2006 Saab 9-5 Vector Sport TID Auto 1.9L Diesel · GL55 FWU

The most recent MOT, conducted on 13 December 2025 at 156,627 miles, passed, but the maintenance trend over the preceding two years reveals a pattern of deterioration rather than consistent upkeep. The vehicle failed its December 2025 test just two days earlier on 11 December at the identical recorded mileage, indicating the owner addressed only the immediate failures to obtain a pass rather than undertaking comprehensive preventative maintenance. The defects flagged in that failure, a significantly weakened offside front seat belt webbing and an excessively worn nearside front lower suspension arm ball joint, represent serious safety-critical and structural concerns that suggest the vehicle had been driven in a degraded state for some time. The subsequent pass relied on remedying these items, yet the advisories for both front tyres worn to the legal limit on their inner edges carried over into the December 2025 pass, confirming ongoing neglect of wheel alignment and tyre condition. The mileage pattern raises significant questions about the vehicle's recent usage. Between the December 2024 pass at 151,638 miles and the December 2025 tests at 156,627 miles, the car accumulated 4,989 miles in twelve months. However, the mileage recorded on both the failed and passed December 2025 tests is identical at 156,627 miles, strongly suggesting the vehicle has not been driven since the retest. This plateau, combined with the sudden emergence of a worn ball joint and damaged seat belt webbing in a car that passed cleanly in December 2024, points to either accelerated deterioration during that mileage window or defects that predate the December 2024 test but went unrecorded. The annual average of roughly 7,831 miles over twenty years is typical, but the clustering of faults in late 2025 after a clean 2024 result is inconsistent with a well-maintained vehicle. A buyer inspecting this SAAB 9-5 should prioritise a thorough examination of the front suspension, particularly the nearside lower arm ball joint and its counterpart on the offside, along with all suspension bushes and coil springs for wear or corrosion common on vehicles of this age. The inner edge wear on both front tyres strongly suggests toe misalignment, which warrants a full four-wheel alignment check and close inspection of the steering rack and track rod ends. The offside front seat belt condition demands careful scrutiny of the entire belt assembly, including the reel mechanism and mounting points, as fraying or weakening of webbing can indicate internal degradation not always visible on casual inspection. Given the vehicle's apparent stationary period since December 2025, a prospective buyer should also assess the condition of all brake components for seizure or corrosion, check the exhaust system for moisture-related rust, and verify that the engine and gearbox are free from leaks that can develop during prolonged standing.