Nothing Lasts Forever, but Your Saab Might (if You Sign on to a New Parts Warranty)

by Steph Willems

Published: February 19th, 2018

nothing lasts forever but your saab might if you sign on to a new parts warranty

One day, if we’re lucky, we’ll see a documentary showcasing old Saabs in their natural habitat. The slinky 9-3 plying the interstate between Burlington, Vermont and the Connecticut coast, a valiant 9000 prowling between a Denver lawyer’s office and home, and a black 900 convertible sneaking up on a rural farmers’ market.

David Attenborough will handle narration duties.

Until that time, we can draw comfort that a conservation program exists to keep this extinct brand on the road. Started last fall by the defunct automaker’s official parts supplier, the warranty program means Saab owners in the United States, Britain, and the brand’s Swedish homeland can look forward to smaller maintenance bills in the future.

How this slipped past us, we’ll never know. The “Parts for Life” initiative, launched by Orio North America (exclusive supplier of Saab Original parts) back in September, offers owners a lifetime warranty on non-wear items installed at designated Saab service centers. After having a part replaced (at cost), owners can send the bill and part number to Orio, along with their contact information, and receive an unlimited warranty on that item.

Should you require another brake master cylinder, for example, or water pump in the future, Orio has that covered. Orio North America is a subsidiary of state-owned Swedish parts and logistics company Orio AB.

The initiative aligns with Orio’s support of a Swedish nature conservancy. Endangered species, get it? While a list of eligible parts isn’t available on the Parts for Life website, a list of eligible models is. It’s not just late-model Saabs covered by the warranty — owners of everything from the first 92, launched in 1949, to the Detroit-tastic 9-7X. A noticeable (but not surprising) omission is the Subaru-built 9-2X.

Given that the majority of Saab service centers are found at dealerships, and that dealerships make most of their coin through those centers, Orio’s warranty could be a boon for retailers facing declining sales.

“It’s a low-risk, high-image thing,” IHS Markit senior analyst Stephanie Brinley told Automotive News. “It can help highlight the Saab service centers, and it can drive some business there. Saab certainly has a good fan base.”

Orio CEO Tim Colbeck said as much, claiming the initiative aims to “make the dealership the preferred choice of service.”

After declaring bankruptcy in 2011 and disappearing from the marketplace, Saab’s remaining assets were passed around like a joint at Woodstock. A Swedish attempt to keep the 9-3 in production as an electric car also ended in bankruptcy. Currently, an electric version of the Saab 9-3 is anticipated to become the “ national car of Turkey.”

We’re no holding our breath.

#Maintenance #Parts #Saab #Suppliers #Warranty

Steph Willems

More by Steph Willems

Comments

Join the conversation

3 of 25 comments

Don1967 on Feb 19, 2018

Volvo Canada launched a similar program in 2015. https://www.media.volvocars.com/ca/en-ca/media/pressreleases/167805/volvo-cars-of-canada-offers-lifetime-warranty

Like Reply
La834 on Feb 20, 2018

The Saab 9-3 reminds me of the modern equivalent of the Studebaker Avanti, the car that WOULDN'T GO AWAY. Not decades after the original manufacturer croaked, not even after other tiny dompanies tried reviving a car that was uncompetitive even when new. Some little companiy was always building the parts, updating the ancient Nash factory, and upgrading the parts, the faith.

Like Reply
- Shortest Circuit on Feb 20, 2018
  
  Isn't that reassuring though? That people still get passionate about cars appealing to them? They put money and time towards keeping them going despite the best efforts of the beancounters/darkgreens/gov't trying to reduce our automotive experience to a generic bland CUV with 9 airbags? And I'm not even a SAAB fan. (currently building a Volvo 960 to be a T6-powered sleeper)
  
  Like

Recent Comments

El scotto No rag-top, no rag-top(s) = not a prestigious car brand. Think it through. All of the high-end Germans and Lexus have rag-tops. Corvette is really its own brand.World-leading engines. AMG, M, S and well Lexus is third-world tough. GM makes one of the best V-8s in the world in Bowling Green. But nooooo, noooo, we're GM only Corvettes get Corvette engines. Balderdash! I say. Put Corvette engines in the top-tier Cadillacs. I know GM could make a world-class 3.5 liter V-6 but they don't or won't. In the interior everything that gets touched, including your butt, has to feel good. No exceptions.Some think that those who pay above MSRP and brag about it are idiots. Go the opposite direction, and offer an extended 10-year 100,000-mile factory warranty. At a reasonable price. That's Acura's current business model.
Carrera 2014 Toyota Corolla with 192,000 miles bought new. Oil changes every 5,000 miles, 1 coolant flush, and a bunch of air filters and in cabin air filters, and wipers. On my 4th set of tires.Original brake pads ( manual transmission), original spark plugs. Nothing else...it's a Toyota. Did most of oil changes either free at Toyota or myself. Also 3 batteries.2022 Acura TLX A-Spec AWD 13,000 miles now but bought new.Two oil changes...2006 Hyundai Elantra gifted from a colleague with 318,000 when I got it, and 335,000 now. It needed some TLC. A set of cheap Chinese tires ($275), AC compressor, evaporator, expansion valve package ( $290) , two TYC headlights $120, one battery ( $95), two oil changes, air filters, Denso alternator ( $185), coolant, and labor for AC job ( $200).
Mike-NB2 This is a mostly uninformed vote, but I'll go with the Mazda 3 too.I haven't driven a new Civic, so I can't say anything about it, but two weeks ago I had a 2023 Corolla as a rental. While I can understand why so many people buy these, I was surprised at how bad the CVT is. Many rentals I've driven have a CVT and while I know it has one and can tell, they aren't usually too bad. I'd never own a car with a CVT, but I can live with one as a rental. But the Corolla's CVT was terrible. It was like it screamed "CVT!" the whole time. On the highway with cruise control on, I could feel it adjusting to track the set speed. Passing on the highway (two-lane) was risky. The engine isn't under-powered, but the CVT makes it seem that way.A minor complaint is about the steering. It's waaaay over-assisted. At low speeds, it's like a 70s LTD with one-finger effort. Maybe that's deliberate though, given the Corolla's demographic.
Mike-NB2 2019 Ranger - 30,000 miles / 50,000 km. Nothing but oil changes. Original tires are being replaced a week from Wednesday. (Not all that mileage is on the original A/S tires. I put dedicated winter rims/tires on it every winter.)2024 - Golf R - 1700 miles / 2800 km. Not really broken in yet. Nothing but gas in the tank.
SaulTigh I've got a 2014 F150 with 87K on the clock and have spent exactly $4,180.77 in maintenance and repairs in that time. That's pretty hard to beat.Hard to say on my 2019 Mercedes, because I prepaid for three years of service (B,A,B) and am getting the last of those at the end of the month. Did just drop $1,700 on new Michelins for it at Tire Rack. Tires for the F150 late last year were under $700, so I'd say the Benz is roughly 2 to 3 times as pricy for anything over the Ford.I have the F150 serviced at a large independent shop, the Benz at the dealership.