This problem was fixed on the 9000s and the new 900s. The ball joints seem to wear out by 75,000 to 100,000 miles. The hood releases and catches do a great job, but they are not made for the gorilla who slams the hood shut cockeyed and bends the heck out of everything. Last, but not least, the transmissions can be troublesome at times. Manual transmissions tend to have a pinion bearing whine, especially in 1988 and earlier models, that is most noticeable at about 50 miles per hour when slowly accelerating and decelerating.
Automatics tend to have a soft, slippery shift into second gear or passing gear.
Two things are the biggest factors here. The first is regular service of the oil and proper band and throttle valve adjustments. A continual heavy foot when driving, towing or getting in a hurry and keeping your foot pedal mashed to the floor will ruin any transmission, including SAAB s. Again, any transmission cannot survive misuse. I am not picking on the 900, but these are some things I have noticed that seem to recur on 900's.