1997 Saab 900: MOT pass rate and reliability
71% of 1997 Saab 900s pass the MOT first time, measured across 259 DVSA tests on that model year alone. The average one had covered 108,387 miles.
How the 1997 compares
- Against all Saab 900s (70.2%, 2,265 tests): +0.8 points
- Against all 1997 cars (70.4%): +0.6 points
- National first-time pass rate, all cars and years: 77%
Every Saab 900 model year
Pass rates fall as cars age, so the only fair comparison for a 1997 car is other cars of the same age. The full run for the Saab 900:
| Year | Pass rate | Tests | Avg mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 69.8% | 275 | 142,473 |
| 1991 | 73.9% | 241 | 150,289 |
| 1992 | 70.9% | 330 | 140,751 |
| 1993 | 66.7% | 405 | 144,006 |
| 1997 | 71% | 259 | 108,387 |
What this means if you are buying a 1997 900
The 1997 sits close to the Saab 900 average, so there is no strong model-year signal either way. Judge the individual car on its own history. 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 29-year-old car fails on
A 1997 car is 29 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 above average and into the range where cambelts and water pumps are due if they have not already been done, so ask for the service history rather than take the mileage on trust. On a 1997 Saab 900 the average at test was 108,387 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 1991 at 73.9%, and the weakest in our data is 1993 at 66.7%. That 7.2 point spread across the model's life is why comparing a 1997 car against a newer one tells you very little.
Nearby model years
- 1991 Saab 900 - 73.9%
- 1992 Saab 900 - 70.9%
- 1993 Saab 900 - 66.7%