I've been looking for a vehicle to play around with, is a 2002 Saab 9-5 with 170k miles a good option? Guy wants $3,000, he says that it runs good with no major issues.
1. The Saab auto manufacturer went bankrupt in 2011. Although the parts division was separate and is still in operation under another name, after nearly 15 years with no new Saabs produced the market has dwindled and some parts are difficult to find. Mechanics who know how to work on them are also getting tough to find.
2. The car is 24 years old. You can bet that it's going to have issues, some of which may be major, just due to age. You cannot trust anything the seller tells you.
Saabs are niche, enthusiast vehicles that still have an active community around them for support. However unless you are already into those cars it's not a good choice, especially if the intent is to use one as a daily driver. (I say this as someone who has been driving Saabs for over 40 years and still daily drives one. However I know how to work on them, know where to get support, and have other vehicles available if I need to wait for parts.)
If you decide to buy (might be OK as a weekend toy, with the caveats mentioned) be sure to have it checked out before purchase, preferably by a mechanic familiar with Saabs. There is still a thin network of "official" Saab service centers. If one is located near you they might be able to do a pre-purchase inspection:
https://saabparts.com/us/book-a-service/
You would also want to join an enthusiast group for support, for example:
https://www.saabnet.com/tsn/bb/general
https://www.saabcentral.com/forums/
https://saabworld.net/forum.php
The Saab Workshop Information System used by the dealers for diagnosis and repair is available online:
Some Saab factory parts are still available here:
