Saab 9 3 MOT failures and reliability
In 2023 the Saab 9 3 took 44,838 MOT tests in Britain and passed 62% of them first time, below the national average of 71% for all cars. The figures below come from the DVSA's record of every test, so they show what testers actually found on these cars rather than what owners report.
- MOT tests in 2023
- 44,838
- First-time pass rate
- 62%
- All cars
- 71%
What the 9 3 fails on
Share of tests with at least one failure in each area, against the figure for all cars.
- Suspension16.2% (all cars 9.0%)
- Lights and electrics13.5% (all cars 11.3%)
- Brakes10.5% (all cars 6.8%)
- Tyres6.9% (all cars 6.4%)
- Body and structure6.1% (all cars 3.5%)
- Exhaust and emissions5.9% (all cars 3.1%)
- Visibility5.8% (all cars 4.8%)
- Steering2.2% (all cars 1.8%)
Most common failure items
Share of tests on which each item was recorded.
- Coil spring: fractured or broken 7.3%
- Position lamp: not working 3.5%
- Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick 2.6%
- Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 2.4%
- Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases 2.3%
- Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction 2.3%
- Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements 2.3%
- Service brake performance: excessively binding 2.3%
Most common advisories
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge 18.5%
- Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive 12.9%
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened 12.3%
- Tyres, condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing 9.0%
- Brake pads: wearing thin 7.8%
- Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened 7.4%
- Exhaust system: has a minor leak of exhaust gases 6.9%
- Coil spring: corroded 5.8%
Pass rate by year of registration
Older cars fail more often whatever the model, so compare a car with others of the same age.
| First registered | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 351 | 60% |
| 1999 | 634 | 66% |
| 2000 | 806 | 65% |
| 2001 | 923 | 65% |
| 2002 | 998 | 63% |
| 2003 | 1,213 | 59% |
| 2004 | 2,806 | 59% |
| 2005 | 4,322 | 59% |
| 2006 | 6,778 | 58% |
| 2007 | 8,301 | 61% |
| 2008 | 6,934 | 64% |
| 2009 | 4,171 | 66% |
| 2010 | 3,781 | 67% |
| 2011 | 2,596 | 67% |
Typical mileage by age
Average odometer reading at the MOT, by the car's age in years at the test.
| Age at test | Average mileage |
|---|---|
| 11 years | 76,725 miles |
| 12 years | 107,512 miles |
| 13 years | 107,746 miles |
| 14 years | 109,421 miles |
| 15 years | 121,023 miles |
| 16 years | 117,703 miles |
| 17 years | 117,952 miles |
| 18 years | 115,654 miles |
| 19 years | 112,165 miles |
| 20 years | 112,754 miles |
Check a particular 9 3
Model figures tell you what to look out for. To see one car's own MOT history, mileage and tax, enter its registration.
Other Saab models
Source: Department for Transport, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023, cars and light vans, normal tests only. Pass rates are first-time passes; a pass after repair at the test station counts as a fail. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.