I am looking into buying a beautiful 91 Saab 9000. She runs great, except for this little clutch problem. Sometimes when shifting, the clutch falls down and rests on the floor and so I have to reach my foot or hand down to pull it back up. I really have no idea what the problem could be. It feel like it could be the master cylinder because the clutch gets “sucked” to the floor and then when pulled back up, everything works fine. It shifts great, until the clutch falls back down again. Thanks for your time
If there is anything wrong with a car, don’t buy it. That is the best advice. You don’t need problems like that. Tell the owner that you will buy it after it is fixed. If it never gets fixed, you should be happy that you didn’t get stuck with a bad car.
The hydraulic clutch is bad. These work as a slave and master cylinder, like your brakes. I think the slave cylinder is in the bell housing which may make this car cheap but if you cannot separate the engine from the tranny yourself run do not walk away from this car.
Run away form this car
Since SAAB is being “disolved” CarTalk will not be accepting any more questions about SAAB’s 
I am superised we have not been flooded with “will I still be able to get parts” questions, perhaps not enough SAAB’s to matter. They did have a really good 4cyl going.
Thanks all. I know that I should not be interested in this car, but the car is absolutely stunning. THe engine runs so wonderfully, no weird sounds or leaks. The interior is immaculate, the exterior is in good condition. The only problem is the clutch. The car is $1500, and that price is well worth it. I just wanted to know if anyone had experienced this and could lead me to the part required to fix he problem. Even after spending 200 on a new part, the car is still way worth it.
The same problem presented itself on my '92 Saab 9000S. It’s prudent to investigate the source of a problem before avoiding something not understood. The pedal-to-floor problem happened once for me, and never since. I suspect an air bubble in the hydraulic system caused it, because with a hydraulic clutch mechanism, the fluid acts as the mechanical link between the motion of your leg and the disengaging of the clutch. If there were a gap in the fluid (such as an air bubble would cause), it’s likely that the whole system would be “shorter,” essentially leading to the clutch pedal dropping to floor.
Since my problem never reappeared, I liken its one-time occurrence to the presence of an air-bubble. If it reproduced more often for me, however, I’d guess that the master / slave cylinder setup were at fault. A bit of a costly repair, but the status of the rest of the car makes for an appeal. Any car needs maintenance; this one you seek is 19 years old. It’s admirable to keep up an oldie, especially a wonderfully engineered Saab. I vote, keep it alive.