2011 Saab 9-3: MOT pass rate and reliability
71.4% of 2011 Saab 9-3s pass the MOT first time, measured across 2,196 DVSA tests on that model year alone. The average one had covered 112,993 miles.
How the 2011 compares
- Against all Saab 9-3s (68.6%, 36,326 tests): +2.8 points
- Against all 2011 cars (68.7%): +2.7 points
- National first-time pass rate, all cars and years: 77%
Every Saab 9-3 model year
Pass rates fall as cars age, so the only fair comparison for a 2011 car is other cars of the same age. The full run for the Saab 9-3:
| Year | Pass rate | Tests | Avg mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 70.9% | 292 | 110,818 |
| 1999 | 72.6% | 508 | 109,727 |
| 2000 | 71.4% | 660 | 106,624 |
| 2001 | 71% | 751 | 108,107 |
| 2002 | 69.2% | 819 | 108,245 |
| 2003 | 68.1% | 907 | 114,407 |
| 2004 | 66% | 2,184 | 113,610 |
| 2005 | 67.3% | 3,365 | 115,987 |
| 2006 | 65.9% | 5,244 | 118,853 |
| 2007 | 67.4% | 6,628 | 119,012 |
| 2008 | 69.3% | 5,720 | 123,246 |
| 2009 | 69.7% | 3,612 | 113,082 |
| 2010 | 71.5% | 3,272 | 111,142 |
| 2011 | 71.4% | 2,196 | 112,993 |
What this means if you are buying a 2011 9-3
The 2011 is one of the stronger years for this model, passing 2.8 points more often than the Saab 9-3 average. That is a point in its favour, though condition and service history still matter more than the model year. Check the exact car with the free MOT history checker before you buy, and run its VIN and mileage through our free VIN decoder and clocking check.
What a 15-year-old car fails on
A 2011 car is 15 years old now, and age drives the failure mix more than the badge does. Across all cars tested, these are the categories that actually cause failures:
- Lights and electrical: 10.36% of all cars tested
- Suspension: 8.65% of all cars tested
- Tyres: 6.23% of all cars tested
- Brakes: 6.1% of all cars tested
- Visibility: wipers, washers, glass: 4.65% of all cars tested
- Body, chassis and structure: 3.18% of all cars tested
That is high mileage, so timing belts, clutches, suspension bushes and corrosion are the items worth budgeting for rather than the MOT itself. On a 2011 Saab 9-3 the average at test was 112,993 miles, so treat anything far above that as a car that has worked harder than its peers, and anything far below as one worth checking for the faults that come from standing still.
The strongest year for this model is 1999 at 72.6%, and the weakest in our data is 2006 at 65.9%. That 6.7 point spread across the model's life is why comparing a 2011 car against a newer one tells you very little.
Nearby model years
- 2008 Saab 9-3 - 69.3%
- 2009 Saab 9-3 - 69.7%
- 2010 Saab 9-3 - 71.5%