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Saab 9-3 vs Saab 900 i 16: reliability comparison

MOT pass rates, common faults and mileage compared from real UK MOT data.

Saab 9-3
74%
MOT pass rate · 155,267 vehicles
Saab 900 i 16
73%
MOT pass rate · 13 vehicles
Verdict: On MOT pass rate the Saab 9-3 (74%) and Saab 900 i 16 (73%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Head to head

Measure Saab 9-3 Saab 900 i 16
MOT pass rate 74% ✓ 73%
MOT failure rate 26% ✓ 27%
Faults & advisories per test 1.9 1.5 ✓
Dangerous-fault share 1% 0% ✓
Average mileage 130,302 mi 133,868 mi
Sample size (vehicles) 155,267 13

Most common faults

Saab 9-3

  1. Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  2. Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  3. Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  4. Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  5. Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))
  6. Oil leak

Saab 900 i 16

  1. Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)
  2. Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  3. Offside rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)
  4. Offside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)
  5. Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  6. Nearside Front Brake hose bulging under pressure (3.6.B.3)

Reliability FAQ

On MOT pass rate the Saab 9-3 (74%) and Saab 900 i 16 (73%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Full Saab 9-3 report Full Saab 900 i 16 report Most reliable cars

Pass rates are computed over completed (pass/fail) MOT tests. Reliability also depends on age, mileage and upkeep — see each model's page for the full picture.