Owner PeachorLemon_Archive    Posted in Saab 9-5   Comments 0

I leased this car, virtually new, with only 100 miles on the clock. I have put on 72,000 miles over the last 2?½ years. Starting with the good points, it is comfortable and roomy. Official tests show that the 9-5 is one of the safest cars on the road and it certainly feels that way - very solid. The performance/economy balance is excellent - effortless acceleration from around 1750 RPM whilst averaging around 37 MPG. The best thing of all is the auxiliary diesel powered cabin heater standard with the 3.0 TiD - programme it at night and come out to a warm frost-free car in the morning - fantastic! <br> <br>On the negative side it is a difficult car to drive smoothly in traffic. Mine was subject to a couple of service recalls to tackle this problem but its still not brilliant. It really needs an auto box, which isnt available with the 3.0 V6 diesel. It tends to wallow on poor road surfaces - Ive driven the version with the optional sports suspension and that is much better. <br> <br>The main problem has been dreadful reliability. It has suffered 3 exhaust gas recirculation valve (EGR) failures, 2 failed turbos, failed power steering pump, replacement rear spring damper units (when the wallowing became unacceptable), replacement boot lid gas struts (they still dont lift the lid in cold weather) and a replacement SID (Saab Infomation Display - the dashboard computer LCD). The most recent problem has been coolant leakage. So far the main Saab dealer has had 4 attempts to fix this and has replaced the water pump (breaking a drive belt tensioner in the process), replaced the pressure cap and the third EGR valve (it apparently has a coolant connection). It was still losing water and is now in pieces waiting for replacement cylinder head gaskets to arrive. <br> <br>I wont mention names but the Oxfordshire main dealer has been very good. The service manager has swapped cars with me for extended periods to try to get the bottom of the coolant problems. I have been provided with a range of free Saab courtesy cars, without quibble. <br> <br>This has been the most unreliable car Ive run since the days when I used to visit scrap yards. Thank goodness it is on a lease purchase with maintenance - Id be an angry and worried man if I was paying.

PoL Comment: UPDATE:
Since my last report my 9-5 has clocked up 100,000 miles and is almost at the end of the 4 year lease. The car does seem to have settled down and (touch wood) has been reasonably trouble free for the last 20,000 miles or so. The only thing to have packed up is the auxiliary diesel-powered heater that I praised in my first report - it hasn't worked throughout this cold winter despite several attempts by the main dealer to fix it. Otherwise it is going like a train - the performance just seems to get better and better.

I'm now looking around for my replacement car and the strange thing is that despite all the problems I experienced, almost every car within my price range compares unfavourably with the Saab. I must choose a diesel and unfortunately Saab have dropped the stonking 3.0 TiD V6 and replaced it with a relatively weedy Fiat 1.9 4 cylinder unit. If the 3.0 was still available I'd be seriously considering another one, assuming that by now the early problems have been fixed - perhaps that's why they dropped it!

I'll look back on my time with the Saab with pleasure, although I did feel like the unpaid member of their R&D team for the first few years. I can't forgive the early unreliability but I feel my final assessment should be 1 lemon, not 2.