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2004 Aero

3K views 29 replies 13 participants last post by  Tailspin 
#1 ·
I'm looking at buying an 04 9-5 Aero. It has 110,000 miles on it and appears to be in good condition. There are a few cosmetic scars, but nothing major that I could tell and the interior looks pretty clean. My problem is that I don't know much about cars. I've only owned trucks and a jeep. I'm somewhat familiar with engines, but small engines and pretty big power are new.

My question is, what are some things that I should really test out before I buy this car. I'm not looking to race or mod it really. I just started a new job that will require more driving. So, this is the reason I'm looking to buy a car. The guy is asking $7500 for it and has come down from $9000 in less than a month. I have driven it and driven pretty hard. But, as this will be my daily driver, I want to make sure that it's reliable.

Please school me a little and help me out. Any advice given will be appreciated.
 
#2 ·
Fortunately, 2004 is beyond the years with Engine troubles, so as long as the oil changes were done with 3-5k mile intervals with fully synthetic oil, the engine should be okay.

Things you will have to be worrying about are replacing worn suspension components, fuel pump, etc. Otherwise, the car can be a very reliable, comfortable daily driver!
 
#11 ·
Fortunately, 2004 is beyond the years with Engine troubles, so as long as the oil changes were done with 3-5k mile intervals with fully synthetic oil, the engine should be okay.

Things you will have to be worrying about are replacing worn suspension components, fuel pump, etc. Otherwise, the car can be a very reliable, comfortable daily driver!
What years were noted for having engine troubles?
 
#8 ·
If he has been coming down on the price that fast....chances are he wants it gone. that means he likely has a good reason for wanting it gone- which is something that may or may not affect you as a buyer.

my advice- FIND OUT why exactly he wants it gone. do your best, as this can mean the difference between walking or taking the car.

pester him about when the car was serviced, ask about maintenance records, carfax, etc. get all of this information together.

if you still like what you have- get a certified saab indy mechanic (or the dealer, if you HAVE to) to do a full inspection. i paid 100$ for this before buying my car- but TRUST me, it is WELL worth it.

if you still want to buy it, i would start even lower than 6000. a helpful thing to do is set a price that you KNOW you will not go over, and start well under that. if he really needs the cash, he will probably take quite a bit less than he is asking....
 
#9 ·
pester him about when the car was serviced, ask about maintenance records, carfax, etc. get all of this information together.

if you still like what you have- get a certified saab indy mechanic (or the dealer, if you HAVE to) to do a full inspection. i paid 100$ for this before buying my car- but TRUST me, it is WELL worth it.
YES YES ^ This.

Also, if you have a budgets of (say) $8000 for a car, DON'T SPEND ALL YOUR BUDGET ON THE CAR. Spend (say) $7000 so you have $ left for the inevitable things that you will discover need to be done...
 
#10 ·
I ask him about the service when I test drove it. All services were done by him. I do thus myself so I can't fault the guy for that. He says he is selling because he wants a truck and he wants to buy some PWCs for the summer. I know he wants a truck because we talked about trading vehicles, but I sold my truck before we made a deal.

The guy seems pretty honest and has answered every question I've asked. I know the closest dealer to me is Memphis, about 3 hours drive, so I will try to find a certified mechanic here.
 
#15 ·
This is sort of a thread hijack but not really, its applicable to us both! I am also looking into a 2004 Aero, but with 100,000kms on it instead of miles. Again, the car is not perfect cosmetically but it ran smoothly and had no squeaks or rattles (might have heard some suspension noise).

The questions I had were regarding the engine and the suspension. I am currently driving a Mazda 3 Sport, and I am familiar with Japanese reliabiltiy and Japanese costs, so I am a tad worried about repairs and likely issues/part costs.

Concern 1: Why I am seeing so many head gasket problems with the 2.3? Should I be expecting major engine repairs like that in the future?

Concern 2: What type of suspension components are likely to wear out? This car has been mostly city driven (although gently), so I suspect this would be my first concern...are we talking big bucks?

Concern 3: Electronics. SAABs have become known for electrical gremlins, how is the SAAB 9-5 of this year with this? Big problems? Niggling problems?

Concern 4: The xenons. They work on the vehicle I am looking into, but a warning light is on (apparently related to voltage). What are the ownership costs related to the xenons?


Again, sorry OP, but I assume these also might be concerns of yours :)
 
#17 ·
This is sort of a thread hijack but not really, its applicable to us both! I am also looking into a 2004 Aero, but with 100,000kms on it instead of miles. Again, the car is not perfect cosmetically but it ran smoothly and had no squeaks or rattles (might have heard some suspension noise).

The questions I had were regarding the engine and the suspension. I am currently driving a Mazda 3 Sport, and I am familiar with Japanese reliabiltiy and Japanese costs, so I am a tad worried about repairs and likely issues/part costs.

Concern 1: Why I am seeing so many head gasket problems with the 2.3? Should I be expecting major engine repairs like that in the future?

Concern 2: What type of suspension components are likely to wear out? This car has been mostly city driven (although gently), so I suspect this would be my first concern...are we talking big bucks?

Concern 3: Electronics. SAABs have become known for electrical gremlins, how is the SAAB 9-5 of this year with this? Big problems? Niggling problems?

Concern 4: The xenons. They work on the vehicle I am looking into, but a warning light is on (apparently related to voltage). What are the ownership costs related to the xenons?


Again, sorry OP, but I assume these also might be concerns of yours :)
i will take a stab at your first two questions....at least.

concerning the head gasket- these issues are almost ALWAYS a result of neglectful ownership, as are most problems with any car you would buy. the head gasket in the 9-5 is metal, therefore most problems with it arise from servere overheating of the block. it is rare to see a metal head-gasket fail otherwise. you should always be changing your coolant regularly (a 20k interval usually works for most people).

if your car overheats, DO NOT think it is ok to keep driving it "just to get home". that is where you will run into problems.

the 9-5 has a few weakpoints, yes, but it has a relatively strong motor- especially for years 2004+. that isnt to say the older motors arent great too- but they require you are on time with oil changes, otherwise you might end up with a sludged motor in a short amount of time.

concerning suspension- expect wear and tear just like any other car. obviously the heavier 9-5 wont be as easy on suspension as a honda civic would be (especially true for the wagon 9-5, the rear shocks go a little sooner than the sedan). many people change out their shocks at about 100k.

realize this isn't some P.O.S. car that you can buy and run into the ground for 100k miles and then be done with it. you buy this car, maintain it, drive it, maintain it some more- and if you treat it well it will do the same for you for a LONG time running.
 
#21 ·
And the drama continues. I have been struggling with the purchase/not purchase question for the last month, since the owner went on vacation and the car is still (presumably) there. I think I will have a longer look this Friday. Can you guys give me any experiences as far as road noise/tire wear in these cars?

Basically, the two things I cannot stand about my Mazda is that the ride seems too harsh. It reacts badly to bumps of all kind, and has no sense of isolation whatsover (i.e., it feels like there is no suspension). Have any of you ever driven a 3 or been in one for comparisons sake?

Also, I have found that the 3 eats tires, and have the first few thousand I start getting a lot of tire noise. Is this an issue on the 9-5?
 
#22 ·
SOme tire are prone to cupping on th elowered Aero suspension but you usually jus tneed to rotate regularly ( liek every 3-5k) if you lower the car you will need to do it at 3K for sure. You can adjsut the rear camber out a bit to help but the camber is set for sport and you will lose some handling character if you do that
 
#23 ·
I would definitely never lower it, isn't the Aero already ridiculously low? I mean, the front bumper can barely clear most drive entrances on my friends. I've never really understood lowering, so fear not.

Now I know on my car you can only rotate the tires back to front, not side to side, is it the same with the Aero?
 
#24 ·
Now I know on my car you can only rotate the tires back to front, not side to side, is it the same with the Aero?
Depends on the tyre tread design and if they are rotational / directional etc
 
#25 ·
On tires - I had my original Pirelli's until around 40k with still some meat on them. They were getting really noisy - the 9-5 is known to have road noise issues. I put some Kumho's on and it transformed the ride - great grip and much less noise. I, too, am interested in 2004 and up 9-5's to replace an aging beater, so watching this thread.
 
#26 ·
Bought an '04 9-5 Aero wagon for my wife 3 years ago and it has been a blast to drive and generally very reliable. It is her favorite car she has ever driven (even still after 3 years) and she wants to keep it until the proverbial wheels fall off. It has, however, been a maintenance queen:

While still under warranty (between 44K mi and 50K):
- Some sort of ignition issue that took 3 weeks and lots of dealer consultation with Saab engineers to figure out. Sympton was a check engine light and an ignition coil code. Lots of stuff replaced (plugs, plug wires, two ignition coils) before the problem was solved. Think there may have been some software involved, too.
- New fuel pump. These cars have a known issue with the fuel guage getting stuck on empty and the fix is an entire fuel pump assembly.
- New battery. No big deal here but the service advisor said we were really lucky we were still under warranty because the car takes a $400 battery (probably Saab dealer price and not Autozone price).

Not under warranty:
- Replaced something the dealer called a "hot water valve", the failure of which caused all of the coolant to leak out.
- New brakes. I know this is a wear and tear item, but beware that rotors and pads for this car are outrageous. Dealer wanted $1300 for a front brake job. Found a good Indy who did it for $800.
- Another wear item - keep all four wheels aligned and the tires rotated or the tires will cup.
- Xenon headlamps. I hate these damn things. The driver side ballast over juiced the xenon bulb, blew it up, fogged the inside of the lense, and destroyed the motorized mechanism that operates the brights. Total dealer fix for that is over $1000. This has to be the most expensive blown headlight bulb ever.
- A/C system has a slow leak somewhere and needs a refrigerant top off about every year.
- AM radio reception is terrible. Have had two failed antenna boosters and the reception still stinks after replacing them.

All in all this is an awesome car that is beautiful to look at and a joy to drive, but my experience is that you definitely have to pay to play.
 
G
#27 ·
Not under warranty:
- Replaced something the dealer called a "hot water valve", the failure of which caused all of the coolant to leak out.

It's the heater bypass valve and usually fails after 100K miles
. The part is about $50 and easy to replace yourself.

- New brakes. I know this is a wear and tear item, but beware that rotors and pads for this car are outrageous. Dealer wanted $1300 for a front brake job. Found a good Indy who did it for $800.
A set of Brembo rotors and Akebono front brake pad set is $214 from eEuroparts. Even $800 at an indy sounds outrageous. Brake rotors and pads is usually pretty easy to do yourself.
 
#29 ·
One thing I recall about the brakes, which to Wulf's point I will do myself next time, was that several different rotors are called for depending on the VIN within the 2004 model year. Strange. Of course, I needed the most expensive ones.

I'll shut up now and stop taking the thread of on a tangent. I would still buy this car all over again.
 
#30 ·
You can pull a fuse to turn off the daytime running lights, at least you can in my 01. I don't want my silverstars burning all the time, they are expensive! Also its nice to have the option to sit in your car at night and not have to let everyone within a 5 mile radius know you're there...
 
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