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Y981 OBE

2001 Saab 9-3

Blue Petrol 1985cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires14 May 2027
Tests26 (20 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate76.9%

Mileage

156,135 mi
Last recorded156,135 miles
Recorded on15 May 2026
Typical for 2001 Saab 9-390,711 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationY981 OBE
MakeSaab
Model9-3
Year2001
ColourBlue
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,985cc

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 6 fail
Pass 15 May 2026 156,135 miles

Nearside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Offside Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Pass 27 Feb 2025 155,369 miles

REAR TYRES AGING

Pass 20 Oct 2023 154,622 miles

Offside front bottom ball joint boot poor condition.

Rear exhaust silencer poor condition.

Fail 16 Oct 2023 154,622 miles

Nearside Front Vehicle structure or chassis has excessive corrosion to the extent that overall security or stability of the body is impaired (6.2.2 (d) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Offside front bottom ball joint boot poor condition.

Rear exhaust silencer poor condition.

Pass 5 Oct 2022 153,826 miles

Fron brake discs poor condition.

Rear back exhaust box poor condition.

Rear brake discs poor condition.

Slight coolant leak.

Pass 13 Sep 2021 151,518 miles
Pass 4 Sep 2020 150,817 miles

Nearside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Offside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Pass 9 Sep 2019 149,557 miles
Pass 21 Aug 2018 146,880 miles
Pass 22 Aug 2017 145,206 miles

Steering column top bearing slightly worn (2.1.2c)

Fail 17 Aug 2017 145,198 miles

Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded axel mount (2.4.A.3)

Steering column top bearing slightly worn (2.1.2c)

Pass 24 Jun 2016 142,315 miles
Fail 20 Jul 2015 133,693 miles

Nearside Front Power steering component(s) has slight seepage from a component (2.3.3b)

Nearside Rear Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

Nearside front tyre wearing low and slightly damaged on inner wall.

Offside Front Suspension arm ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

Offside Rear Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

Rear tyres worn on inner shoulders.

Pass 20 Jul 2015 133,693 miles

Nearside Front Power steering component(s) has slight seepage from a component (2.3.3b)

Nearside Rear Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

Nearside front tyre wearing low and slightly damaged on inner wall.

Offside Front Suspension arm ball joint dust cover damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

Rear tyres worn on inner shoulders.

Pass 6 Jun 2014 127,951 miles
Pass 15 Jun 2013 122,596 miles

Exhaust rear silencer outer casing deteriorating

Nearside Front Shock absorber has slight corrosion to the casing (2.7.2a)

Offside Front Shock absorber has slight corrosion to the casing (2.7.2a)

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

Fail 8 Jun 2013 122,526 miles

Nearside Front Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Front Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Exhaust rear silencer outer casing deteriorating

Nearside Front Shock absorber has slight corrosion to the casing (2.7.2a)

Offside Front Shock absorber has slight corrosion to the casing (2.7.2a)

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

Pass 8 Jun 2012 113,180 miles

front tyre size is incorrect

Fail 8 Jun 2012 113,180 miles

Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Nearside Headlamp excessively deteriorated so that the light output is severely reduced (1.7.5a)

front tyre size is incorrect

Pass 10 Jun 2011 106,896 miles

front tyres different size to rear

n-s h/lamp dim

n-s-r tyre wearing unevenly

Pass 3 Jun 2010 98,815 miles
Pass 15 May 2009 89,885 miles

Offside Front Service brake: service brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

steering rack mounting points weak.

Fail 15 May 2009 89,885 miles

Nearside Windscreen wiper blade insecure (8.2.2)

Offside Front Service brake: service brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

Offside Rear Shock absorber insecure (2.7.2b)

Offside Windscreen wiper blade insecure (8.2.2)

steering rack mounting points weak.

Pass 6 Jun 2008 78,732 miles

Offside Rear Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Pass 5 Jun 2007 69,486 miles
Pass 12 Jul 2006 58,331 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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Y981 OBE is a 2001 Saab 9-3 in Blue with a 1,985cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 26 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 76.9%.

Across all 2001 Saab 9-3 models, the average MOT pass rate is 73.1% with a typical mileage of 90,711 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 Y981 OBE, 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 25 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 Y981 OBE?

You can check the full history of Y981 OBE by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was Y981 OBE registered?

Y981 OBE is a 2001 Saab 9-3, first registered on 30 April 2001.

Is Y981 OBE safe to buy?

The MOT history for Y981 OBE shows 26 tests with a 76.9% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does Y981 OBE 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 Y981 OBE. 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.