the back seat down there's enough room in the hatch area to carry a new table saw and a new mitre saw in their boxes. I would absolutely recommend a Saab 9-3 to anyone looking to buy a used car. Make sure you have it checked out first by a mechanic, but if he gives you the go-ahead then it should definitely top your list.

Car looks great in the driveway, it gets stuck it park alot so there it sits. Every now and then you get to drive to the dealer to get it fixed. Sometimes they give you a free sandwich while you wait which is nice because buying the parts and services are very expensive. If needing body parts such as a door the wait could be as long as 6 weeks, like mine. The Automatic transmission is to be avoided as the shifter is unpredictable in the it can also pop out of drive while driving. Friends think I am a moron for tolerating the undependable service that this car has provided. Paying hand over fist for just about any type of malfunction could bankrupt Paris Hilton. My advice if you have one, ditch it before the warranty expires. If you are thinking about getting one, consider other options