Purchasing a used Saab

SwedishWrench,

    Can you give me any pointers on buying this vehicle? I own Porsche and Volvo but never owned a Saab. This one is 2-door coupe with 70,000 miles. All outward appearances (body, interior) show it in excellent condition. Any thoughts for me? I am concerned about the high mileage, reliability and handling when driving in snow.

Hi,
      The 97 900 se turbo is a pretty good car. The auto trans have a great record, and the engine is pretty solid. Although I have seen some timing chain problems so listen for rattles in front of engine. I have never driven one in the snow so I can not comment about that, but the reputation says they are a snow car. The mileage is normal for the year and I personally prefer higher mileage cars. In all my years as a Saab tech I have found that buying a high mileage vehicle that has been properly maintained is a much more reliable than the low mileage city driven car. Things that can be costly to look for, make sure the info display above the radio is not missing segments in the LCD. Make sure the acc (heater system) functions correctly. If any of the instrument panel gauges are not working like the tach ect. This is an expensive piece.
Good luck,

Jason

(This article is meant to educate a consumer,or as a guideline for professionals. You can cause serious damage to your vehicle and/or cause yourself injury. Only those qualified should attempt repairs. I do my best to assure that the above info is correct but take no responsibility for any damages incurred.)

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