MOT Risk Index.co.uk

Saab 9-3 2011: MOT failure rate for its age

32.5% of 16,112 MOT tests of the Saab 9-3 first registered in 2011 failed at the first attempt (2019–2024; retests excluded). Against this model's own normal rate at the same ages the index is 94.1 (95% CI 91.5–96.6; 100 = normal for this model at that age): the 2011 Saab 9-3 fails less often than other build years of the same model at the same age.

Saab 9-3 built in 2011 at a glance
MeasureValueUnitCompared withYearsTests
Failed first time32.5%all ages tested2019–202416112
Index against this model at the same age (95% CI 91.5–96.6)94.1index100 = normal for this model at that age2019–202416112
Rank among this model's 15 build years4of 151 = fails least for its age2019–202416112
Tested in 20242433testsmedian 108,089 miles20242433
line · Saab 9-3 built 2011 · first-time MOT failure share by age · built 2011 29.9% vs model normal 32.5% at age 8 · 2019–2024
Built 2011 against Saab 9-3 normal for the age: first-time MOT failure share at each age, age 8: 29.9% vs 32.5%; age 9: 32.9% vs 32.5%; age 10: 32.5% vs 33.5%; age 11: 33.9% vs 35.2%; age 12: 33.4% vs 36.7%; age 13: 32.8% vs 37.6%. Axis from 0% to 40%. DVSA MOT bulk data, 2019–2024.
Check a 2011 Saab 9-3 by registration · All Saab 9-3 MOT statistics · Download the build-year table (CSV)

Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · full dataset (v5).

How does the 2011 Saab 9-3 fail at each age?

Cars built in 2011 were tested at ages 8 to 13 between 2019 and 2024. Each row compares their first-time failure share with what this model normally shows at that age, after allowing for the overall failure level of each test year.

Saab 9-3 built 2011: first-time MOT failure by age, against the model's normal rate at that age (2019–2024)
AgeTestsFailed, %95% intervalNormal for this model at that age, %Index (100 = normal)
82,93729.928.3–31.632.592
92,74332.931.2–34.732.5101.3
102,73232.530.7–34.233.596.9
112,67133.932.1–35.735.296.2
122,59633.431.6–35.336.791.1
132,43332.831–34.737.687.3

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 16,112 (initial tests) · Method: normal rate = this model's first-time failure share at that age across its build years (cells of 400+ tests), adjusted for each test year's overall level; cells of 30+ tests, under 500 marked rough · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV

What fails most on the 2011 Saab 9-3?

The most common failure group on cars built in 2011 is suspension: 28.7 items per 100 first tests, against 29.6 across all build years of the Saab 9-3. These counts are not age-adjusted: cars built in 2011 were tested at ages 8 to 13.

Failure items per 100 first tests, Saab 9-3 built 2011 against the Saab 9-3 in all build years (2019–2024, not age-adjusted)
Failure groupBuilt 2011, per 100All build years, per 100Items
Suspension28.729.64,618
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment1125.21,768
Brakes10.817.61,740
Tyres8.410.51,353
Visibility7.511.11,208

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 16,112 (initial tests of this build year) · Method: failure items grouped by DVSA's top-level defect groups, per 100 initial tests; groups with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV

How does 2011 compare with the years around it?

Among the 15 published build years of the Saab 9-3, 2011 ranks 4 (1 = fails least for its age). 2010: index 89.8. 2012: index 78.6.

Saab 9-3 build years: index against the model at the same age (2019–2024)
Build yearIndex (100 = normal)95% intervalVerdictTests
1998105.196.9–113.4no different (rough estimate)1,448
1999100.495.1–105.8no different (rough estimate)3,216
2000101.296.9–105.5no different5,075
200195.491.7–99.1better6,482
200298.795.3–102.1no different8,029
2003103.5100.5–106.6worse10,208
2004105.3103.3–107.4worse23,549
2005103.4101.8–105.0worse36,256
2006104.3103.0–105.7worse53,981
200798.397.1–99.5better62,259
200895.494.0–96.7better49,029
200993.791.9–95.6better27,559
201089.887.8–91.8better23,965
201194.191.5–96.6better16,112
201278.669.2–88.0better (rough estimate)1,024

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 328,192 (initial tests) · Method: observed failures against those expected for the same model at the same ages, test-year level adjusted; verdict follows the printed one-decimal bound · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV

How to cite this page

MOT Risk Index (2026). Saab 9-3 2011 MOT statistics (data release dvsa-2024-v2; full dataset motriskindex-families-2024-v5, DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22975051), updated 30 September 2026. motriskindex.co.uk/cars/saab-9-3/2011/

How every figure is calculated: methodology. Age, test year and build year are tied together (age = test year − build year), so the test-year level is taken as observed, not estimated.

Other pages for this model

Saab 9-3 1998 · Saab 9-3 1999 · Saab 9-3 2000 · Saab 9-3 2001 · Saab 9-3 2002 · Saab 9-3 2003 · Saab 9-3 2004 · Saab 9-3 2005 · Saab 9-3 2006 · Saab 9-3 2007 · Saab 9-3 2008 · Saab 9-3 2009 · Saab 9-3 2010 · Saab 9-3 2012 · Saab 9-3 in Norway · Saab 9-3 in Finland · Saab 9-3 in the Netherlands · Saab 9-3 by postcode area · Saab 9-3 body, chassis and structure failures · Saab 9-3 brakes failures · Saab 9-3 vehicle identification failures · Saab 9-3 lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Saab 9-3 noise, emissions and leaks failures · Saab 9-3 road wheels failures · Saab 9-3 seat belts and airbags failures · Saab 9-3 steering failures · Saab 9-3 suspension failures · Saab 9-3 tyres failures · Saab 9-3 visibility failures