Factory build sheet
1997 Saab 900 SE, CDE/SCE
Build YS3DF78N-V · 2L · Convertible
VIN positions 1 through 8 read YS3DF78N and position 10 reads V. Those nine characters define this build. Position 9 and positions 11 through 17 differ on every car.
Every 900 whose VIN starts YS3DF78N and carries V 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
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
- Engine model
- Intercooled Engine (Std. Output)
- Turbocharged
- Yes
- Fuel type
- Gasoline
Drivetrain
- Transmission
- Automatic
- Forward speeds
- 4
Body & chassis
- Body class
- Convertible/Cabriolet
- NHTSA body type
- PASSENGER CAR
- Manufacturer
- SAAB CARS NORTH AMERICA, INC.
The same build, other model years
Saab used the VIN pattern YS3DF78N for 4 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 | DF78N | Model, body style, engine and restraint system |
| 9 | × | Check digit — computed per vehicle, not part of the build |
| 10 | V | Model year — 1997 |
| 11 | × | Assembly plant |
| 12–17 | ×××××× | Production sequence number, unique to each vehicle |
29 vehicles carry this build
Every VIN we have decoded to YS3DF78N-V shares the specification above.
- 29 Known VINs
- YS3DF78N 1V7002923
- YS3DF78N 9V7000613
- YS3DF78N 6V7014243
- YS3DF78N 7V7007298
- YS3DF78N 1V7001383
- YS3DF78N XV7004427
- YS3DF78N 5V7003864
- YS3DF78N 6V7013271
- YS3DF78N 0V7004467
- YS3DF78N 6V7004733
- YS3DF78N 3V7000851
- YS3DF78N 6V7009866
- YS3DF78N 6V7002058
- YS3DF78N 3V7012854
- YS3DF78N 2V7011677
- YS3DF78N 2V7012831
- YS3DF78N 9V7008095
- YS3DF78N XV7002533
- YS3DF78N 0V7002959
- YS3DF78N 5V7011639
- YS3DF78N 4V7000339
- YS3DF78N 7V7007060
- YS3DF78N 4V7011812
- YS3DF78N 9V7005231
- YS3DF78N 7V7004594
- YS3DF78N 1V7003022
- YS3DF78N 5V7012578
- YS3DF78N 3V7002194
- YS3DF78N 5V7003671
Neighboring configurations
Other factory configurations of the 900, 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.