F?@*%$£ car fails yet again!

[Max Headroom]

There was talk of the CIM being suspect (as I understand it, it's is part of the steering lock mechanism) that was £450(!!!!) and, according to Oxford more worryingly, completely unavailable!

So it beggars the question - where is the spares backup we were all assured of when SAAB folded?

[jmblack]

After a gentleman kindly rear ended my car, repairer couldn't get hold of a rear light cluster for a 2009 estate - not a particularly specialist part! - anywhere. Ended up getting a s/h one. Not encouraging and suggests higher than ever risk of write off a after accidents as low values and scarce parts conspire together.

[Norfolk Jim]

Sorry to hear of your problems Max but that was another reason for selling my 9-5 as I was worried parts would become unavailable or over priced.

Before selling mine I noticed the xenon's would flicker up and down a bit when stationary making wonder if the pins on the loom were about to give up. I had one done when I bought the car and therefore suspect the other was on way out. Last year they were hard to get hold of so what's it like now and with no levelling system the car would surely fail MOT next time around?

As mentioned it makes you wonder now if Neo's will up their prices knowing many will rely on them?

Hope you find a few more in Bahrain..................

[Audax]

9-3 parts like the CIM and ignition switch have had poor/sporadic availability for at least 2 years now. The 9-5 doesn't have anything that is one use only (apart from maybe the airbag control modules but they hardly fail) and is quite reliable overall with the common parts being available third party so parts availability shouldn't be so much of a problem.