MOT performance

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

Of 45,350 MOT tests on petrol Saab 9-3s in 2023–2024 (on average 17.5 years old at test, median 103,060 miles), 63.3% passed first time, against 62.0% of 37,437 diesel Saab 9-3 tests. Allowing for age, mileage and fuel, petrol Saab 9-3s failed 17% less often than comparable cars — 0.83× against 0.86× for the Saab 9-3 as a whole.

45,350 MOT tests on 24,746 vehicles, 2023–2024 · Source: DVSA (Open Government Licence) · Analysis: 73 Auto

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At a glance

Saab 9-3 petrol MOT results at a glance
Figure	Value	Basis
First-time pass rate	63.3%	±0.4 pts (95%), n = 45,350
All Saab 9-3s	62.7%	n = 82,791
Failures vs similar cars	0.83×	same age, mileage and fuel = 1.00; Saab 9-3 overall 0.86×
Tests with a dangerous defect	9.3%	n = 45,350
Average age at test	17.5 years	n = 45,350
Registration years covered	1997–2014	DVSA first-use date

Petrol 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 petrol cars were tested 2.8 years older on average than the diesel 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 petrol Saab 9-3s differ

Noise, emissions and leaks: petrol Saab 9-3s failed 30% less often than the Saab 9-3 overall, relative to comparable cars (0.60× vs 0.85×).
Seat belts and airbags: petrol Saab 9-3s failed 26% more often than the Saab 9-3 overall, relative to comparable cars (0.79× vs 0.63×).

Saab 9-3 petrol MOT failures by area, against the model overall
Area	Petrol (vs similar)	All Saab 9-3s (vs similar)
Lights, reflectors and electrical	14.9% (-32%)	13.2% (-36%)
Suspension	14.1% (-17%)	15.8% (-9%)
Brakes	10.4% (-16%)	10.6% (-15%)
Tyres	6.4% (-12%)	6.8% (-10%)
Driver's view of the road	6.2% (-16%)	5.7% (-18%)
Body, chassis and structure	5.3% (-36%)	6.1% (-24%)
Noise, emissions and leaks	5.1% (-40%)	5.8% (-15%)
Steering	2.2% (-38%)	2.2% (-41%)
Seat belts and airbags	1.9% (-21%)	1.5% (-37%)
Registration plates and VIN	0.6% (-5%)	0.6% (+1%)
Road wheels	0.5% (-9%)	0.6% (-6%)

Most common petrol Saab 9-3 failure items

Most common petrol Saab 9-3 MOT failure items
Item	Area	Share of tests
Coil spring: fractured or broken	Suspension	5.27%
Position lamp: not working	Lights, reflectors and electrical	4.27%
Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively	Driver's view of the road	2.43%
Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick	Brakes	2.37%
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)	petrol pass rate (tests)	diesel pass rate (tests)
11-12	70.9% (1,256)	66.0% (4,797)
13-15	68.4% (9,256)	63.6% (19,432)
16+	61.6% (34,784)	58.0% (13,142)

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 petrol 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.