Linkage ball joint dust cover deteriorated on the Saab 9-3
Linkage ball joint dust cover deteriorated on the Saab 9-3 is recorded on 1,876 tests — 1.4% of all its MOT tests, against 0.6% across every car in the data. That is 2.3× the national share.
Is this unusual for this model?
| Compared with | What it says |
|---|---|
| Every car in the data | 0.6% of tests record it — this model is 2.3× that share |
| The 240 models compared | 40 of 240, highest first |
| The model's own record | 137,430 tests · every year of the 9-3 → |
A share of tests is not a probability for your car: it counts every Saab 9-3 tested, whatever its mileage, service history and use. The like-for-like comparison on the model page is the fairer number.
Year by year
In 2000, 0.3% of this model's tests recorded it; in 2011, 0.9%. The share has risen 0.7 points over that time. Worst year 2008 at 1.8%; best 2000 at 0.3%.
| Year | Failures recorded | Tests | Share of tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 6 | 2,438 | 0.3% |
| 2001 | 8 | 2,805 | 0.3% |
| 2002 | 14 | 3,053 | 0.5% |
| 2003 | 43 | 3,514 | 1.2% |
| 2004 | 142 | 8,501 | 1.7% |
| 2005 | 178 | 13,072 | 1.4% |
| 2006 | 264 | 20,490 | 1.3% |
| 2007 | 393 | 25,648 | 1.5% |
| 2008 | 399 | 21,878 | 1.8% |
| 2009 | 217 | 13,749 | 1.6% |
| 2010 | 130 | 12,870 | 1.0% |
| 2011 | 79 | 8,798 | 0.9% |
Years with fewer than 0.2% of tests recording the item are left out: a year with two failures in 400 tests is noise, and this table is not here to make noise look like a trend.
What it costs
A typical UK repair for this item is £18–£45 fitted. It is a job a careful owner can do at home. What the part is, and what to buy →
Prices are typical UK supply-and-fitting estimates, not quotes. What happens if it fails covers the retest rules.
Where this sits
- Linkage ball joint dust cover deteriorated: every model, every year → — the item's own page, with the part guide.
- Saab 9-3 MOT pass rate by year → — the model's whole record, and what else it fails on.
- Every Saab model →