Saab 9 5 MOT failures and reliability
In 2023 the Saab 9 5 took 9,397 MOT tests in Britain and passed 64% 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
- 9,397
- First-time pass rate
- 64%
- All cars
- 71%
What the 9 5 fails on
Share of tests with at least one failure in each area, against the figure for all cars.
- Lights and electrics17.0% (all cars 11.3%)
- Suspension11.4% (all cars 9.0%)
- Brakes10.3% (all cars 6.8%)
- Exhaust and emissions8.3% (all cars 3.1%)
- Tyres6.7% (all cars 6.4%)
- Body and structure5.1% (all cars 3.5%)
- Visibility3.9% (all cars 4.8%)
- Seat belts and airbags2.1% (all cars 1.0%)
Most common failure items
Share of tests on which each item was recorded.
- Position lamp: not working 5.8%
- Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction 5.1%
- Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements 2.4%
- Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect 2.3%
- Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength 2.1%
- Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded 2.1%
- Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 2.0%
- Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively 1.9%
Most common advisories
- Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive 21.5%
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge 18.6%
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened 11.4%
- Suspension arms, pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement 10.4%
- Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material 10.3%
- Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened 8.0%
- Tyres, condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing 7.2%
- Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread 7.2%
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 336 | 65% |
| 2001 | 399 | 71% |
| 2002 | 483 | 63% |
| 2003 | 563 | 60% |
| 2004 | 909 | 60% |
| 2005 | 1,105 | 63% |
| 2006 | 1,223 | 63% |
| 2007 | 1,214 | 63% |
| 2008 | 1,039 | 65% |
| 2009 | 702 | 65% |
| 2010 | 663 | 70% |
| 2011 | 362 | 72% |
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 |
|---|---|
| 12 years | 107,479 miles |
| 13 years | 107,602 miles |
| 14 years | 111,462 miles |
| 15 years | 119,943 miles |
| 16 years | 122,768 miles |
| 17 years | 125,399 miles |
| 18 years | 128,872 miles |
| 19 years | 130,330 miles |
| 20 years | 131,806 miles |
Check a particular 9 5
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.