Does the Saab 9-5 fail the MOT on seat belts and airbags more than it should?
The Saab 9-5 records 2.49 seat belts and airbags failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 2.62 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) (−0.13, 95% interval −0.25 to −0.02). It ranks 340 of 627 models on seat belts and airbags (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on seat belts and airbags · check a Saab 9-5 by registration
What exactly fails on seat belts and airbags?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Saab 9-5 is “The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired”, recorded 814 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired | 814 | 1.10 |
| An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction | 260 | 0.35 |
| Seat belt not functioning as intended or of an incorrect type | 240 | 0.33 |
| Seat belt buckle missing, damaged or not functioning as intended | 184 | 0.25 |
| Seat belt retractor not functioning as intended | 115 | 0.16 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 73,669 (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 9-5 gets a seat belts and airbags advisory, how often does it fail next time?
6.3% of Saab 9-5 MOTs with a seat belts and airbags advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12.1 months and 4,112 miles later (1,477 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 1,477 (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 9-5 1998 · Saab 9-5 1999 · Saab 9-5 2000 · Saab 9-5 2001 · Saab 9-5 2002 · Saab 9-5 2003 · Saab 9-5 2004 · Saab 9-5 2005 · Saab 9-5 2006 · Saab 9-5 2007 · Saab 9-5 2008 · Saab 9-5 2009 · Saab 9-5 2010 · Saab 9-5 2011 · Saab 9-5 in Norway · Saab 9-5 in Finland · Saab 9-5 in the Netherlands · Saab 9-5 by postcode area · Saab 9-5 body, chassis and structure failures · Saab 9-5 brakes failures · Saab 9-5 vehicle identification failures · Saab 9-5 lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Saab 9-5 noise, emissions and leaks failures · Saab 9-5 road wheels failures · Saab 9-5 steering failures · Saab 9-5 suspension failures · Saab 9-5 tyres failures · Saab 9-5 visibility failures