part number #5172580 is "up to VIN# 43010216"
if your chassis # = 43014084 (which means "newer")
then that is NOT the stepper motor for your car.
use part number #
5048988
Have you actually verified the motor is bad? often its just the connection to the blend door arm.
(though with the mid year split the confusion can get crazier see this post about technical bulletin for the mid year 2004 split in design for bled door and stepper motor
Hi, Does anybody know how put this blue thing out?
www.saabcentral.com
but yes, I hear you though about the confusion:
this may help.
1: US model year 2004's are almost all "manufacture in 2003"
all three of my SAABs have a manufacture date on vin sticker that is one year prior to the "model year" (there may be some MY years that have a manufacture date of the same year...but it is not uncommon to have the manufacture year be the year prior to the MY.
my 96 9000 manufactured in late 1995
2004 9-5 manufactured in sept 2003
my 2006 9-3 manufactured in 2005.
so trust the vin split. your VIN means you should use the newer stepper motor, with the plastic arm. Who told you the oder part number? I reckon i can always be wrong
2: I know, i know, ALL the pics online about saab 9-5 stepper motors show the older model with the metal armature....
and it can be very confusing when you open up your mid year 2004 and find a different plastic armature (even different colors! )
by the bye that stepper motor was also used on the 9000 and a few alfa romeos....
3: this is also compounded because most stepper motor issues are 1999-2004 those of us with the newer half year split 2004's also experience blend door issues but have a different motor and armature set up. Generally 2005-2009 do not have the same frequency of blend door issues as they tweaked the design again (see link above to post about that technical bulletin to upgrade the mid year 2004 motors)
i hope im helping... you can verify by looking at the motor you have in car currently...but with your vin... id bet my butt you need the newer part number,
good luck!
and yes the same motor for both sides.... whether its' the older motor or the newer plastic motor.