2004 Saab 9-5: MOT pass rate and reliability

68.3% of 2004 Saab 9-5s pass the MOT first time, measured across 756 DVSA tests on that model year alone. The average one had covered 132,026 miles.

How the 2004 compares

  • Against all Saab 9-5s (70.7%, 7,856 tests): -2.4 points
  • Against all 2004 cars (64%): +4.3 points
  • National first-time pass rate, all cars and years: 77%

Every Saab 9-5 model year

Pass rates fall as cars age, so the only fair comparison for a 2004 car is other cars of the same age. The full run for the Saab 9-5:

Year Pass rate Tests Avg mileage
2000 69.8% 275 128,014
2001 71.3% 328 126,100
2002 62.8% 436 124,572
2003 66.1% 481 132,615
2004 68.3% 756 132,026
2005 68.7% 903 129,612
2006 69.2% 965 128,612
2007 73% 1,004 125,288
2008 70.5% 860 122,186
2009 73.4% 602 116,996
2010 76.1% 612 112,436
2011 81.6% 320 112,476

What this means if you are buying a 2004 9-5

The 2004 is a weaker year for this model, passing 2.4 points less often than the Saab 9-5 average. Some of that is simply age, so compare it against the 2004 figure for all cars above rather than against newer examples. 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 22-year-old car fails on

A 2004 car is 22 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 2004 Saab 9-5 the average at test was 132,026 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 2011 at 81.6%, and the weakest in our data is 2002 at 62.8%. That 18.8 point spread across the model's life is why comparing a 2004 car against a newer one tells you very little.

Nearby model years

All Saab 9-5 MOT data · Every model