2007 Saab 9-3 - Would you?

Buying/Selling
1

I am looking at a 2007 Saab 9-3 2.0T for $4900
It has had 2 owners and has been an Arizona car.
Would you recommend buying it?

2

I would not.

SAAB Automobile initially went bankrupt in 2011 and, after a brief period under another company, stopped producing cars under the Saab name in 2014. Therefore, no, Saab is no longer making cars

Therefore finding a shop knowledgeable about Saabs and finding parts may prove problematic.

2 Likes
3

I’ll provide the other side of the argument: it’s a pretty cool looking car. SAABS tend to develop rust problems, but that shouldn’t be much of a problem given the Arizona location. Ask for proof it was purchased in the state and has been there since. To get a sense of parts availability, suggest to find & price out some of the common parts this car will eventually need, water pump, alternator, spark plugs, catalytic converter, timing belt kit (if so equipped), or variable valve timing actuator (if so equipped). Unless you plan to do the maintenance/repair yourself, determine which local shops have the necessary equipment and experience. Hire one of those shops to do a pre-purchase inspection before writing any checks. At the minimum they should:

  • Visual check of the common rust spots
  • Make sure the check engine light is behaving
  • Make sure all of the computer’s emissions system readiness monitors are in the ‘complete’ state, w/ no exceptions.
  • Test drive report.

Would I buy it? No, but that’s b/c I’m not in the car-buying market right now.

4

Thank you
I bought a Mitsubishi Lancer; it is brand new. love it

2 Likes
5

I thought the Lancer was discontinued.

1 Like
6

It was discontinued after the 2017 model year
 But I am seeing a lot of buzz about the EVO coming back for 2025
 Can not confirm it though


So I guess he meant new to him


7

About 5 years ago I was on the market for a used SUV. They were scarce at the time.

But while shopping (mostly craigslist) I happened upon a 2006 SAAB 2.0T convertible for all of $2K. It had over 200K miles and the interior was pretty ugly. But it was on the road and running well, my wife had always said she loved the Swedish cars and wanted a SAAB.

So I bought it for all of the $2K. No knowledge of its history. No service records. A running sleek black SAAB convertible for $2K? Why not?

Five years later (and at about 260K miles), the damned thing continues to run like a top. I’ve had to fix a few very minor issues, and do normal stuff like tires and brakes. It makes the wife happy every day.

But $4900? How many miles? Service records? What’s the general condition? I blew $2K thinking it was low enough to make the wife happy even if it turned into a mess. But almost $5K is a whole different planet.

8

That SAAB was a pretty nifty car and innovative (some would say quirky) for it’s time, known as the “Engineer’s Car”, but parts availability was always a problem, which gets much worse when the car becomes an “orphan”.

If you’re buying it as a “limited use play toy”, understanding that it may be off the road for a while waiting for parts, that it will have a very low resale value and that even minor accident damage may result in a “Total” decision by the insurance company (buy an Agreed Upon Value policy), at the right price go for it

Does anyone else remember the SAAB 2 stroke engines or the SAAB Sonett sportscar?.
A definishion of “quirky”.

9

I would NOT buy a Saab at any price, period, and I certainly would not advise anyone else to do so, either. Finding parts or service for these vehicles is very difficult, even more difficult than for other discontinued makes and models. The vehicles themselves are nothing special, and toward the end of Saab, many models were badge-engineered from other GM divisions.

1 Like
10

No, they don’t. Take that from a 2 time SAAB owner from Ohio. They don’t.

Parts availability IS a problem. Not the typical mechanical parts, the OTHER stuff that fails
 Like the climate control module, Like the displays, like the HVAC door actuation parts, minor trim parts required if in an accident. That’s why our SAAB 9/5 was sold 6 years ago.

1 Like
11

A new lancer? Or 2007 Saab? Hmm, so similar.
In that OP is a troll.

12

If you reside in North America, then I call “bogus”.
The last year for the sale of the Mitsu Lancer in North America was 2017.
On which continent do you reside?

Your previous comment would seem to indicate that you live in The US



 so I am very sure that you are trolling us.

13

NO! NO, And HELL NO ! I wouldn’t take one even if it was given to me!

1 Like
14

@PvtPublic :

Unless the OP can somehow prove otherwise, I am convinced that he/she is trolling us.