Does the Saab 9-3 fail the MOT on tyres more than it should?
The Saab 9-3 records 10.49 tyres failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 10.52 expected for a car of the same age mix: about as expected for its class and age (the difference is within its interval or under 0.5 items per 100 tests) (−0.03, 95% interval −0.14 to +0.08). It ranks 303 of 751 models on tyres (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on tyres · check a Saab 9-3 by registration
What exactly fails on tyres?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Saab 9-3 is “Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements”, recorded 13,596 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 13,596 | 4.07 |
| A tyre seriously damaged | 11,429 | 3.42 |
| A tyre cords visible or damaged | 6,069 | 1.82 |
| Tyre obviously under inflated | 1,177 | 0.35 |
| A tyre has a lump, bulge or tear caused by separation or partial failure of its structure. This includes any lifting of the tread rubber | 1,011 | 0.30 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 334,332 (initial tests) · Method: failure items (major and minor) grouped by DVSA's defect tree; wordings with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
If a Saab 9-3 gets a tyres advisory, how often does it fail next time?
10.8% of Saab 9-3 MOTs with a tyres advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12.1 months and 4,979 miles later (62,099 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 62,099 (advisories followed) · Method: the same vehicles followed to their next ordinary MOT · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
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 2011 · 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 visibility failures