1999 Saab 9-3?

[280plus]

Looking at one with 94,000 miles on it. Very clean but comes up as flood salvaged in 2000 in Mass. and titled as rebuilt. Hard to believe. Then had one owner after that for 5.5 years. Runs and drives fine. Still has the manual which makes me wonder how far the water got up. We're at $4100 but that was before I did the check. I always thought they were dependable, now I'm hearing they're not. My thought is to tell them I like the car but I'm not paying $4100 for a flood damaged one and offer maybe $3500. Anyone have any experience with them. I'm willing to take the chance on the flood damage but not if it's going to nickel and dime me anyways because that's what Saabs do. Any info is appreciated.

[Manedwolf]

Apparently good snow cars, but their mechanics are like a closely guarded cult.

Also, flood damage = bad. Corrosion is progressive, especially on deeply buried PCBs and other components.

[280plus]

Yea, that's what I'm hearing. You wouldn't believe how clean this thing is. Not a scratch anywhere. Ran nice, drove nice. According to CARFAX the fact that it was flood damaged and salvaged didn't quite get transfered through from the Mass title to the CT title. "Title washing" it called it. I wish I could get details on the flood situation. It's hard to believe this mint condition looking car was ever flooded.

I spent the whole day today looking around. Not much out there. People want a lotta money for old cars with like 150,000 miles on them. Especially the Hondas and Toyotas. If that Saab was either of those brands in that condition they'd have a $10,000 sticker on it easy. Every one I saw had over 100,000 and they're wanting $8,000 to $10,000 for them. It's incredible.   

[280plus]

My question is, pretend the car DIDN'T have flood history. Would I still end up dumping money into it all the time just because it's a Saab and Saabs break down all the time anyways because they're Saabs?? This is another thing I'm hearing and from a pretty reliable source. I'd like to hear from Saab owners past and present.

[280plus]

Cancel request, reading some reviews I found has revealed that Saabs are basically pieces of poop. Too bad...

[Antibubba]

Another Saab story averted. 

[280plus]

 

"Saab now, sob later..." 

[280plus]

So I called the guy up this morning, "That's a flood damaged car, dude"

"It is? Our title says..."

"Carfax says the fact that is was junked and salvaged in Mass didn't make it onto the CT title."

 "I'll have to talk to my people about that. Well, thanks, goodbye." (click)

 

[DJJ]

Swedish
Autos
Always
Break


Send
Another
Automobile
Back

[Scout26]

Wow,  News to me.  (Have owned/driven nothing but Saab's since 1988). 

Do the scheduled maintenance and they'll pretty much run forever.  Mine is seven years old and Mrs Scout's is eight.  The ones we had prior to that were traded in at 11 and 12 years.  Still running but requiring new tires, brakes, shocks, etc, etc, etc.  The only reason they got traded-in was "Do we drop $3-5,000 on 11/12 year-old cars with 200K+ miles on them or trade/sell them and put that money toward the down payment on new ones with a warranty."

We still see Mrs Scout's 1988 900 occasionaly around town as it was initally sold to a local college student.  Still running strong, but we're sure that it's had several owners since we sold it.

The only time any of the ones we've owned have "broken down" was when I got a flat tire after running over a piece of metal in the road.

Oh, and flood damage can mean anything from "Ma'am we found you car, it was 30 miles down stream  from your house"  to "The water came up high enough to get the carpet in the floorboards wet, so we replaced it." 

1999 9-3 that runs great, 94K miles (roughly 10K per year) and I'd ask/check that the owner did the scheduled maintenance, then make him a offer.   

[Manedwolf]

If the water came up high enough to get the carpet on the floor wet, it also got things with chips in them, under the driver's seat, usually, wet as well. Plus the 02 sensor on the catalytic converter, any other sensors under there, possibly the fuel pump connectors depending on where it is... and possibly a number of other senders and modules containing PCBs, which will continue to corrode.

Which means the car is junk.

[280plus]

I'll tell you, I read a LOT of reviews on the '99 9-3 last night and while some people had lots of good things to say some had a lot of bad too. Knobs breaking off repeatedly, unfindable/unfixable front end shimmys (this one did shimmy at 70 mph but it felt like a tire balance thing, then I read the same and how balancing and front end work didn't fix it). Strange noises from underneath, also not findable/fixable. $700 alternators etc...

So anyhoo, drove an hour to see a 1991 lexus, mint condition, no rust, apparently garaged, 73,000 miles on it, clean Carfax report$3995. Put a deposit on it, picking it up Wednesday.

My kid the Carmax pro says, "I'd much rather see you in a 91 Lexus than a 99 Saab." Phew, good thing, I hate when he chews my ass out for being dumb. 

I woulda bought a car from him but the cheapest car on his lot was $6500 and that was for an old high mileage Saturn. 

[280plus]

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?car_id=241071808&dealer_id=78084&car_year=1991&model=ES250&num_records=25&systime=&make2=&start_year=1991&keywordsfyc=&keywordsrep=&engine=&certified=&body_code=0&fuel=&awsp=false&search_type=used&distance=100&marketZipError=false&search_lang=en&make=LEXUS&keywords_display=&color=&page_location=findacar%3A%3Aispsearchform&min_price=3500&drive=&default_sort=priceDESC&max_mileage=&style_flag=1&sort_type=priceDESC&address=06248&advanced=&end_year=1991&doors=&transmission=&max_price=4000&cardist=62

[Ex-MA Hole]

I can't help you with any practical advice:
1.  That's pretty low mileage, which is a good thing.

2.  That's a sexy car.

[280plus]

Yup, first I typed in "list of most reliable cars" and lexus came up over and over so I was scrolling through a Lexus list with $4000 as a max and I'm seeing 150,000, 130,000, 220,000 and then up pops 72,000. I said WHOA!! It was  only an hour or so away so I jumped on it. $4,000 is mid range for that car with that mileage and it is truly well maintained so it should actually have been a bit more. I'm happy with the choice. I just worry about sharing it with a new teenage driver. 

Maybe I should take it down to the church and get it blessed.   

[280plus]

Heh, I was just looking at the info for Village Motors. Owned by Gerry Mahon. A nice, very obviously Irish, guy. Who wants to bet his real name is Gerry Mahoney?