Saab suspends all warranty coverage, cars to be sold as-is.

[kraut_pauer79]

According to a leaked memo to Saab dealers obtained by Autoblog, the bankrupt automaker is ceasing all warranty coverage on its vehicles in North America.

The memo was sent out Monday following a Swedish court's approval of Saab's bankruptcy petition and – as we suspected – all new vehicles will be sold "as is."

The North American branch of Saab also is suspending the payment of new car, powertrain, emissions and parts warranties, along with recall campaigns, certified pre-owned coverage and no-charge maintenance programs.

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/20/s...-is/#continued

[Lifelong Obsession]

I wonder if there are any reasonably priced aftermarket warranties?

[GoFaster]

I wonder if there are any reasonably priced aftermarket warranties?

Companies offering aftermarket warranties would be well advised to decline to provide coverage at all.

It's also rather likely that all Saab-specific parts will become "no longer available" very shortly. A lot of the mechanical parts on late models are GM, but not all.

Anything left on dealer's lots is going to have to be sold very, very cheaply. Anyone buying one ought to assume that the resale value will be next to nothing.

[someguy123]

I wouldn't touch any of these cars with a stick now.

[svantevid]

in

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[Yo Teach]

Yeah, I wouldn't buy one, which is unfortunate considering how good the prices will be.

[Egz]

I wouldn't touch any of these cars with a stick now.

What about the ones with an automatic?

[Sporin]

How can they break existing warranty contracts on cars already sold? I smell a class action lawsuit coming.

Glad I didn't bite on that 9-3 SportCombi last year (even then, heavily discounted)

[Air and water do mix]

in

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Took me a sec.

[Air and water do mix]

How can they break existing warranty contracts on cars already sold? I smell a class action lawsuit coming.

Glad I didn't bite on that 9-3 SportCombi last year (even then, heavily discounted)

If the company is liquidated, whom do you sue? Müller?

[VarianceVQ]

If you think of them as brand-new "mechanic specials", they'd be a good deal.

Seriously, why not if you can tackle the work yourself?

[Yo Teach]

If you think of them as brand-new "mechanic specials", they'd be a good deal.

Seriously, why not if you can tackle the work yourself?

We're not worried about changing the brakes. It's the big stuff. I can't do an engine rebuild. Even those here who can will not be able to find parts. It sucks, though, because I would seriously consider buying a heavily discounted Saab.

[Sporin]

If the company is liquidated, whom do you sue?

Oh, I understand that, just thinking out loud.

After a re-read I'm not sure this applies to already sold cars BUT even if you have a car in hand already, it sounds like you'll be up ***'s creek for parts and warranty service down the line.

At least when GM axed Saturn, Geo, and Pontiac, they had systems in place to take care of owners long into the future (mostly due to parts sharing). Chyrster took care of Plymouth owners as well.

If you bought a new Saab recently, my guess is, you just got 'ed

[Double-V]

A friend of mine just got a new 9-3 Sportcombi with a bunch of cash off last week. I wonder if they will try to retroactively suspend his warranty. I wonder if he can suspend his payments.

[Air and water do mix]

Oh, I understand that, just thinking out loud.

After a re-read I'm not sure this applies to already sold cars BUT even if you have a car in hand already, it sounds like you'll be up ***'s creek for parts and warranty service down the line.

At least when GM axed Saturn, Geo, and Pontiac, they had systems in place to take care of owners long into the future (mostly due to parts sharing). Chyrster took care of Plymouth owners as well.

If you bought a new Saab recently, my guess is, you just got 'ed

Correctamundo. [/Fonzie]

[robhurlburt]

"Saab owners should be advised to keep receipts of all related warranty work done or services performed until further notice," Saab Cars North America said.

ehh....why?

[classicjetta]

"Saab owners should be advised to keep receipts of all related warranty work done or services performed until further notice," Saab Cars North America said.

ehh....why?

Warranty claims are another nose at the trough in bankruptcy. If they get enough from the liquidation process, they'll have some money to cover it, at least for a while. Thus, owners may get reimbursed down the line, but given that "goodwill" is academic, I don't see it happening.

[AutoUnion32]

I wonder if there are any reasonably priced aftermarket warranties?

If Saab dealers, themselves, will have trouble getting parts for these cars soon, why would you think an aftermarket company could get parts?

aftermarket warranties are just as useless

[Brendan@bwalkauto]

Anyone buying one ought to assume that the resale value will be next to nothing.

And that's a new thing?

[24VWVR6sc]

That means current Saab owners should cease payment on a purchase since they can no longer find replacement parts. Or better yet reimburse the purchase price on a vehicle. I blame GM for this mess.

[strapontin]

Just emailed the local dealers to see what kind of deals they were willing to give...

[SuperGroove]

Just emailed the local dealers to see what kind of deals they were willing to give...

the local dealer mysteriously stays open, yet I never see anyone on the premises...

[Air and water do mix]

Just emailed the local dealers to see what kind of deals they were willing to give...

I don't know if I wanna give my local dealer my e-mail address!

[Air and water do mix]

And that's a new thing?

Ouch!

[IronJoe]

This actually makes me want one more.


WTF?

[Brendan@bwalkauto]

I don't know if I wanna give my local dealer my e-mail address!

I always make a new email account, and have it forward to my usual one. VWShopping@gmail.com or what not. I shop my competition all the time, and I have dummy email addresses and Google Voice numbers that forward to an office line here that I dedicate to this. Never give a dealer your personal information till you're ready to buy.

[silverlegacy]

This actually makes me want one more.


WTF?

Me too... but only at the idea that they might become really, really cheap. I would trade my Subaru (9-10k trade in on the low side) plus maybe a few grand for a new 9-3 sportcombi with no warranty.

[P-Body]

A 9-5 is a much bigger risk than a 9-3 I'd think...at least the 9-3 has been sold for a long time and has a built in support network worldwide.

[GoFaster]

How can they break existing warranty contracts on cars already sold? I smell a class action lawsuit coming.

Bankruptcy. The business entity responsible for providing that warranty coverage up until now, no longer exists. Bankruptcy voids all contracts including those for warranty coverage.

After a re-read I'm not sure this applies to already sold cars BUT even if you have a car in hand already, it sounds like you'll be up ***'s creek for parts and warranty service down the line.

If you bought a new Saab recently, my guess is, you just got 'ed

Yup. Drive the car as long as it keeps working. When something breaks for whatever reason, fix it using parts cannibalized from others (or from GM cars for the parts that cross over), because there won't be a friendly local dealer to buy replacement parts from. When that source of parts dries up, drive the car until it won't go any more, then it's scrap metal.

A friend of mine just got a new 9-3 Sportcombi with a bunch of cash off last week. I wonder if they will try to retroactively suspend his warranty. I wonder if he can suspend his payments.

His warranty is now void because there's no longer any way to support it. But I doubt if he can suspend his payments, since those are most likely being made to a finance company independent of Saab.

If you think of them as brand-new "mechanic specials", they'd be a good deal.

Seriously, why not if you can tackle the work yourself?

Unavailability of replacement parts. What happens if you are in a minor collision and can't get a new fender? Only choice is to get a used one from a junkyard, except that there isn't exactly an abundance of these cars out there.

How many Daewoo cars do you see out there on the roads? Same situation. Those owners got orphaned, too.

[vrsexxy_GTI]

Well i just sold my Saab, glad i'm out of this mess.

[what]

Another reason to dislike GM.

[MCTB]

I wonder if there are any reasonably priced aftermarket warranties?

Why would anyone do this? Audi is still around but try getting one for an allroad. They do the math better than anyone.


My question is parts supply. If you can DIY then this could be a deal but if the parts supply dries up too, then why own one of these? Isnt there a 10- 15 year requirement by law to supply replacement parts or something like that? I know Tata is already phasing out a lot of parts supply for LR D1s.

I see much trouble with the company under this law: Magnuson–Moss Warranty Act

[Beanboy]

How were most Saabs financed?

Wonder how much a repo'd 2012 9-5 would be worth at auction, hehe.

[silverlegacy]

Another reason to dislike GM.

Don't see any reason to hate GM here. They say they will cover Saabs that were sold under their umbrella, and they don't have to give away their IP to China. Who just put import duties on them. Why help out your competition?

[Turq]

How many Daewoo cars do you see out there on the roads? Same situation. Those owners got orphaned, too.

Quite a few, actually. But then, the midwest is the land of beaters.