8.0

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$1,200
Average Mileage:
89,000 miles
Total Complaints:
1 complaints

Most common solutions:

  1. had to purchase a whole new computer for my car $1200 (1 reports)
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problem #1

Jan 012011

9-3 ARC 2.0t

  • Manual transmission
  • 89,000 miles

I bought this car used with 50,000 miles. This car was NOTHING but problems. LEMON LEMON LEMON! All of the windows stopped rolling up/down and the mechanic said that the motors were broken and they were EXPENSIVE to replace. (400 if I remember correctly) (This is a Saab- even the LED headlight cost me $100 to replace) The worst issue it had, was I only had one key when I purchased the car. Well, when the chip in the key went out, I had to REPLACE the entire computer! Which was $1200. For a chip in the key! I also had to TOW the car to the mechanic which was another pretty penny. When I went to trade this car in, at 100,000 miles, they said the car was on its last legs and wouldn't take it. WHO doesn't take a car??? I also maintained this car- always had the oil changed, etc etc. And it was still a piece. There were also a TON of electrical problems with this car. It had a headlight leveling malfunction from the get-go that no one could figure out either. Sometimes the car would just randomly shut down and the steering wheel would lock as I was driving- SO SCARY! Especially because I live in a canyon. The car also had an engine light for "O2 Sensor" which would have cost me with labor about $1,000 to fix. If you are thinking about buying a Saab, DON'T! Buying a foreign "luxury" car is EXPENSIVE and they were made extremely poorly. My mechanic said 2003 is the crap year, so at least don't get that year. There is a reason Saab went out of business. Seriously.

- Andrea M., Salt Lake City, UT, US