Does the Saab 9-5 fail the MOT on vehicle identification more than it should?
The Saab 9-5 records 0.79 vehicle identification failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 0.63 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) (+0.16, 95% interval +0.10 to +0.23). It ranks 165 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 9-5 by registration
What exactly fails on vehicle identification?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Saab 9-5 is “Number plate inscription missing or illegible”, recorded 314 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Number plate inscription missing or illegible | 314 | 0.43 |
| Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements | 177 | 0.24 |
| Number plate missing or so insecure that it is likely to fall off | 78 | 0.11 |
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 vehicle identification advisory, how often does it fail next time?
3.8% of Saab 9-5 MOTs with a vehicle identification advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 4,374 miles later (3,281 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 3,281 (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 lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Saab 9-5 noise, emissions and leaks failures · Saab 9-5 road wheels failures · Saab 9-5 seat belts and airbags failures · Saab 9-5 steering failures · Saab 9-5 suspension failures · Saab 9-5 tyres failures · Saab 9-5 visibility failures