WMI · YS3
YS3 — Saab
A VIN that begins with YS3 was built by Saab Automobile AB in Sweden. Decode a full YS3 VIN below to get the exact make, model, engine and origin.
What YS3 means
YS3 is the World Manufacturer Identifier — the first three characters of every VIN, which identify who built the vehicle and where.
WMI
YS3
Manufacturer
Saab Automobile AB
Country of manufacture
Sweden
Region
Europe
Vehicle type
Passenger Car
Swedish Saab (brand defunct 2011) — 9-3, 9-5.
How the YS3 prefix is built
Under ISO 3780, the three WMI characters break down like this:
Character 1 — region
“Y” places the manufacturer in Europe.
Characters 1–2 — country
“YS” identifies the assigning country: Sweden.
Character 3 — manufacturer / division
“3” narrows it to Saab Automobile AB.
Where Saab YS3 vehicles are built
Vehicles with a YS3 VIN are associated with Saab Automobile AB, Sweden. Note that a single carmaker uses different WMIs for different plants, so the YS3 prefix points to this specific origin — not simply to the Saab brand.