“A sob story.”
An Illinois auto parts shop has posted the story of a car that shouldn’t be memorable but somehow is: a 2004 Saab 9-5 that a customer recently brought in to be junked.
Auto Parts City (@autopartscityin) shared the story on Facebook, stating that the owner had purchased the Saab brand new in 2003 and arrived with a lengthy list of grievances. According to the worker who took it in, the customer claimed “everything” was wrong with the car.
But the employee didn’t see it that way.
“My first impression is, it’s not that bad in here,” he says. The Saab still started, had just over 150,000 miles, and ran smoothly. After scanning it, he found “nothing major” wrong—surprising for a 21-year-old car that originally cost just over $43,000. That left him with a dilemma: junk it or give it another shot at life through an auction?
As of this writing, more than 310,000 people had watched him debate the car’s fate.
“A SOB STORY. I can’t decide whether this Saab 9-5 deserves a second chance or the crusher,” Auto Parts City writes in the caption.
“This is one of those cars I’m on the fence on,” the auto worker admits. “Maybe you can send this to an auction, or maybe you can resell this to somebody, but for what price? Or do you just send it straight to the crusher?”
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To help break the tie, he recruited a friend to take the Saab for a spin.
Their immediate read: “It’s not that bad.”
They even ran it through a car wash, only for the real issues to start revealing themselves—rust, fading paint, an air conditioning system that didn’t work, and brake lights that wouldn’t turn off.
“Trying to sell this car to an individual is impossible,” he says, adding that the only realistic options were the crusher or an auctioneer.
“Selling this car to a private party is not an option,” he adds, noting that buyers would gripe endlessly about the flaws.
But despite the mounting cons, he ultimately opted to give the old Saab one more chance to find a home. Instead of sending it to be crushed, he chose to send it “up to the auction.”
In an emailed statement to Motor1, Jim from Auto Parts City stated that the Saab was sold at a dealer auction for $1,000. After fees, he says he netted $800—”which means we doubled our money,” Jim says.
“Much easier sending to an auction than dealing directly with a consumer on an inexpensive vehicle like this,” he added. “Even after disclosing all issues to a retail customer, they would still find something to complain about.”
So what makes a Saab 9-5 such a big deal, and why was it such a tough decision whether to send the car to be crushed or resell it at an auction? Well, for many enthusiasts, it comes down to the mix of personality and engineering that has long defined Saab cars.
The 9-5 looks unassuming, but they claim that once you drive one, you get why people fall for them.
Saab leaned hard into turbocharged power, and owners love that you can get solid performance without burning through fuel. The handling holds up, too. It’s a comfortable car, but it still feels planted on the road.
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Inside, the cockpit wraps around the driver, and the night panel button dims the dash, leaving only essential information illuminated. It’s a small thing, but it’s that kind of attention to detail that Saab die-hards gush over.
The seats are also famously comfortable, according to some car enthusiasts. Then there’s the sleeper appeal. A 9-5 doesn’t look flashy, yet it performs exceptionally well.
That, plus Saab’s cult following, is why the 9-5 still stands out as one of the brand’s most beloved classics.
Viewers flocked to the Auto Parts City video with one shared takeaway: anyone would be lucky to get their hands on this 21-year-old Saab. Some even tried to claim it on the spot.
“I’ll give two hundred more than you bought it for, no questions asked,” one person said.
Many chimed in that the car wouldn’t sit long if it hit the auction block, especially with Saab fans watching.
“Yes, definitely auction,” someone urged. “For $800, it could be someone’s pride and joy.”
Another viewer pointed out the obvious draw.
“Considering the Saab cult following, there’s a good chance to sell that complete,” they noted.
A different commenter emphasized just how valuable those parts could be.
“Saab has a cult following with parts being virtually IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND,” they wrote. “Somebody might buy it as a parts car. It would be a big waste of good parts to smush it.”
Others were confident Saab die-hards would scoop it up.
“Saab guys will happily take the car lol,” one person said. “Someone will either buy it or drive, or buy it to swap their non-aero. Either way, it would go.”
Plenty begged the auto worker not to send it to the crusher.
“Auction, I think that’s the correct turbo engine that people build,” one commenter said. “Those things are very stout.”
Another pushed the same message.
“Send it to an auction,” they wrote. “Someone might need parts and motor.”
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