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2,010 tests in 2025

Saab 900 reliability and MOT pass rate

69.2% passed first time. The 30.8% fail rate is 8.2 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 33 years old with 127,740 miles.

MOT pass rates / Saab

Pass rate

69.2%

22.6% of all cars failed; 30.8% of these did.

Fixed on the day

5.9%

Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.

Median at test

127,740 mi

33 years old.

Fail rate by age

Age at testTestsFail rate
3-5 years0—
6-9 years0—
10-13 years0—
14+ years2,01030.8%

What the 900 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.

  1. Brakes67 dangerous45.9%
  2. Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment15 dangerous43.3%
  3. Suspension9 dangerous30.4%
  4. Body, chassis, structure8 dangerous28.3%
  5. Noise, emissions and leaks2 dangerous22.3%
  6. Visibility20.8%
  7. Steering14.4%
  8. Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems5 dangerous12.6%

Is the 900 getting worse?

The fail rate fell 0.3 points to 30.8% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (0 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.

YearTestsMedian ageFail rate All cars
20222,7803031.1%22.5%
20232,5073131%22.8%
20242,0663229.5%23.2%
20251,9743330.8%22.6%

Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical 900 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 900 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.

  1. 1Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements108 tests
  2. 2Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength107 tests
  3. 3Washers: not working60 tests
  4. 4Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases57 tests
  5. 5Side repeaters: not working51 tests
  6. 6Prescribed areas: prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced50 tests
  7. 7Parking brake performance: inoperative on one side49 tests
  8. 8Steering rack: gaiter missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt48 tests

What wears out first

Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical 900 collects 3.3 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.

  1. 1Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine520 tests
  2. 2Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure175 tests
  3. 3Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases171 tests
  4. 4Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm153 tests
  5. 5Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened146 tests
  6. 6Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded131 tests
  7. 7Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened121 tests
  8. 8Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength110 tests

Questions

What is the Saab 900 MOT pass rate?

69.2% of the 2,010 Saab 900 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 30.8% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 5.9% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.

What does a Saab 900 usually fail on?

The single most common failure is "Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements", recorded on 108 failed tests, followed by "Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength" and "Washers: not working". By section, brakes appears in 45.9% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 43.3% of failures, suspension appears in 30.4% 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 30.8%. The median Saab 900 tested in 2025 was 33 years old with 127,740 miles.

Is the Saab 900 getting less reliable?

The fail rate fell 0.3 points to 30.8% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (0 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.

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 900 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 11 safety recalls naming the Saab 900: Saab 900 recalls.

Other Saab models

Checking a particular 900?

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.