Date: Tue, 14 Dec 1999 08:03:45 +1100 From: Peter Wilkins <wilkinspnopsamnet.au> Subject: Re: Reliability of late model Saab 9-5?
On Sat, 11 Dec 1999 19:36:03 -0500, "Julie & Blair" <julieandblairnopsamaone.net> wrote : >Just fyi, the electric seat "failure" is the result of people brushing the >setting buttons as they get in and out of the car, and not a mechanical >failure at all. Hi J&B, Yes, that's right. The original switch design allowed all the buttons to be pressed simultaneously by the back of the driver's leg when exiting, which erased the memory. The re-designed switch requires depressing the buttons below the level of the switch body, so it can't happen (except deliberately). That's not a mechanical failure, as you say, but it's faulty mechanical and electronic design in my book! The computer should only accept input from one button or from the M button and one other. What amazes me is that the fault wasn't discovered until after the car was in full production: all their test drivers must have skinny legs! It was infuriating because my Saab dealer kept on saying it was just an intermittent problem in the wiring which they couldn't find, and kept taking the car for several days at a time to try to find it. It wasn't until I worked out what the problem was myself and demonstrated it to them that they agreed, and then told me a new switch had been designed and could be fitted the next week. What was all the bullshit about "an intermittent fault", I wonder? Oh, and on one of the times they had the car, when I arrived next morning to pick it up at the appointed hour, they had actually "lost" it and didn't find it for another 12 hours. I had to go home and come back again the next day when they "found" it!! Perhaps they just needed a spare car around the shop to do errands. I changed dealers after that. >The break interlock was the result of a faulty switch and >not an inherent design flaw. Well, there was a known design fault in the switch! What made me so mad about it was that Saab knew about it well beforehand and didn't tell the customers. In fact, they told the dealers NOT to tell the customers unless they complained (according to several dealers I asked afterwards). And of course the interlock over-ride switch was not obvious and is not mentioned in the 1998 handbook. As a result, when I had a failure of the interlock, miles from anywhere, without my mobile phone, I was not at all amused when I finally got to a phone to be told. "Oh yes, sorry about that. Just press that little button above the winter switch with a ballpoint pen, and book the car in to have the switch changed. I can book it in now if you like". I smouldered all the way back to the car. So Saab get a big fat zero in my book for customer service, although I still like the car. It does feels a bit fragile though - still judders on full lock, the body panels flex alarmingly when leaned on, and it has quite a few rattles now. > >It is my understanding that the tranmission problems you referred to were >rectified by the mid 1990's. It may have been earlier than that. I certainly never had a transmission failure with my later 900's, which were bought around 1985 and 1986 or 7. I had the problem with a 99 bought in 1973 and with two 900's bought around 77 and 80 - I forget exactly when. It's hard remembering which cars we had when: at one stage we had 4 in the family, a 900 for me, a 900 for my wife, and two hand-me-down 99's for the kids. Then the kids updated to 900's. We never had a 9000 - didn't like it and think it was a Saab. The 9-5 has reverted to type, and feels like a true Saab, despite the GM base. > >Adjust the resale value to the amount off MSRP most people pay, and I don't >think the depreciation is that bad because Saab has been offering incentives >to grow their marketshare (which they consider critical to their long term >viability). > Well it's not too bad compared to Audi's here in Oz, but very poor when compared to Mercs and BMW's. They are consistently 5 to 10K above Saab resale prices for equivalent new-price models. One problem which has dropped resale prices across the board here in Oz is the planned introduction of a 10% Goods and Services tax next year. As tax on luxury cars is currently around 40%, a large price drop is expected and people have been hanging off buying. Consequently there are huge discounts on offer on new cars. The 9-5SE has $9000 off at the moment. Naturally, the price of second hand cars has dropped by the similar amounts. I should have waited 18 months for my 9-5, shouldn't I? I would have avoided all the design fault hassles and saved $9000 into the bargain. -- Regards, Peter Wilkins (wilkinspnopsamnet.au)
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