Saab 9-3: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Saab 9-3 fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 8.6 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 36,609 individual Saab 9-3 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 68.1% first-time pass rate means roughly 32 in every 100 Saab 9-3s presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is worse than average, so budget for remedial work and treat a fresh 12-month MOT as a genuine selling point rather than a given. The average Saab 9-3 tested had covered 115,138 miles and was built around 2007.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. On a Saab 9-3 bought as a repairable salvage, assume the mechanical side needs more than the visible accident damage, and pad your repair estimate accordingly.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific Saab 9-3 rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see what damaged Saab 9-3s actually sold for at UK salvage auction, from 3 real settled sales.

Most common MOT failures on a Saab 9-3

1. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 5.1% of tests (3.07x the national rate for this defect)
2. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 2.1% of tests (2.79x the national rate for this defect)
3. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 1.9% of tests (2.53x the national rate for this defect)
4. Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 1.9% of tests (2x the national rate for this defect)
5. A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 2.5% of tests (1.82x the national rate for this defect)
6. A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED, 1.6% of tests (1.79x the national rate for this defect)
7. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 1.9% of tests (1.55x the national rate for this defect)
8. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 2.5% of tests (1.43x the national rate for this defect)
9. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 5.2% of tests (1.42x the national rate for this defect)
10. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 2.2% of tests (1.42x the national rate for this defect)

From 56,315 DVSA-tracked Saab 9-3 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 4.24% of these flagged Saab 9-3 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.

Saab 9-3 pass rate by model year

Pass rates fall steadily as cars age, so the model year matters as much as the model. First-time pass rate for each Saab 9-3 year:

• 1998 Saab 9-3 - 70.9% first-time pass, 292 tests
• 1999 Saab 9-3 - 72.6% first-time pass, 508 tests
• 2000 Saab 9-3 - 71.4% first-time pass, 660 tests
• 2001 Saab 9-3 - 71% first-time pass, 751 tests
• 2002 Saab 9-3 - 69.2% first-time pass, 819 tests
• 2003 Saab 9-3 - 68.1% first-time pass, 907 tests
• 2004 Saab 9-3 - 66% first-time pass, 2,184 tests
• 2005 Saab 9-3 - 67.3% first-time pass, 3,365 tests
• 2006 Saab 9-3 - 65.9% first-time pass, 5,244 tests
• 2007 Saab 9-3 - 67.4% first-time pass, 6,628 tests
• 2008 Saab 9-3 - 69.3% first-time pass, 5,720 tests
• 2009 Saab 9-3 - 69.7% first-time pass, 3,612 tests
• 2010 Saab 9-3 - 71.5% first-time pass, 3,272 tests
• 2011 Saab 9-3 - 71.4% first-time pass, 2,196 tests

Saab 9-3 by fuel type

Diesel and petrol versions of the same car fail on different things, so the fuel type moves the number:

• Petrol Saab 9-3 - 69.8% first-time pass, 20,130 tests
• Diesel Saab 9-3 - 67.1% first-time pass, 16,174 tests

Other Saab models

• Saab 9-5 - 70.2%
• Saab 900 - 69.3%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Volkswagen Eos - 68.3%
• Suzuki Grand Vitara - 68.2%
• Citroen Relay - 68.2%
• Fiat Qubo - 68.1%
• Ford Fusion - 68%
• Honda Accord - 68%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate