2002 Saab 9-5 2.3L Petrol · AF52 VXP

The most recent MOT, conducted on 17 January 2026 at 135,487 miles, passed with zero defects. That result is highly significant because it is the first clean sheet on record after a cluster of tyre-related advisories between 2020 and early 2022. The maintenance trend, therefore, appears to have stabilised and improved. No corrosion, suspension, braking, or structural defects have ever been flagged across the entire documented history, which is unusual for a 2002 Saab 9-5 and suggests the car has been kept in dry storage or lightly used rather than neglected. The mileage pattern tells a clear story of very low annual use. Between the December 2017 test at 114,999 miles and the January 2022 test at 135,487 miles, the car covered just 20,488 miles over more than four years, averaging roughly 4,600 miles per year. The mileage then plateaued entirely, with the 2022 reading of 135,487 showing no movement since that test. A vehicle standing idle for extended periods risks dried-out rubber components, stale fuel, and moisture ingress into brake fluid and differential oil, none of which the MOT alone can verify. The recurring advisories between January 2020 and January 2022 both concerned perished inner sidewalls on the nearside front tyre, with the nearside rear also flagged in January 2020. Perished sidewalls on one side only often point to prolonged standing on a flat or uneven surface, UV exposure due to consistent parking orientation, or a slow puncture that went unnoticed during periods of non-use. A buyer should physically inspect all four tyres for date codes and uneven degradation, paying close attention to the nearside pair. Suspension bushes, coil springs, and shock absorbers deserve a thorough check too, as rubber components harden with age regardless of mileage, and a car this old with this usage profile is more likely to suffer from perished bushings than worn ones. Brake calipers, discs, and handbrake linkages should be examined for seizure, given the extended stationary periods. A road test under light and firm braking will reveal any dragging or uneven pull. Finally, underbody and sill corrosion must be inspected in person, as the MOT record offers no guarantee against hidden structural decay on a 24-year-old platform that was never galvanised to modern standards.