Is a used 2004 SAAB 9-3 Linear manual a good used car?
i am looking to get a used car and only maybe have it for 5 years or so… i was looking online and found it has good safety but want to know if a car with 97,097 miles going to last 5 years??? Any idea about how much it would cost to repair a year? Anyone have experience with the car???
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2003 was the launch year for the current design, and it has so many electrical problems I would never consider that model year. 2004 started getting better as minor design changes fixed many of the problems, but a large number of those continued through 2005. In 2006, the problems were largely fixed but by then GM got tired of Saab’s efforts to fix the electrical problems of the initial 2003 design. A general redesign of the interior of the 2007 model year fixed the remaining electrical issues.
I own a 2006 and after three years and 37,000 miles I have had zero problems, so it appears that Saab’s efforts to get their house in order finally paid off four years after the car’s launch.
Problems you should expect with a 2004 include:
Heads up display pixilation (pixels dropping out of the display)
Heads up display blackout (electrical connection being broken on a severe bump in the road)
General dashboard problems revolving around the nightime blackout feature
Key fob lockup issue (immobilizer malufunction and disable the car)
Power window issues (lose of power to motor on any of four windows)
Multi-CD changer – CD player skips
These are the worst of them. The heads up display is a pain to fix and can run as much as $1000 to fix. Unfortunately, you need it working as warnings come up there so if it is not working, you will not get warnings if something is wrong.
Dashboard problems are a pain to diagnose and fix, and labor rates can eat you alive if it is hard to find.
Key fob/lockout/security issues again are a pain to fix, but at least that would run less than $1000 – more like $800 in many cases.
Power windows are the simplest and the chepest – closer to $400-$500 inclduing labor.
CD Player replacement is another $650 dollars.
If you can deal with fixing all of these more minor things, the good news is the engine (based on GM’s sturdy Ecotec engine) and transmission from Germany are fairly sturdy and reliable and can last far past 100,000 miles with no problem. However, you have to pay attention to the Mitsubishi turbocharger. Have a mechanic check for oil inside it – if there is oil inside, it is going and will need to be replaced. Otherwise, the engine should be good for many more miles if well maintained.
For a 2004, just be aware electrical problems are more common than on later year models.
03-05 sport sedans had too many problems. I would shy away from these year models.