Saab 9-5 MOT pass rate & common failures
58,900 MOT tests on the Saab 9-5 (1997–2019) give it a 75.8% pass rate. Executive cars of a similar age fail at 23.2%, so the 9-5 sits squarely on the average. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and brakes.
Best and worst 9-5 years
Ranked across 9-5 years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Build year matters more than the headline suggests: 2011 cars pass 81.9% of the time while 2002 cars manage 72.6%, a 9.3-point spread.
One area stands out: lighting & signalling, recorded in 13.8% of tests against 9.4% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, position lamp and headlamp — headlamp aim alone was recorded 3,389 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 13.8% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 28.0% once past 150k — 2.0× the risk.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 23.6% of the time against 25.1% for diesel.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 36.3% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 24.8% in 2021 to 23.3% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every 9-5 model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 54 | 81.5% | 18.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1998 | 740 | 74.1% | 25.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 1,531 | 75.8% | 24.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 2,145 | 75.3% | 24.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 2,480 | 76.9% | 23.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 3,418 | 72.6% | 27.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 3,709 | 73.2% | 26.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 5,934 | 74.4% | 25.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 7,215 | 73.9% | 26.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 7,676 | 75.2% | 24.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 7,568 | 76.3% | 23.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 6,261 | 76.9% | 23.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 4,058 | 77.5% | 22.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 3,887 | 80.5% | 19.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 2,026 | 81.9% | 18.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 168 | 79.2% | 20.8% | Brakes |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 13.8% | 8,096 |
| 2 | Suspension | 9.4% | 5,522 |
| 3 | Brakes | 8.6% | 5,041 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 6.5% | 3,830 |
| 5 | Tyres | 5.9% | 3,444 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 4.4% | 2,576 |
| 7 | Visibility | 3.4% | 2,003 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 1.8% | 1,035 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 3,389 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 3,090 |
| 3 | Headlamp | 2,924 |
| 4 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 2,289 |
| 5 | Pins and bushes | 2,187 |
| 6 | Rbt (sp) | 1,748 |
| 7 | Tread depth | 1,657 |
| 8 | Rigid brake pipes | 1,618 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 36.3% | 21,396 |
| 2 | Brakes | 31.6% | 18,587 |
| 3 | Tyres | 25.7% | 15,125 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 23.5% | 13,825 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 12.3% | 7,268 |
| 6 | Other defects | 12.2% | 7,187 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 398 | 13.8% |
| 30-60k | 2,940 | 14.7% |
| 60-90k | 9,623 | 19.8% |
| 90-120k | 16,043 | 23.4% |
| 120-150k | 15,444 | 26.1% |
| 150k+ | 14,268 | 28.0% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 39,249 | 23.6% |
| Diesel | 19,647 | 25.1% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 16,030 | 24.8% |
| 2022 | 13,533 | 24.4% |
| 2023 | 11,432 | 23.8% |
| 2024 | 9,715 | 23.8% |
| 2025 | 8,190 | 23.3% |
What to check before buying a Saab 9-5
- Lighting & signalling (13.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (9.4% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Brakes (8.6% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Saab 9-5?
75.8% of the 58,900 Saab 9-5 MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 24.1% fail rate, across model years 1997–2019.
What does the Saab 9-5 most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 13.8% of tests, then suspension (9.4%).
Which 9-5 years are best and worst for MOT results?
2011 has the best pass rate at 81.9% and 2002 the weakest at 72.6%, from 2,026 and 3,418 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect 9-5 MOT results?
Fail rates run at 13.8% for cars in the 0-30k band and 28.0% for 150k+, a 14.2-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel 9-5 more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 23.6% of the time against 25.1% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 58,900 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.