2003 Saab 9-5 2.3L Petrol · OY53 VFU

This 2003 SAAB 9-5 passed its most recent MOT on 12 October 2021 at 166,600 miles. The maintenance trend over the preceding two years is broadly stable rather than improving, with the same underlying structural and suspension concerns persisting across multiple tests. The vehicle has not been presented for a valid MOT in nearly five years, meaning its current roadworthiness is entirely untested and any deterioration since late 2021 is unrecorded. The recorded mileage of 166,600 miles over roughly 23 years equates to approximately 7,243 miles per year, a figure consistent with typical annual use for a vehicle of this age. The MOT record shows a gap of approximately 5,900 miles between the November 2019 pass at 154,998 miles and the September 2020 failure at 160,509 miles, indicating regular use during that period. However, the mileage has remained static at 166,600 miles since the October 2021 pass, strongly suggesting the car has been unused or off the road for around four and a half years. Prolonged standing can cause its own problems, including flat-spotted tyres, seized brakes, dried-out rubber bushes, and fuel system degradation. The recurring advisories and failure items point to a pattern of gradual structural and mechanical wear that was being monitored but not fully resolved. Corrosion appears consistently across the front and rear sub-frames, rear suspension mounting areas, and rear upper suspension arms, with every test from 2019 onward noting corrosion that was not yet considered serious. A buyer should thoroughly inspect these areas in person, as corrosion that was borderline in 2021 may have progressed significantly after years of inaction. The rear suspension bushes and upper arm pins were flagged as worn from 2020 through 2021, and the nearside rear shock absorber showed reduced damping effect in both October 2021 tests, indicating the damping components were deteriorating. The braking system also demands close attention. Front brake discs were noted as worn, pitted, or scored in both 2020 and 2021, and brake pipe corrosion was a repeated finding, appearing as an advisory in 2019 and as a failure item in September 2020 when both front-to-rear pipes were excessively corroded. Although the October 2020 retest passed, the underlying corrosion risk in the pipework and mounting areas was never fully eliminated. Oil leaks were flagged in 2019 and 2021, and a power steering pipe leak caused a failure in September 2020. Any prospective buyer should have the underside inspected on a ramp, paying particular attention to the structural integrity of the sub-frames, the condition of all brake lines and hoses, and whether the shock absorbers and suspension bushes have deteriorated further during the extended period of non-use.