30,501 tests in 2025
Saab 9-3 reliability and MOT pass rate
69% passed first time. The 31% fail rate is 8.4 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 18 years old with 113,298 miles.
Pass rate
69%
22.6% of all cars failed; 31% of these did.
Fixed on the day
5.4%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
113,298 mi
18 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 0 | — |
| 10-13 years | 189 | — |
| 14+ years | 30,312 | 31% |
What the 9-3 fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Suspension302 dangerous48.6%
- Brakes1,293 dangerous31.5%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment17 dangerous30.5%
- Tyres2,031 dangerous20.2%
- Body, chassis, structure103 dangerous19%
- Noise, emissions and leaks26 dangerous17.5%
- Visibility3 dangerous13.3%
- Steering32 dangerous6.9%
Is the 9-3 getting worse?
The fail rate fell 1.8 points to 31% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 1.4 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 49,333 | 15 | 32.8% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 42,953 | 16 | 32.5% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 32,942 | 17 | 31.7% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 29,226 | 18 | 31% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical 9-3 at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a 9-3 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Coil spring: fractured or broken1,840 tests
- 2Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements759 tests
- 3Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick725 tests
- 4Position lamp: not working706 tests
- 5Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases683 tests
- 6Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm592 tests
- 7Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn563 tests
- 8Service brake performance: excessively binding560 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical 9-3 collects 3.29 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm4,818 tests
- 2Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine4,775 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened3,924 tests
- 4Sub-frame: corroded and seriously weakened3,649 tests
- 5Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure3,095 tests
- 6Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn2,601 tests
- 7Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick2,230 tests
- 8Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases2,184 tests
Questions
What is the Saab 9-3 MOT pass rate?
69% of the 30,501 Saab 9-3 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 31% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 5.4% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Saab 9-3 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Coil spring: fractured or broken", recorded on 1,840 failed tests, followed by "Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements" and "Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick". By section, suspension appears in 48.6% of failures, brakes appears in 31.5% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 30.5% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was n/a%; at 14+ years it was 31%. The median Saab 9-3 tested in 2025 was 18 years old with 113,298 miles.
Is the Saab 9-3 getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 1.8 points to 31% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 1.4 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every 9-3 trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 7 safety recalls naming the Saab 9-3: Saab 9-3 recalls.
Other Saab models
Checking a particular 9-3?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.