At a glance
- Main WMI
- YS3, Saab Automobile AB, Sweden
- Other Saab WMIs in vPIC
- YK1, JF4, 5S3 and 3G0
- Last Saab VIN filing
- 2012 model year (letter dated September 2011)
- Models in vPIC
- 7: 9-2X, 9-3, 9-4X, 9-5, 9-7X, 900 and 9000
On this page
How to read a Saab VIN
Saab built its VIN around the car line, the trim and restraints, the body, the gearbox and the engine. This is the key from Saab's filing for the 2001 9-3 and 9-5:
| Position | What it holds | Saab's 2001 codes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | World manufacturer identifier | YS3 = Saab Automobile AB, Sweden |
| 4 | Car line | D = 9-3, E = 9-5 |
| 5 | Series and restraints | D = with dual airbags, F = SE with dual airbags, H = Aero (9-5), P = Viggen (9-3) |
| 6 | Body | 3 = 3-door hatchback, 4 = 4-door sedan, 5 = 5-door hatchback (9-3) or wagon (9-5), 7 = convertible |
| 7 | Gearbox | 5 = 5-speed manual, 8 = 4-speed automatic |
| 8 | Engine | E = 2.3L turbo (LPT), G = 2.3L high-output turbo, H = 2.0L turbo, K = 2.0L high-output turbo, Z = 3.0L turbo V6 |
| 9 | Check digit | 0 to 9, or X |
| 10 | Model year | 1 = 2001 |
| 11 | Assembly line | 2 = Trollhättan Line A (9-3), 3 = Trollhättan Line B (9-5), 7 = Nystad, Finland (9-3 convertible and Viggen) |
| 12 to 17 | Serial number | Starts again at 000001 for each assembly line, product line and model year |
Source: Saab Cars USA's 2001 model year VIN filing with NHTSA. Codes in positions 4 to 8 change by year.
Example: a Saab VIN decoded
YS3ED48E513027091 is a 2001 Saab 9-5 sedan that NHTSA crash tested (test 3670). Read with the table above:
- YS3: Saab Automobile AB, Sweden.
- E: 9-5.
- D: dual airbags, no SE or Aero package.
- 4: 4-door sedan.
- 8: 4-speed automatic.
- E: 2.3-liter turbo, the LPT (light-pressure turbo).
- 5: check digit.
- 1: 2001 model year.
- 3: Trollhättan, Line B, where the 9-5 was built.
- 027091: serial number on that line.
NHTSA's vPIC returns the same car: 2001 9-5, sedan, 4 doors, 2.3-liter turbo engine LPT, 4-speed automatic, built by Saab Automobile AB (Line B) in Trollhättan, Sweden. A second test car, YS3DD58H312023834, decodes as a 2001 9-3 five-door hatchback with the standard-output 2.0-liter turbo, from Line A.
What changed in Saab VINs for 2011 and 2012?
Saab's last two filings, for the 2011 and 2012 model years, kept the same layout with new letters. The biggest visible change is position 7. Under the older rules in 49 CFR 565 (now subpart C, for model year 2009 and earlier), positions 6 and 7 on a car had to be numbers, so the 2001 gearbox codes were 5 and 8. For 2010 and later cars the seventh character must be a letter, which tells a decoder the model year code in position 10 belongs to 2010 through 2039. The gearbox codes became letters to match.
| Position | 2011 codes | 2012 codes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (car line) | F = 9-3, G = 9-5 | F = 9-3, G = 9-5 |
| 5 (series and restraints) | A = 9-3 2.0T, C = 9-3 Aero, D = 9-3X, E = 9-3 2.0T convertible, G = 9-3 Aero convertible, N = 9-5 Turbo4, P = 9-5 Turbo6, R = 9-5 Aero | A = 9-3 Turbo4 (any body), C = 9-3 Aero, D = 9-3X, N = 9-5 Turbo4 or Turbo6, R = 9-5 Aero |
| 6 (body) | 4 = 4-door, 5 = 5-door, 7 = 2-door convertible | Same as 2011 |
| 7 (gearbox) | A = 6-speed automatic FWD, B = 6-speed automatic AWD, C = 5-speed automatic FWD, M = 6-speed manual FWD, N = 6-speed manual AWD | A, B, M and N as in 2011 |
| 8 (engine) | J = 2.8L turbo V6 (A28NER), Y = 2.0L turbo (B207R), Z = 2.0L turbo (A20NFT), R = 2.0L turbo E85 (A20NFT/BP) | J, Z and R as in 2011 |
| 10 (model year) | B = 2011 | C = 2012 |
| 11 (plant) | 1 = Trollhättan, 9-3; 4 = Trollhättan, 9-5 | Same as 2011 |
Source: Saab Cars North America's VIN reports to NHTSA dated July 15, 2010 and September 14, 2011.
Why doesn't my Saab VIN start with YS3?
Saab's own filings use YS3 for the 9-3 and 9-5. In 2001 that held even for the convertibles and Viggens assembled in Nystad, Finland, which carry a 7 in position 11 instead. NHTSA's vPIC lists other codes with Saab as the make:
- YK1: Oy Saab Valmet AB, Finland, passenger cars.
- JF4: Fuji Heavy Industries U.S.A. (care of Subaru of America), passenger cars. This is where the Subaru-built 9-2X fits.
- 5S3: General Motors, Saab-badged multipurpose vehicles built in the U.S.
- 3G0: General Motors in Mexico, multipurpose vehicles shared with Holden.
Saab's 2011 and 2012 filings say the 9-4X was built for Saab by General Motors and is covered by GM's VIN report, so its codes come from GM's tables, not Saab's. One lookalike to ignore: searching vPIC for "saab" also finds 1S9098, Saab-Scania of America, a bus maker listed under the Scania make.
Where to find the VIN on a Saab
Look through the windshield at the driver's side of the dashboard. Federal rules require the VIN to be readable there from outside the car on passenger cars and light trucks (49 CFR 565.13(f)). The same number is printed on the certification label in the driver's door opening, near the latch or hinge pillar, along with the month and year of manufacture (49 CFR 567.4). Compare both with the title before you buy, and ask about any mismatch.
Saab models in NHTSA's database
vPIC lists seven Saab models under make ID 572: 9-2X, 9-3, 9-4X, 9-5, 9-7X, 900 and 9000. The 900 and 9000 decode only from the 1981 model year on, when VINs became 17 characters; an older Saab needs the classic car VIN guide.
Saab's GM-era relatives use GM's codes, so a 9-7X shares its layout with GM trucks. For GM's car tables of the same era, see the Pontiac and Oldsmobile guides.