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FX53 LME

2003 Saab 9-3

Black Petrol 1998cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires7 Dec 2026
Tests27 (20 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate74.1%

Mileage

146,638 mi
Last recorded146,638 miles
Recorded on5 Dec 2025
Typical for 2003 Saab 9-385,740 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Saab
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationFX53 LME
MakeSaab
Model9-3
Year2003
ColourBlack
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,998cc

All premium checks include

50+ data points
Finance Check (Experian) Insurance Write-off Salvage Auction Stolen Check Previous Owners Ex-Taxi, Police, NHS Mileage Anomaly Import / Export Scrapped Check Plate Changes

MOT History

20 pass 7 fail
Pass 5 Dec 2025 146,638 miles

Brake pedal wearing smooth (1.1.2 (c))

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Nearside Rear Lower Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Offside Rear Lower Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Fail 5 Dec 2025 146,638 miles

Brake pedal wearing smooth (1.1.2 (c))

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Nearside Rear Lower Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Offside Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect (4.1.2 (c))

Offside Rear Lower Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 30 Nov 2024 145,560 miles
Pass 23 Nov 2023 141,791 miles

Front Anti-roll bar corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Shock absorbers has slight external damage to the casing corrosion (5.3.2 (b))

Nearside Rear Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Offside Front Shock absorbers has slight external damage to the casing corrosion (5.3.2 (b))

Pass 8 Dec 2022 140,426 miles

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Fail 7 Dec 2022 140,426 miles

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear Tyre obviously under inflated (5.2.3 (l))

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 18 Nov 2021 137,559 miles

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Fail 17 Nov 2021 137,559 miles

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Nearside Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 26 Nov 2020 136,199 miles
Pass 2 Dec 2019 133,212 miles

Nearside Front Lower Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Fail 20 Nov 2019 133,208 miles

Nearside Rear Service brake excessively binding (1.2.1 (f))

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Lower Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Pass 4 Dec 2018 127,624 miles

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Pass 1 Dec 2017 121,755 miles

Nearside Front Lower Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Rear Tyre worn slightly more so on inner edge of tread surface area

Offside Rear Tyre worn slightly more so on inner edge of tread surface area

Pass 25 Nov 2016 114,219 miles
Fail 25 Nov 2016 114,214 miles

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Pass 24 Nov 2015 106,731 miles
Pass 29 Nov 2014 97,178 miles
Pass 30 Nov 2013 86,557 miles
Fail 23 Nov 2013 86,091 miles

Offside Headlamp aim beam image obviously incorrect (1.8.A.1b)

Pass 30 Nov 2012 78,324 miles
Pass 26 Nov 2011 73,067 miles

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Pass 30 Nov 2010 66,567 miles
Fail 29 Nov 2010 66,565 miles

Offside Rear Suspension arm has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Rear Suspension arm has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Pass 1 Dec 2009 56,998 miles
Pass 21 Nov 2008 48,132 miles

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Pass 3 Dec 2007 39,214 miles
Pass 13 Nov 2006 28,455 miles

How Reliable is the Saab 9-3?

Based on 2,294,034 MOT tests across 155,316 vehicles.

73.6%
Pass Rate
6,682
Miles/Year
28
Year Lifespan
155,316
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 75,543
coil spring broken 47,423
position lamp(s) not working 38,332
Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively 35,584
Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick 34,513
Full Saab 9-3 reliability report

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FX53 LME is a 2003 Saab 9-3 in Black with a 1,998cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 74.1%.

Across all 2003 Saab 9-3 models, the average MOT pass rate is 73.0% with a typical mileage of 85,740 miles. This particular vehicle has performed better than the average for its year.

The most common reason a Saab 9-3 fails its MOT is tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, accounting for 75,543 recorded failures. If you're considering buying FX53 LME, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The Saab 9-3 typically stays on UK roads for around 28 years. At 23 years old, this Saab 9-3 is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of FX53 LME?

You can check the full history of FX53 LME by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was FX53 LME registered?

FX53 LME is a 2003 Saab 9-3, first registered on 5 December 2003.

Is FX53 LME safe to buy?

The MOT history for FX53 LME shows 27 tests with a 74.1% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does FX53 LME have outstanding finance?

Finance checks require a premium vehicle report. This checks against all major UK finance providers to see if there is any outstanding finance on FX53 LME. If you buy a car with outstanding finance, the finance company can repossess it.

No warranty or guarantee of accuracy is provided for any free data on this page. The data guarantee applies only to information obtained through the purchase of a full check.