Should I trade in for something new.....here are the problems.

[Turfgrass]

Starting to wonder if I should get rid of my favorite car of all time. Today the car wouldn't start and AAA believes the alternator is gone. Seems to be over charging at 15.4 volts. Starts fine with jump pack and no prior issue until now. If there is a problem with the voltage reg then thats around $200 to replace. There are also some other unrelated problems that I'll list and tell me what you'd do. Thanks in advance.


130,000 miles
altenator ($180-200 part only)
battery ($170-190)
oil change ($60)
4 new tires and alignment ( $650-700)
alarm goes off on its own once in awhile
Driver and passenger door locks don't always open and close with remote
Alert on dashboard for-
rear fog light failure
license plate light failure ( i ran a wire to fix)
tire pressure system failure. contact service
high mount brake light failure ( but it still works. i just think a couple small led light stops working)

[Digger]

If you want to trade for something new, do it. Doesn't matter what you get, every car is a crap shoot and you roll the dice every time you turn the key. If you had asked this question a couple of weeks ago, I would have said fix the little things and keep the Saab.

From 2007 up every car has TPS and the sensor batteries only last for just so long. Tires, brakes, batteries, oil changes, all normal maintenance and if you get something used be prepared to fix all the normal maintenance issues that the last owner didn't want to deal with, or worse, some intermittent problem that costs a bundle to find and fix.

Personally, it looks like I'll be going backwards, bought an older, low miles for age Tahoe for towing my new boat and as much as I like the 30mpg Saab, I needed to open up a garage stall so I put my half breed Maserati convertible up for sale. The little woman loves the convertible and apparently the next door neighbor wants my Saab, so it looks like I will be keeping the convertible, selling the Saab to the neighbor, getting rid of the big utility trailer so I have a place to put the boat and adding a garage stall so she and the old convertible can park inside this winter.

[nordwulf]

It can be a tough decision to give up something you really like. 10+ year old cars need more attention and care than a new car. The cost of keeping your car on the road compared to a newer car may actually save some money on a new less expensive car.

Of course I don't know what your car budget is and it all depends on how much you value driving and owning your Saab. I very much enjoyed all my Saabs and my most recent 2005 Saab 9-5 was like yours meaning it needed more to keep going while still having a reliable daily driver. My current Toyota 4Runner doesn't have near the driving excitement as my 9-5 but just having to change the oil every 10K miles instead of "I wonder what needs to be fixed on my Saab next" is peace of mind.

What other vehicles are you considering?

[Turfgrass]

I like the Saab so much that i’m Not sure what other car I’d get next. Guess I’m just worried as to what “alert” will pop up on the dash next. Anyone have a online link for a replacement alternator? $1,000 will get me going again if it’s just the alternator.

[nordwulf]

$215 for a rebuilt Bosch alternator:

https://www.eeuroparts.com/Cars/SAAB...ging-Starting/

[100%Saab]

Kyle Pancis on his YouTube site has estimated that he is spending $2,000 per year maintaining his 9-3. I usually estimate $5,000 per year depreciation on a new equivalent for my 2008 9-3. Door locks are currently a problem to obtain. So, if you can maintain your 9-3 and get parts it will be cheaper in the long run to keep your 9-3. Swede Central in Orlando FL should be able to keep a Saab running indefinitely. There are also a number of used 9-3s for sale in New England. Good luck.

[Digger]

It can be a tough decision to give up something you really like. 10+ year old cars need more attention and care than a new car. The cost of keeping your car on the road compared to a newer car may actually save some money on a new less expensive car.

Of course I don't know what your car budget is and it all depends on how much you value driving and owning your Saab. I very much enjoyed all my Saabs and my most recent 2005 Saab 9-5 was like yours meaning it needed more to keep going while still having a reliable daily driver. My current Toyota 4Runner doesn't have near the driving excitement as my 9-5 but just having to change the oil every 10K miles instead of "I wonder what needs to be fixed on my Saab next" is peace of mind.

What other vehicles are you considering?

I grew up in a family loaded with new car dealers and I learned at a young age that if you can't write it off your tax's, the instant depreciation makes buying a new car a bad investment. Buy a used one in good condition after the big depreciation period and self maintain as much as possible will give you the best return on your money.

Except for buying the Quickjack car lift, which, with 4 cars, I use for more than checking the tranny fluid level on the Saab, my little 9-3 Sportcombi has cost me less to own and run for the same amount of time and miles than any of the used Ford, Chevy, or Chrysler wagons I've owned over the last 30 years. When I got my Saab I had a good scan tool, getting the Chinese Tech 2 with Saab TIS cost less than adding Saab software to my scanner and buying my own copy of WIS cost less than using Alldata. Saab specific parts can be pricy, and cross referencing other Saab part numbers to GM, Fiat, Mitsubishi and Hyundai is time consuming, but well worth the effort if you have the time. All this and the wonderful amount of information posted by other Saab owners has made my little Saab the least expensive wagon I've ever owned.

I might not like the radio, or the big fat key fob, but I like my Saab and there is a an emotional feeling that comes with driving the car. But the little woman is 4'10" and I'm 6'3", the Saab doesn't have memory seats, the big Tahoe has 10 way memory seats. The little woman has a 10 year old Dodge Avenger that she bought new, she still doesn't know how to work the radio and spent a week listening to Mexican music thinking her radio was broken after she accidently switched from FM to AM, the Saab has a dozen more radio buttons than her Dodge, the Tahoe has a radio and wipers she knows how to use. The little woman knows how to use the radio and wipers in the old convertible, she is also dyslexic and the Saab is a complete mystery to her and that's why my Saab has to go.

[Digger]

I like the Saab so much that i’m Not sure what other car I’d get next. Guess I’m just worried as to what “alert” will pop up on the dash next. Anyone have a online link for a replacement alternator? $1,000 will get me going again if it’s just the alternator.

The online links for this part are endless, this is the GM Echotech engine and almost everybody that sells Chevy parts has the GM alternator.

[Digger]

Kyle Pancis on his YouTube site has estimated that he is spending $2,000 per year maintaining his 9-3. I usually estimate $5,000 per year depreciation on a new equivalent for my 2008 9-3. Door locks are currently a problem to obtain. So, if you can maintain your 9-3 and get parts it will be cheaper in the long run to keep your 9-3. Swede Central in Orlando FL should be able to keep a Saab running indefinitely. There are also a number of used 9-3s for sale in New England. Good luck.

In the past 12 months I have changed oil, flushed the power steering and brake fluid, replaced all springs, mounts, struts, shocks, rear control links, paid for an alignment, bought a hoist and spent less than $2,000 total taking care of the Saab. The rear springs for the Sportcombi were a real find and cheaper than dirt delivered to my door. Couldn't cross the Saab part number, but found a Lemforder part number for the Cadillac wagon that was built on the same chassis and posted it here for others that will eventually need.

[Turfgrass]

I’ve checked out eeuroparts and rockauto and both have same alternator (140 amps) for about the same price. The only thing that bothers me is the return shipping of the core and if there is a problem.

Anyone have ave luck with Duralast alternators from Autozone. Same price, but won’t have to ship in either direction with local store.