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Used 1994 Saab 9000 Consumer Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
40 reviews
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We have a limited number of reviews for the 1994 9000, so we've included reviews for other years of the 9000 since its last redesign.

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Pros
Cons
4.25 out of 5 stars

Gone but not forgotten

C.S.H. , 03/01/2007
1994 Saab 9000 CSE Turbo 4dr Hatchback
2 of 2 people found this review helpful

My 94 9000 CSE Turbo just gave up the ghost (i.e. transmission) at 136K but was still a great car which means it's just time to get another Saab. I've had several in the past, starting with an '84 900. They have treated me well for the most part, and I take into account the maintenance required. I do have a good specialized Saab mechanic which makes a huge difference. This one was bought with a little over 100K (only $5400!) and performed very well for a well-used machine. After 3 years and 30,000 miles, took it to the desert and had one of the most fun rides to date - fast and smooth with great handling on those long lone stretches. Replacing the tranny costs $$ so it's time to try the 9-5!

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4.38 out of 5 stars

Wonderful car

james, 09/15/2009
1993 Saab 9000 CSE 4dr Hatchback
1 of 1 people found this review helpful

This is my first car. I love it. I go hunting, fishing, canoeing and skiing all with just my saab. I bought it for 700$ with a lot of body damage. It drives straight and runs good. I take for routine trips that are over 200 miles with no problems. It handles great on the snow and ice (I live in Alaska), The exhaust fell off at the headers, but with a little welding it is as good as new. It looks like a piece of junk but when it drives and runs great who cares. I drive over 20000 miles a year and I have already put 15000 miles on this car (it originally had 185,000 miles). I love this car.

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5 out of 5 stars

Yes ok...but I look after my SAAB's ..

Jack, 07/01/2022
1992 Saab 9000 Turbo 4dr Hatchback
1 of 1 people found this review helpful

I have owned 9000's as Carlsson 1991 2'3T, 1996 CSE, Aero 1996, Anniversary 12/1998. I bought that as soon as seeing the advertisement...flew to Melbourne and drove it back...about 1900 kMs. Found it was not a fat friend who had broken the passenger seat but from SAAB expert Steve Emmanuel (SAAB Wreck NSW) that they have adjustment 'stays underneath the squab...and sometimes they break..the seat twists. I bought the last two in the country...about $260 I recall. Back to square 1...I bought the Carlsson instantly and flew to Victoria (Melbourne) initially and drove to Queensland. Later I drove it down to Sydney and took it to Heasmans in Sydenham NSW for the same work I have done on every car...100% steering , Bilsteins and camber to suit me...to suit my driving. After 60 years patronage they know me well. I also had them change all the engine mounts replaced as one was crook... Some time later I had my clutch kit installed by people I'd never use again at Everton in Qld (SAAB "experts")..On the drive home 'way back when' I found they'd left a minor hose off the cooling system so... in peak hour traffic... temperature went too high.. Escaping the traffic was not easy...people don't give way....I managed to get into a side street, waited until traffic eased...an hour and an half...and find water. The repairers didn't even apologise....That might be unfair reflection but someone there was rip tear and bust and didn't QA the work done. That was a decade ago...so maybe entirely new staff since then... Owing to not using the car over the last perhaps 10 years my eagle-eyed son last weekend when I was trying to sort out the idling problem saw they had left one gearbox bolt and the starter loose... What I am probably getting at is that unless we use recommended people (Abbott for example) who are utterly thorough and check everything for us and with great experience and savvy our cars will always be at risk. Going back to the beginning...if a balljoint breaks or drops out as nut has spun-off the fault comes home to the owner/driver. Require fully descriptive invoices or even work statements. Don't settle for broad statements...We must, if we want our SAAB to last, be pro-active owners...and ask around until we find real and serious SAAB experts...or good mechanics that understand SAAB systems and how to make them 100%...If an engine falls out of a car....we are just letting other people take responsibility...and they probably will not....we are neglecting that we may be also causal through neglect or allowing poor quality after-market parts to be used ...and there are good quality items...not just chinese junk. . The Carlsson had one nuisance which not even SAAB could diagnose...I eventually did...When turning on lights at night, engine stopped dead!...There's a design flaw allowing a fault in the switch to kill the engine.As 9000's are becoming scarcer at wreckers...I bought about 8 or 9 'spare' headlight switches about 8 years ago....and a spare genuine clutch slave cylinder. As the car is essentially on blocks I also had all the braking system overhauled by real brake machining experts at Olympic Circuit Southport...The son who does the work was an airforce mechanic. Recently they have stopped doing the "R and R' work...The mechanic was damned good ...old chap maybe he retired or maybe some licensing issue came up. I replaced the fuel pump in the Carlsson as a matter of course owing to 'age' (the car's not mine)...I also had a 200cell cat exhaust fitted and when the car came back from the garage (2 months later!) head mechanic said' MAF is fine'...before he said 'crook' so I bought a reco'd one $400 trade....and sent it back as wrong one was sent up. That's when he said 'yours is ok'. It's not. Car will not idle until warm...cuts out over and over...so two days ago I unplugged the MAF...expecting things to get worse...and the car just idled nicely but at 1000rpm...I suppose I have spent $3000 on the Carlsson over 20 years...or maybe $3800 with very good tyres. Hardly any of that has been owing to faulty car. Some SAABs have been banged up and 'repaired'. Some have been flogged and not maintained. Even SAAB when flogged and used on salty English roads and when people park without moving car when turning steering...will eventually crack up.The anniversary ...I did the work cost me about $2500 including a crook alternator... If you do not look after suspension engine and gearbox mounts trouble is bound to creep up. Wheels don't fall off unless cheap chinese ball joints used and abused..chinese coil packs are unreliable...but as yet no one repairs the electronics inside the pack....have the steering and suspension rubbers and components really professionally checked every year. Having your SAAB scrutineered at least every 12 months might be money well spent. Voila

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
4 out of 5 stars
Comfort
5 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
5 out of 5 stars
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3 out of 5 stars

Worst Saab I have ever owned

bhoule, 05/08/2003
1993 Saab 9000 CSE Turbo 4dr Hatchback
1 of 1 people found this review helpful

I have owned three Saabs and this has been by far the least reliable. I have had to replace the heater core, head gasket, water pump, fuel pump, and it is currently leaking coolant all over my garage. The prior owner who was lucky to own the car while still under warranty also was plagued by mechanical problems that I only learned of after the fact.

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4.63 out of 5 stars

Like a Hot, High Class Girlfriend

Mike Smith, 10/21/2005
1993 Saab 9000 CSE Turbo 4dr Hatchback
1 of 1 people found this review helpful

I love my SAAB 9000 CSE, but she's a bit like a beautiful woman who expects to maintained in a certain style. If you don't like periodic $1,000 trips to the garage for brakes, exhaust systems, SRS malfunctions, headlight relay issues, etc., then this is NOT the car for you. Having said all of that when the car runs in top condition, I've never driven anything better. I have hit two deer with mine and they were both high impact incidents, but the car is so well- built and sturdy that I drove away from both. The repairs have exceeded the book value (slightly) both times, but I couldn't bear the thought of parting with my 9000. My only real complaint is the lack of a cup holder.

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