Warranty Checklist

['039-3OKC]

This is a great idea. Will help me know what to look for as a new owner! .......and help me deal with my dealer

[K03 sport]

Originally Posted by cardsharp

I just had my 2003 9-3 in for warranty work and asked about the oxidized exterior door handles. They said it's just normal wear and tear and that the fading handles are not covered (except for the first few thousand miles).

Does anyone have a TRUE definitin of "normal wear and tear"?
If the seat stiching comes appart, is that "normal wear and tear"? - How many seats do you know of that come apart at the seams? None that I've seen...

Is paint fading in the sun "normal wear and tear"? Granted, cars spend a lot of time outside, but can paint fading be normal? This also goes for those door handles. (Has anyone tried UV blocking protectant on the handles to keep them from fading?)

Does the dealer, Saab, or GM have a definition of "normal wear and tear"? Or is it all left up to the dealer to determine the condition since they are the ones that will have to front the bill before presenting the claim to Saab?

Also...don't radio buttons wear down from normal use? Tires wear down, so can radio buttons wear down too???

Best of luck gettin all of your issues fixed.

[SMHarman]

Originally Posted by K03 sport

Does anyone have a TRUE definitin of "normal wear and tear"?

• Damage to the condition of an asset which results from use and the passage of time.
  www.titlecorockies.com/dictionary_n.htm
• That physical deterioration which occurs in the normal course of the use for which a property is intended, without negligence, carelessness, accident or abuse of the premises (or equipment or chattels) by the occupant, members of household, or their invitees or guests.
  www.bthurston.com/Real_Estate_Dictionary/page_644889.html

• Physical depreciation arising from age and ordinary use of the property.
  www.peakagents.ca/glossary/n4.htm

• Originally Posted by K03 sport

  If the seat stiching comes appart, is that "normal wear and tear"? - How many seats do you know of that come apart at the seams? None that I've seen...

  So that is not normal wear and tear, you should expect a drivers seat to last - taking into account the caveats above, say 100k miles which might be considered the usual design life of a car, certainly the design life that Saab will warranty to.

Originally Posted by K03 sport

Is paint fading in the sun "normal wear and tear"? Granted, cars spend a lot of time outside, but can paint fading be normal? This also goes for those door handles. (Has anyone tried UV blocking protectant on the handles to keep them from fading?)

Yes but again when, some paint colours are more suceptable to fade than others, red being a colour that is particularly susceptale, that said again it should not fade during the wwty life of the car. Re door handles, there is a known faulty batch and these are a wwty item if your car has the right VIN number.

Originally Posted by K03 sport

Does the dealer, Saab, or GM have a definition of "normal wear and tear"? Or is it all left up to the dealer to determine the condition since they are the ones that will have to front the bill before presenting the claim to Saab?

Well you can appeal to someone further up the Saab chain but yes, however it is in the dealers interest to get these things through wwty as it means the cars coming back to them for trade in are in better shape to get out of the door

Originally Posted by K03 sport

Also...don't radio buttons wear down from normal use? Tires wear down, so can radio buttons wear down too???

Best of luck gettin all of your issues fixed.

Yes, but you expect to replace tyres every say 10k miles, you expect to replace radio buttons less often or for them to last the build life of the car.

['039-3OKC]

you replace the tires every 10K??? My Goodness! I've never had low profile tires before. I knew the tire life would be maybe 25Kish, but wow....Normally go between 60K-70K with a set of 16' rims and reg tires

[Rentokil]

Wing mirror "mounts"

I had my door handles replaced under warranty due to fading no problem at all. While I was at the dealer I had a moan about the wing mirror "mounts" where the mirror meets the car. the mounts were fading the same way as the door handles. The dealer wasn't happy, but I argued that if the door handles were covered under warranty then so should the mirror mounts. I got a grunt from the service manager but he buckled under my supreme logic.

The car looks brand new again.

[pumawrestler09]

Hello, I recently read your forum and wanted to reply as quickly as possible. I have been doing much research on the Saab 9-3 2.0. I have been looking for quality comfort, you know, what everyone looks for. Your forum kinda scared me because i really like this car and wish for their to be NOTHING wrong with it haha. I have a few questions. How long have you had your saab? and how long did you have it before these problems started happening? Has the car served to generally be reliable. Please give me your whole thoughts toward the car and the statistics if you have the time.

please repost or give your answers to my email pumawrestler09@yahoo.com that would be much appreciated.

[Hawaii 9-3]

Originally Posted by cardsharp

I just had my 2003 9-3 in for warranty work and asked about the oxidized exterior door handles. They said it's just normal wear and tear and that the fading handles are not covered (except for the first few thousand miles).

Has anyone else had any luck getting the handles replaced? My handles are starting to look like a set of dried bones. (A cool look for the halloween season, though.)

The service manager at my dealership replaced them, no problem. That's not normal wear and tear, I had mine replaced after 2 1/2 years. It is a known defect and you shouldn't have to deal with that.

[Rfreeman11]

Originally Posted by cardsharp

I just had my 2003 9-3 in for warranty work and asked about the oxidized exterior door handles. They said it's just normal wear and tear and that the fading handles are not covered (except for the first few thousand miles).

Has anyone else had any luck getting the handles replaced? My handles are starting to look like a set of dried bones. (A cool look for the halloween season, though.)

I would try another dealer, I have 2 in my area, and both of them are well aware of the fading issue, and that Saab will replace the door handles. Wear and tear, that is a joke the door handles have been discussed on these boards for sometime, its NOT wear and Tear. Be careful that if you do get them replaced that you check the function of them BEFORE you leave service to make sure that they put them back in correctly and didn't break any of the retaining tabs, there is nothing worse than being unable to open the car door.

[sakamuras]

Any way to score a new Aero front spoiler lip through warranty?

[Bishop I]

Sakamuras,

I tried to repair the front spoiler on my Saab, but unfortunatley the Saab Dealer simply stated that is not on them nor is it a mechanical problem. I ust got the car just over a month ago and there was a screw that snapped off from the front right passenger spoiler kit (Inside the wheel well). All I wanted them to do is simply re-attached the screw to the spolier, it is not visible but I havr the warranty so of course I want Saab to care of it. So I continued to press simply stating that if it snapped off and it is a Dealer i6ssue, but they took me to the garage and lifted the car to show me that the fron spolier had a few scrapes and blamed it on that. I could of came back with I just got the car and there is no way I think I can win that argument. Besdes you want to develope some friendly relationship with the dealer. So as it stands just looking for another alternative to re-attach that screw. But if there is a way the Dealer will have to be down with that.

[Alex D]

Doors falling off
Hoods and trunklids launching into the air
Engines fusing with transmissions
Drivers ejecting through the sun roof

These cars sure have their share of small problems

[wassallj]

My 2003 9-3ss had the power steering pump fail about 5k out of warranty. The pump was leaking lots of fluid and it cost almost $500 to replace it. I was kicking myself because it had been leaking for a while and I forgot to tell the dealer about it when I took it in at 50k miles. Today I was going through my receipts and found one from 38k miles where I told them the power steering pump was leaking. They said they reseated the cap and checked it over and it was fine. This is documented on the receipt. Do you think the dealer can, or will, get my repair covered under warranty if I show them it was a problem before it went out of warranty?

[knicker26]

Originally Posted by cardsharp

I just had my 2003 9-3 in for warranty work and asked about the oxidized exterior door handles. They said it's just normal wear and tear and that the fading handles are not covered (except for the first few thousand miles).

Has anyone else had any luck getting the handles replaced? My handles are starting to look like a set of dried bones. (A cool look for the halloween season, though.)

My door handles were replaced under warranty. Door handles should not fade in 3 years.

[USAF - 1]

What about fogging headlamp assemblies? I have a slight fogging, not too bad but it looks bad in the sun. This should be replaced under warranty right? I polish mine with Plexus and they are immaculate except for all of the haze building up on the inside. Anyone had any trouble getting this replaced under warranty? Seems unacceptable for 40k miles.

[shep]

Is eveyone happy with the 9-3 or should I stick with a subaru?

[Geordiephil]

I've just had the driver side road spring replaced on my 53 plate 93 ss Vector - the dealer also replaced the front driver wing and repsrayed due to them crashing teh car coming out of the valleting bay.. The car also broke down 3 days after I bought it due to

my 05 93ss Aero convertible is having the dash surround, air con unit and door mirrors replaced under warranty as they are showing signs of peeiling and or fading.

I've just had the driver side road spring replaced on my 53 plate 93 ss Vector tid- the dealer also replaced the front driver wing and repsrayed due to them crashing teh car coming out of the valleting bay.. The car also broke down 3 days after I bought it due to turbo valve failure

These two cars are number 6 and 7 in SAAB ownership and the only ones I have had issues with.

[SMHarman]

Originally Posted by Geordiephil

I've just had the driver side road spring replaced on my 53 plate 93 ss Vector tid

Don't springs need to be replaced in pairs so they wear together? Like brake pads, tyres and other suspension parts?

[Geordiephil]

Valid point and one I will raise with the dealer today..

I do feel that some of SAABs standards are slipping somewhat. I had an 02 3dr AERO and it seemed to be far better engineered than either of these two.

I'm going to be replacing both cars within the next three months and although I have been offered a good deal from my local dealer, I'm looking at other brands now.

I used to enjoy the "quirkiness" of the SAAB brand and how it refused to conform with the other brands out there. I've had several BMW's and Mercedes as well as a Porsche Boxster S, yet my good old SAAB 9-3 AERO 3dr always made me smile that little bit more.

It's a shame really ....

[nvythisAero]

Did anyone get the "Zillon Protection" for the exterior and interior. I got a 5year warrenty with it and the dealer said that if the paint got messed up from bird crap to sun fadding and any stain that could not be removed would be taken care of. I am coming up on my 30k mile service and will check out to confirm if these issues of fading and such are indeed covered.

[tjd2pdx]

Originally Posted by USAF - 1

What about fogging headlamp assemblies? I have a slight fogging, not too bad but it looks bad in the sun. This should be replaced under warranty right? I polish mine with Plexus and they are immaculate except for all of the haze building up on the inside. Anyone had any trouble getting this replaced under warranty? Seems unacceptable for 40k miles.

I also have fogging in one headlamp. Anyone know the cause? Is it fixable under warranty?