Saab 9-5 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Saab 9-5 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Saab 9-5 passed on its first attempt in 70.8%, and its overall record sits −4.7 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Saab 9-5 in the 2023–2025 data: 28,153 tests across 13 model years (2000–2012). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common Saab 9-5 MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Saab 9-5, the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Shares are over the Saab 9-5's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Saab 9-5 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Saab 9-5, each with how many of the model's 28,153 tests it was noted on.

• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 1,273 Saab 9-5 tests, 4.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Position lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 1,068 Saab 9-5 tests, 3.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction" (Major) — noted on about 866 Saab 9-5 tests, 3.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 775 Saab 9-5 tests, 2.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Headlamp lens slightly defective" (Minor) — noted on about 667 Saab 9-5 tests, 2.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 637 Saab 9-5 tests, 2.3% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Saab 9-5 Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Saab 9-5 model year on record is 2011 (82.9% across 1,127 tests), and the weakest is 2002 (73.2%). The gap between them is 9.7 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Saab 9-5 reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 0.9 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Saab 9-5 Owners

These checks follow this Saab 9-5's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Saab 9-5.

• the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”

  Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.

• the lights — “position lamp not working”

  Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.

• the suspension joints — “pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn”

  With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Saab 9-5. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: Saab 9-5 MOT & Reliability