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Saab 9-5 vs Saab 97: reliability comparison

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

Saab 9-5
74%
MOT pass rate · 55,962 vehicles
Saab 97
92%
MOT pass rate · 2 vehicles
Verdict: On MOT pass rate the Saab 9-5 (74%) and Saab 97 (92%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Head to head

Measure Saab 9-5 Saab 97
MOT pass rate 74% 92%
MOT failure rate 26% 8%
Faults & advisories per test 2.1 0.4
Dangerous-fault share 1% 0%
Average mileage 136,801 mi 31,934 mi
Sample size (vehicles) 55,962 2

Most common faults

Saab 9-5

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

Saab 97

  1. Headlamp aim beam image kick up to the offside (1.8)
  2. Headlamp does not operate immediately when selected on main beam (1.7.4a)
  3. Horn not working (1.6.2a)
  4. Nearside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)
  5. Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Reliability FAQ

On MOT pass rate the Saab 9-5 (74%) and Saab 97 (92%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Full Saab 9-5 report Full Saab 97 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.