63.6%
Saab 9-3
Saab 9-3 MOT pass rate and common problems
The Saab 9-3 passed 63.6% of its initial MOT tests in 2025, 8.7 percentage points below the 72.3% UK average. The item testers recorded most often was coil spring fractured or broken.
Checking a specific car? Its own results, advisories and recorded mileages are in a free MOT history check.
How the 9-3 compares
Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded. A car that failed and was repaired at the test station counts as a fail.
64%
Saab average
72.3%
UK average, all cars
The 9-3 is level with the Saab average. It is 2nd of the 3 Saab models in the data. The average 9-3 arrived at its test 18.1 years old with 115,405 miles recorded.
A pass rate records whether cars met the roadworthiness standard on test day. It is not a reliability score, and part of any gap reflects how old the tested cars were.
9-3 MOT pass rate by age
The same 2025 tests split by the car's age at test.
| Age at test | Tests | Pass rate | vs UK average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 to 10 years (small sample) | 2 | 50% | 22.3 pts below |
| 11 years and over | 32,416 | 63.6% | 8.7 pts below |
Too few tests fall into some age groups to compare them reliably. The UK average of 72.3% covers cars of every age, so compare like with like.
Where 9-3 failures cluster
Every failure item recorded on Saab 9-3 cars in 2025, grouped into the DVSA's test areas.
Suspension and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment together account for 46.2% of recorded failure items. These are recorded failures across the model, not faults every car has.
The 10 most common 9-3 MOT failures
Specific items recorded on Saab 9-3 cars that failed their 2025 MOT, as a share of all recorded failure items.
Together these 10 items make up 31.4% of everything testers recorded against failed Saab 9-3 cars. The rest is spread across many smaller items, and one failed test often records several at once.
What to look at on a 9-3
The recorded failures above, grouped by area, biggest first.
1
Suspension
Recorded most often: coil spring fractured or broken and pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn. 9.5% of failure items.
2
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Recorded most often: position lamp not working and headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect. 6.6% of failure items.
3
Brakes
Recorded most often: brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick and rbt (sp) efficiency below requirements. 5.2% of failure items.
4
Visibility
Recorded most often: wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively. 2.9% of failure items.
The car's own MOT history matters more than any model average. A free MOT history check shows whether a specific 9-3 has failed on these items before, or had them noted as advisories. Buying one? See the used Saab 9-3 buying guide.
Already found one?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Saab 9-3 MOT FAQs
What is the Saab 9-3 MOT pass rate?
63.6% of Saab 9-3 cars passed their initial MOT first time in 2025, from 32,418 tests. That is 8.7 percentage points below the 72.3% average for all cars, and ranks 450th of 575 models.
What does a Saab 9-3 most commonly fail its MOT on?
The item testers recorded most often on Saab 9-3 cars failing their 2025 MOT was coil spring fractured or broken, on 7.1% of failure items. Next were position lamp not working (3.9%) and wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively (2.9%).
Which area causes the most Saab 9-3 MOT failures?
Across every recorded failure item, the largest area was suspension at 23.8%, followed by lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment at 22.4%.
Does this mean every Saab 9-3 has these problems?
No. These are the items testers recorded across every Saab 9-3 that failed in 2025. They show where the model most often needs attention, not the condition of any individual car.
How do I see a specific Saab 9-3's MOT history?
Enter its registration on the free Carpeep MOT history check to see that car's own test results, failures, advisories and recorded mileages.
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025: class 4 initial tests, retests excluded, with failure items from failed tests (advisories and minor defects excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability.