MOT performance

Saab 9-3 diesel: MOT pass rate and common failures

Of 37,437 MOT tests on diesel Saab 9-3s in 2023–2024 (on average 14.7 years old at test, median 124,136 miles), 62.0% passed first time, against 63.3% of 45,350 petrol Saab 9-3 tests. Allowing for age, mileage and fuel, diesel Saab 9-3s failed 10% less often than comparable cars — 0.90× against 0.86× for the Saab 9-3 as a whole.

37,437 MOT tests on 20,533 vehicles, 2023–2024 · Source: DVSA (Open Government Licence) · Analysis: 73 Auto

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At a glance

Saab 9-3 diesel MOT results at a glance
Figure	Value	Basis
First-time pass rate	62.0%	±0.5 pts (95%), n = 37,437
All Saab 9-3s	62.7%	n = 82,791
Failures vs similar cars	0.90×	same age, mileage and fuel = 1.00; Saab 9-3 overall 0.86×
Tests with a dangerous defect	10.4%	n = 37,437
Average age at test	14.7 years	n = 37,437
Registration years covered	1998–2014	DVSA first-use date

Diesel against the other Saab 9-3 fuels

Official DVSA test results by fuel, with 73 Auto's adjusted ratio (failures against cars of the same age, mileage and fuel). The diesel cars were tested 2.8 years younger on average than the petrol ones, so the raw pass rates partly reflect age; the adjusted column doesn't.

Saab 9-3 MOT results by fuel
Fuel	Tests	Average age	First-time pass	vs similar cars	Dangerous
Petrol	45,350	17.5 yrs	63.3%	-17%	9.3%
Diesel	37,437	14.7 yrs	62.0%	-10%	10.4%

Where diesel Saab 9-3s differ

Noise, emissions and leaks: diesel Saab 9-3s failed 62% more often than the Saab 9-3 overall, relative to comparable cars (1.38× vs 0.85×).
Seat belts and airbags: diesel Saab 9-3s failed 33% less often than the Saab 9-3 overall, relative to comparable cars (0.42× vs 0.63×).
Body, chassis and structure: diesel Saab 9-3s failed 21% more often than the Saab 9-3 overall, relative to comparable cars (0.93× vs 0.76×).

Saab 9-3 diesel MOT failures by area, against the model overall
Area	Diesel (vs similar)	All Saab 9-3s (vs similar)
Suspension	17.8% (Same)	15.8% (-9%)
Lights, reflectors and electrical	11.0% (-43%)	13.2% (-36%)
Brakes	10.9% (-13%)	10.6% (-15%)
Tyres	7.2% (-8%)	6.8% (-10%)
Body, chassis and structure	7.1% (-7%)	6.1% (-24%)
Noise, emissions and leaks	6.8% (+38%)	5.8% (-15%)
Driver's view of the road	5.0% (-21%)	5.7% (-18%)
Steering	2.3% (-43%)	2.2% (-41%)
Seat belts and airbags	1.0% (-58%)	1.5% (-37%)
Road wheels	0.6% (-2%)	0.6% (-6%)
Registration plates and VIN	0.6% (+10%)	0.6% (+1%)

Most common diesel Saab 9-3 failure items

1 of these 5 items is not among the Saab 9-3's ten most common failures overall.

Most common diesel Saab 9-3 MOT failure items
Item	Area	Share of tests
Coil spring: fractured or broken	Suspension	8.40%
Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick	Brakes	2.83%
Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm	Tyres	2.68%
Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt	Body, chassis and structure	2.52%
Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements	Brakes	2.33%

Pass rate by age, by fuel

Saab 9-3 MOT pass rate by age and fuel
Age at test (years)	diesel pass rate (tests)	petrol pass rate (tests)
11-12	66.0% (4,797)	70.9% (1,256)
13-15	63.6% (19,432)	68.4% (9,256)
16+	58.0% (13,142)	61.6% (34,784)

Saab 9-3 by registration year

Registration-year pages cover every fuel of that year.

2003 Saab 9-3 · 59.3%
2004 Saab 9-3 · 58.9%
2005 Saab 9-3 · 59.6%
2006 Saab 9-3 · 58.6%
2007 Saab 9-3 · 61.7%
2008 Saab 9-3 · 64.3%
2009 Saab 9-3 · 66.0%
2010 Saab 9-3 · 67.1%
2011 Saab 9-3 · 66.9%

What this does and doesn't tell you

Fuel is DVSA's recorded fuel type; plug-in and self-charging hybrids are grouped as hybrid. A difference between fuels can come from the engines themselves, or from how the cars are used — diesels typically cover more miles, and the adjusted ratio allows for mileage band but not for every difference in use. For one car, its own MOT history is the better guide: see MOT check.

Check a specific diesel Saab 9-3

Enter a UK registration to see that car's own MOT history and what it is likely to cost to own. Your first check is free and shows the vehicle summary and its headline ownership cost. The category-by-category breakdown is part of a paid check.

UK number plate or 17-character VIN

About this data. These are MOT test results, not a measure of mechanical reliability: a car's MOT outcome reflects its condition on the day, which depends on how it has been maintained and driven as well as how it was built. Figures cover class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans), normal tests only (retests excluded), outcomes pass, fail and pass after rectification at the station; vehicles at least 2.5 years old at test. Tests from 2023-01-01 to 2024-12-30. “Compared with similar cars” means compared with the national rate for cars of the same age, mileage band and fuel. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Makes and models are matched to 73 Auto's vehicle catalogue; tests that can't be matched are left out rather than guessed. See how the MOT figures are produced.