Buying Report · £14.99
Tools

Common problems by part

Saab 9-5 seat belts and airbags problems

DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 4,383 MOT tests · Updated

At 17 years, 1.9 in 100 MOT tests of the Saab 9-5 failed on seat belts and airbags, against 2.5 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 4,383 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: about average for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years), 82 MOT tests with a fail
  • By age: seen at 12 ages from 12 to 23 years, 33,143 MOT tests
  • MOT tests at 17 years: 4,383 for the Saab 9-5

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

What the MOT tests show

What we know

1.9 fails per 100 MOT tests at 17 years, against 2.5 for all class 4 vehicles tested at 17 (all test years). That is about average.

Why it matters

A seat belts and airbags fail stops the car passing until it is fixed.

What to check

Pull every seat belt out fully and let it retract, check each buckle latches and releases, and make sure the airbag light goes out after start-up.

Saab 9-5 seat belts and airbags fails by age

Saab 9-5 seat belts and airbags fails per 100 MOT tests by ageSolid line: the Saab 9-5. Dashed line: all cars the same age. The table below lists every value.012312 years: 0.4 per 100 (all cars 1.0), 1,096 MOT tests1213 years: 0.6 per 100 (all cars 1.2), 1,776 MOT tests1314 years: 1.1 per 100 (all cars 1.5), 2,817 MOT tests1415 years: 1.2 per 100 (all cars 1.7), 3,734 MOT tests1516 years: 1.6 per 100 (all cars 2.1), 4,155 MOT tests1617 years: 1.9 per 100 (all cars 2.5), 4,383 MOT tests1718 years: 2.3 per 100 (all cars 2.7), 4,080 MOT tests1819 years: 2.9 per 100 (all cars 2.9), 3,325 MOT tests1920 years: 2.5 per 100 (all cars 3.1), 2,761 MOT tests2021 years: 3.3 per 100 (all cars 3.1), 2,061 MOT tests2122 years: 3.3 per 100 (all cars 3.1), 1,630 MOT tests2223 years: 3.2 per 100 (all cars 3.2), 1,325 MOT tests23
Fails per 100 MOT tests by age, all first-use years pooled. Saab 9-5 All class 4 vehicles the same age Shaded: over 18 years, survivors only.
AgeMOT testsFails per 100All class 4 vehicles the same age
121,0960.41.0
131,7760.61.2
142,8171.11.5
153,7341.21.7
164,1551.62.1
174,3831.92.5
184,0802.32.7
19*3,3252.92.9
20*2,7612.53.1
21*2,0613.33.1
22*1,6303.33.1
23*1,3253.23.2

All first-use years of the Saab 9-5 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 seat belts and airbags at 17 years

Advisories (not fails)

Buying a Saab 9-5? 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

How to check on a test drive

Pull every seat belt out fully and let it retract, check each buckle latches and releases, and make sure the airbag light goes out after start-up.

The most common advisory here in MOT records: Seat belt condition: webbing slightly damaged or frayed.

Check one Saab 9-5, not the average

The figures here describe Saab 9-5 cars as a group. These free tools answer for one car. Each line says what the tool reads.

Other Saab 9-5 problems

Seat belts and airbags on rival models

Questions people ask

Does the Saab 9-5 have more seat belts and airbags problems than other cars?

1.9 in 100 MOT tests at 17 years, against 2.5 for all class 4 vehicles the same age: about average by our test (all test years; 4,383 MOT tests).

How common are Saab 9-5 seat belts and airbags problems?

1.9 in 100 MOT tests at 17 years failed on seat belts and airbags, against 2.5 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 4,383 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, 33,143 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