Saab 9-3 reliability, MOT pass rate and rarity

Time Period & Model

Time period snapshot: Last 5 years

Manufacturer: Saab

Model: 9-3

Model reliability rank

MOT-based rank from 275,246 selected-period tests.

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Overall MOT pass rate

71.6%

Share of this model's 275,246 selected-period MOT tests that pass.

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Efficiency, emissions & tax

Average MPG

CO2 emission

Euro emissions

Tax cost

£370/yr

Average vehicle miles

125,204

Solid average mileage for this model.

Life expectancy miles

125,204

Moderate mature-fleet mileage expectation.

Average vehicle age

17.7

Older average age in the represented fleet.

Vehicles represented

27,075

27,075 valid MOT, 0 under 3 years.

Tests analysed

275,246

275,246 MOT tests in the selected period.

Rarity ranking

Based on Make & Model

Scarce

27,075On the road

Insight summary

Saab 9-3 is a scarce model in this snapshot, with 27,075 represented vehicles and 0.06% of the active UK pool tracked by AutoRank. For the last 5 years, it has a pass rate of 71.6% from 275,246 MOT tests, with a reliability score of 51. The current pool shows an average of 125,204 miles and an average age of 17.7 years, while mature-fleet mileage is estimated at 125,204 miles. Petrol leads the fuel split, followed by diesel, and the most frequent defect themes are windscreen damage, coil springs and parking brake. The practical read is that the Saab 9-3 looks like a solid used-car baseline rather than a rare find, with age, mileage and common wear items doing most of the explaining.

Fuel type breakdown (by model)

Fuel	Vehicles
PETROL	15,459
DIESEL	11,597
LPG	14
OTHER	4
GAS BI-FUEL	1

Euro NCAP Safety

No NCAP tests found for this model.

Top 25 most common defects (by model)

Defect	Count
Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))	6,317
Offside Front Coil spring fractured or broken (5.3.1 (b) (i))	4,873
Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))	4,752
Nearside Front Coil spring fractured or broken (5.3.1 (b) (i))	4,488
Offside Rear Coil spring fractured or broken (5.3.1 (b) (i))	3,739
Nearside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))	3,264
Offside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))	3,143
Engine MIL inoperative or indicates a malfunction (8.2.1.2 (h))	3,000
Nearside Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))	2,741
Nearside Rear Coil spring fractured or broken (5.3.1 (b) (i))	2,688
Offside Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))	2,663
Exhaust emissions exceed manufacturer's specified limit (8.2.2.2 (a))	2,180
Nearside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5.2.3 (e))	2,113
Offside Headlamp lens slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))	1,953
Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))	1,902
Nearside Headlamp lens slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))	1,898
Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))	1,855
Offside Front Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (5.3.2 (b))	1,807
Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))	1,789
Offside Front Inner Drive shaft joint constant velocity boot severely deteriorated (6.1.7 (g) (i))	1,767
Offside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5.2.3 (e))	1,731
Nearside Rear Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))	1,686
Offside Rear Service brake excessively binding (1.2.1 (f))	1,654
Nearside Rear Service brake excessively binding (1.2.1 (f))	1,645
Battery insecure but not likely to fall from carrier (4.13 (a) (i))	1,622

All 25 defects ranked by recorded countShowing 67,270 defects across this top 25 set

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

6,317

Offside Front Coil spring fractured or broken (5.3.1 (b) (i))

4,873

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

4,752

Nearside Front Coil spring fractured or broken (5.3.1 (b) (i))

4,488

Offside Rear Coil spring fractured or broken (5.3.1 (b) (i))

3,739

Nearside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

3,264

Offside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

3,143

Engine MIL inoperative or indicates a malfunction (8.2.1.2 (h))

3,000

Nearside Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))

2,741

Nearside Rear Coil spring fractured or broken (5.3.1 (b) (i))

2,688

Offside Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))

2,663

Exhaust emissions exceed manufacturer's specified limit (8.2.2.2 (a))

2,180

Nearside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5.2.3 (e))

2,113

Offside Headlamp lens slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))

1,953

Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

1,902

Nearside Headlamp lens slightly defective (4.1.1 (b) (i))

1,898

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

1,855

Offside Front Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (5.3.2 (b))

1,807

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

1,789

Offside Front Inner Drive shaft joint constant velocity boot severely deteriorated (6.1.7 (g) (i))

1,767

Offside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5.2.3 (e))

1,731

Nearside Rear Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))

1,686

Offside Rear Service brake excessively binding (1.2.1 (f))

1,654

Nearside Rear Service brake excessively binding (1.2.1 (f))

1,645

Battery insecure but not likely to fall from carrier (4.13 (a) (i))

1,622

Saab 9-3 reliability and MOT data