Need your help on this one, because it's the difference between keeping my
1993 9000CDE with 41K miles on it or selling it. According to this:Many automatic owners feel that the Saab is the best automatic transmission they've ever driven, as far as performance is concerned. So if you must have an automatic, it's a good one; just be prepared to replace it at some point. And it is pretty expensive. No, honestly, it typically is damned expensive.
The moral of the story appears to be this: The Saab automatic transmission will benefit from being driven gently, and maintenance probably won't make up for driving abuse. Even if you maintain it religiously and drive it gently, the outcome is uncertain. If you want to drive a Saab the way it begs to be driven (turbo, anyway), then buy a
5-speed. Symptoms: Erratic behavior of any and all kinds - won't go into gear; hard shifts; erratic, jerky shifts; shifting too soon; shifting too late. Has been known to fail completely with no warning whatsoever.Preventive maintenance: Buy a 5-speed. If you do buy the auto trans, change the fluid and filter at least every 24000 miles.