Factory build sheet

1981 Saab 9-3 2.0T

Build YS3FB79Y-A · 2L 4cyl · Front-wheel drive · Convertible

VIN positions 1 through 8 read YS3FB79Y and position 10 reads A. Those nine characters define this build. Position 9 and positions 11 through 17 differ on every car.

Every 9-3 whose VIN starts YS3FB79Y and carries A in position 10 left the plant with the same engine, transmission, drivetrain and equipment listed below. We know of 29 of them.

  • Decoded Jul 7, 2026
  • 29 known VINs
  • 1 listed for sale now

This configuration is identical to 2010 Saab 9-3 2.0T 2L 4cyl Convertible (74 vehicles). That page carries the full record.

Factory specification

As filed by Saab with NHTSA for this build. Fields the filing does not record are left out entirely — a missing row means no recorded value, not a missing feature.

Engine

Displacement
2 L
Cylinders
4
Configuration
In-Line
Engine model
B207R
Turbocharged
Yes
Fuel type
Gasoline

Drivetrain

Drive type
Front-wheel drive
Transmission
Automatic
Forward speeds
5

Body & chassis

Body class
Convertible/Cabriolet
NHTSA body type
PASSENGER CAR
Doors
2
Series
9-3
Manufacturer
SAAB CARS NORTH AMERICA, INC.

Weight rating

GVWR class
Class 1
GVWR
6,000 lb or less

Gross vehicle weight rating is the loaded ceiling set by the manufacturer, not the car's own weight.

The same build, other model years

Saab used the VIN pattern YS3FB79Y for 2 model years. Nothing but the year changes between these pages, so the price gap between them is depreciation on an identical car.

How this VIN pattern is read

A 17-character VIN carries two kinds of information: what was built, and which one it is. This page is the first kind — the nine highlighted positions.

Positions Characters What they encode
1–3 YS3 SAAB CARS NORTH AMERICA, INC. · World manufacturer identifier
4–8 FB79Y Model, body style, engine and restraint system
9 × Check digit — computed per vehicle, not part of the build
10 A Model year — 1981
11 × Assembly plant
12–17 ×××××× Production sequence number, unique to each vehicle

29 vehicles carry this build

Every VIN we have decoded to YS3FB79Y-A shares the specification above.

  • 29 Known VINs
  • 1 Listed for sale now

Neighboring configurations

Other factory configurations of the 9-3, each with its own build sheet. The set is fixed by the VIN patterns themselves, so it does not shuffle as prices or inventory move.

Keep going

Where this data comes from

Specification fields are decoded from the manufacturer's filings in the NHTSA vPIC database, keyed on VIN positions 1–8 and 10. We publish the filed values as they stand and leave out anything the filing does not record.

Vehicle counts come from the 29 VINs of this build we have seen in dealer inventory. They are a sample of the road population, not a production figure.