Buying Report · £14.99
Tools

Common problems by part

Saab 9-3 steering problems

DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 25,827 MOT tests · Updated

At 16 years, 2.1 in 100 MOT tests of the Saab 9-3 failed on steering, against 3.4 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 25,827 MOT tests) [1].

Buying Report £14.99 incl. VAT · one car · no subscription · Not a mechanical inspection.

  • Against all class 4 vehicles the same age: fails less often than all class 4 vehicles the same age (0.6–0.7×) (all test years), 550 MOT tests with a fail
  • By age: seen at 15 ages from 11 to 25 years, 166,679 MOT tests
  • MOT tests at 16 years: 25,827 for the Saab 9-3

Figures are for the model as a whole, not for one car.

What the MOT tests show

What we know

2.1 fails per 100 MOT tests at 16 years, against 3.4 for all class 4 vehicles tested at 16 (all test years). The Saab 9-3 fails less often here.

Why it matters

A steering fail stops the car passing until it is fixed.

What to check

With the engine running, turn the wheel lock to lock: listen for knocks or groans and feel for play at the straight-ahead position. On the drive the car should not wander.

Saab 9-3 steering fails by age

Saab 9-3 steering fails per 100 MOT tests by ageSolid line: the Saab 9-3. Dashed line: all cars the same age. The table below lists every value.02411 years: 1.3 per 100 (all cars 2.5), 2,909 MOT tests1112 years: 1.4 per 100 (all cars 2.8), 6,859 MOT tests13 years: 1.3 per 100 (all cars 2.9), 11,042 MOT tests1314 years: 1.8 per 100 (all cars 3.2), 17,915 MOT tests15 years: 1.9 per 100 (all cars 3.3), 23,733 MOT tests1516 years: 2.1 per 100 (all cars 3.4), 25,827 MOT tests17 years: 2.4 per 100 (all cars 3.6), 24,131 MOT tests1718 years: 2.8 per 100 (all cars 3.9), 19,101 MOT tests19 years: 2.7 per 100 (all cars 4.1), 12,256 MOT tests1920 years: 3.3 per 100 (all cars 4.2), 7,567 MOT tests21 years: 2.4 per 100 (all cars 4.2), 4,875 MOT tests2122 years: 2.9 per 100 (all cars 4.0), 3,501 MOT tests23 years: 2.7 per 100 (all cars 3.9), 3,061 MOT tests2324 years: 2.8 per 100 (all cars 3.7), 2,415 MOT tests25 years: 3.7 per 100 (all cars 3.7), 1,487 MOT tests25
Fails per 100 MOT tests by age, all first-use years pooled. Saab 9-3 All class 4 vehicles the same age Shaded: over 18 years, survivors only.
AgeMOT testsFails per 100All class 4 vehicles the same age
112,9091.32.5
126,8591.42.8
1311,0421.32.9
1417,9151.83.2
1523,7331.93.3
1625,8272.13.4
1724,1312.43.6
1819,1012.83.9
19*12,2562.74.1
20*7,5673.34.2
21*4,8752.44.2
22*3,5012.94.0
23*3,0612.73.9
24*2,4152.83.7
25*1,4873.73.7

All first-use years of the Saab 9-3 pooled at each age, against all class 4 vehicles at that age over all 2022–2025 test years. * Only survivors are still tested at this age.

What fails in the steering at 16 years

Advisories (not fails)

Buying a Saab 9-3? Check that exact car before the viewing.

Buying Report £14.99 incl. VAT · one car · no subscription · Not a mechanical inspection.

  • Model risks for this year and fuel
  • What similar cars did at their next MOT
  • Repairs ahead
  • Viewing checklist

See a sample report

By engine and fuel

  • 2.0 petrol: 1.4 per 100 at 16 years, about average for petrol class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 10,067 MOT tests)
  • 1.9 diesel: 2.7 per 100 at 16 years, fails less often than diesel class 4 vehicles the same age (0.6–0.7×) (all test years; 13,434 MOT tests)

How to check on a test drive

With the engine running, turn the wheel lock to lock: listen for knocks or groans and feel for play at the straight-ahead position. On the drive the car should not wander.

The most common advisory here in MOT records: Play in steering rack inner joint(s).

Check one Saab 9-3, not the average

The figures here describe Saab 9-3 cars as a group. These free tools answer for one car. Each line says what the tool reads.

Other Saab 9-3 problems

Steering on rival models

Questions people ask

Does the Saab 9-3 have more steering problems than other cars?

0.6 to 0.7 times the steering fail rate of all class 4 vehicles the same age at 16 years (all test years), from 25,827 MOT tests. The interval is clear of 0.8 in the same direction at 6 of the 15 ages seen (ages up to 18 with at least 100 MOT tests with a fail).

How common are Saab 9-3 steering problems?

2.1 in 100 MOT tests at 16 years failed on steering, against 3.4 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 25,827 MOT tests).

Sources

  1. Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 166,679 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.

Parts: against all class 4 vehicles at the same age, all 2022–2025 test years pooled, not adjusted for mileage. Breakdowns and non-MOT faults are not in this data. How we compare