Does the Saab 9-3 fail the MOT on vehicle identification more than it should?
The Saab 9-3 records 0.71 vehicle identification failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 0.59 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) (+0.12, 95% interval +0.09 to +0.15). It ranks 202 of 636 models on vehicle identification (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on vehicle identification · check a Saab 9-3 by registration
What exactly fails on vehicle identification?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Saab 9-3 is “Number plate inscription missing or illegible”, recorded 1,074 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Number plate inscription missing or illegible | 1,074 | 0.32 |
| Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements | 995 | 0.30 |
| Number plate missing or so insecure that it is likely to fall off | 251 | 0.08 |
| Number plate showing an incorrect registration | 47 | 0.01 |
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 vehicle identification advisory, how often does it fail next time?
3.5% of Saab 9-3 MOTs with a vehicle identification advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12.1 months and 5,267 miles later (11,325 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 11,325 (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 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