Tonneau Latches stuck in "locked" position

Release both motors, remove the plastic cover located in the middle of the top inside. Put a hex bit in your cordless drill and unscrew in reverse until the top latches are released from the top.
Then it basically takes two people to fold back the top. Unfortunately with a fully automatic top you likely won't be able to engage the tonneau so don't plan on driving on the highway.

This happened to me the other day! My husband took into Kia dealership only to be told they'd need it for a few hours, might have to take the whole seat apart, then resulting in labor charges!
This morning my dad came over with solutions he'd found online involving the use of a broomstick or rake. That didn't work. You first have to slide the whole seat in the forward position, so the metal tracking behind the seat is exposed. Next locate the cable cord on the inside of this track. My dad then took a long, flat head screwdriver, placed it under then cable and pushed it upwards/forwards-which released the rear latches and then I pulled the lever and we pushed the seat out!! Hope this helps!


Slide seat forward so the rear track

You could check the top latch position sensor and convertible top control module....if the motors are fried replacing them is very expensive....

Check the Top Latch Position Switch/Sensor and the Convertible Top Control Module....not a cheap fix!

I just went through HELL because my top would not go down! I did EVERY possible solution with NO AVAIL! So anyway, Im in the trunk and noticed a baggy sack hanging in the trunk.. So I figured it was for the roof.. Anyway the sack has 2 straps to hold it up for more room when the top is UP. So I said "I Wonder...." I released the straps and the bag hung again, and GUESS WHAT? Yea the roof works!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The convertible top motor and release lever are in the luggage compartment.
From the Bentley manual, the following general procedure is suggested in order to close the top in an emergency situation.
Main motor. To release the top linkage from the motor, lift the left corner of the rear seat to access emergency release handle.
It is then possible to push the top manually to a near closed position. In case of the semi-automatic top, simply attach and lock the front latches.
Front latches. Once the fully automatic convertible top has been released from the motor and manually pushed to near-closure, emergency latching of the top is possible by using the S-shaped hex key provided in the emergency tool kit(attached to the trunk lid underside).
First, remove the the plastic cover over the latch motor in the front bow of the convertible top.
Next, use the hex key from the tool box to crank the front latches shut.

There are numerous technical service bulletins issued for the top. The list with the full TSBs is here.

There is a manual release behind the rear seat on the passenger side. Pulling it releases the tonneau motor plate away from the gears, allowing top to be raised and lowered manually.Once this release is used, the back bottom edge of the top will never seat against the tonneau again until the top is repaired.

The 94-98 Saab 900 cars have numerous top issues that are known. The primary issue is the design of the convertible top Tonneau motor that is located in the right rear quarter panel behind the light. The problem with the original motors was that there was not enough strength in the housing that held the motor to support the top movement because the teeth on the gear drive would get chewed up when the motor moved out of position. The failure of the Tonneau motor causes the top to chatter about half way up or down because the teeth of the motor gears would get chipped off. Replacement of the gears or replacement of the motor is the only repair and the convertible top Control module must be programmed after the repair by someone with a Saab Tech 2 computer tool which is used to program the top potentiometer settings. If you catch this problem early enough it can be repaired by using the bracket reinforcement kit.
Check latches is also a common failure which displays on the Saab Information Display (SID) Generally, this failure is due to problems with the micro-switch located in the latches that secure the convertible top when up.
Another issue with the convertible tops has been the control module that controls the top electronically. The major problem with this is device is that it looses the ability to communicate with the Saab tech 2 tools. This problem appears to have been solved in the newest versions of the ECM.
This TSB covers the known issues with NG 900 vert tops. There are numerous others for the 9-3 tops.