How many Saab 9-3s are still on the road in Great Britain, how many are declared off the road, how new registrations have changed and which fuels they use. Built from DVLA licensing records and 32,421 DVSA MOT tests.
Licensed in Great Britain26,195−15.0% on a year earlier
Declared SORN15,998Off the road, not taxed
MOT first-time pass rate, 202563.6%Cars of the same ages 59.3%
Rank by number licensedNo. 211of 1,159 models we cover
Peak year2010140,739 licensed
Average annual mileage4,959miles a year
How many Saab 9-3s are left in Great Britain?
There were 26,195 Saab 9-3s licensed in Great Britain at the end of March 2026, and a further 15,998 declared off the road (SORN).
That is 81.4% fewer than the peak of 140,739 in 2010.
Saab 9-3s licensed in Great Britain
Numbers peaked in 2010 and have fallen every year since, as older cars are scrapped faster than new ones are registered.
12 versions of the Saab 9-3 have their own page.
The figures above include every version; each version page covers only the cars DVLA records
under that version’s name.
In 2025, 63.6% of Saab 9-3 MOT tests were passed first time,
against 72.8% for all cars.
Cars of the same ages as the Saab 9-3s tested pass 59.3% of the time, so the Saab 9-3 does better than average for its age, by 4.3 points. In 2024 its pass rate was 63.2%.
MOT first-time pass rate by age: Saab 9-3 vs all cars
Comparing like with like: each bar pair covers cars of the same age, so an older average age does not count against a model.
0%
50%
100%
11–14 years
15–19 years
20+ years
Saab 9-3
All cars
MOT first-time pass rate by vehicle age, Saab 9-3 compared with all cars
Suspension is the most common reason a Saab 9-3 fails its MOT,
appearing on 42.1% of failed tests. A failed test can have defects in
more than one category, so shares add up to more than 100%.
9.2% of Saab 9-3 tests found at least one dangerous defect, against 7.3% for all cars.
Most common MOT failure categories
Share of failed Saab 9-3 MOT tests with at least one defect in each category
The single most common reason a Saab 9-3 failed its MOT in 2025 was
“Coil spring: fractured or broken”, on 16.8% of 11,798 failed tests.
66.3% of tests ended with at least one advisory, a problem to watch that did not fail the test; the most common was “Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge”.
The same fault on any wheel or side counts once.
Most common reasons for failure
Share of failed tests with each defect. A test can fail for more than one.
Most common specific MOT defects on failed Saab 9-3 tests, 2025
Defect
Share of failed tests
Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension
16.8%
Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
12 years of the Saab 9-3, by year of first registration, have their own page with MOT results, common faults, mileage and how many are left. Against all cars of the same age, the 2002 cars did best at their 2025 MOT (69.6% passed first time) and the 2004 cars worst (58.8%).
Registered: cars on the DVLA record at the end of the year they were first registered (these counts start in 2014, so older years show a dash). Left:
licensed or declared SORN at the end of 2025.
Both cover the United Kingdom. Pass rate: first-time passes at normal MOT tests in Great
Britain in 2025; all cars: every car first registered the same year.
Saab 9-3 annual mileage
The average Saab 9-3 covers 4,959 miles a year,
worked out from odometer readings at consecutive MOT tests.
Average annual mileage by age
0
2k
4k
6k
8k
6,136
11–14 years
5,315
15–19 years
3,575
20+ years
Average annual mileage of a Saab 9-3 by vehicle age
Registrations of Saab 9-3s for the first time in Great Britain peaked at 22,583 in 2006. In 2025, 4 were registered. With almost none registered new, the number on the road is likely to keep falling.
Registered for the first time, by year
0
10k
20k
30k
’01
’02
’03
’04
’05
’06
’07
’08
’09
’10
’11
’12
’13
’14
’15
’16
’17
’18
’19
’20
’21
’22
’23
’24
’25
Saab 9-3s registered for the first time in Great Britain, by year
Of the 28,147 Saab 9-3s licensed in the UK at the end of 2025, 64.8% have an engine of 1,901cc to 2,000cc, and 27.9% have an engine of 2,001cc to 2,100cc. The share with an engine of 2,001cc to 2,100cc has grown from 19.7% in 2014 to 27.9%. Diesels made up 50.9% of those licensed in 2014 and 44.7% in 2025.
Engine sizes, end of 2025
DVLA records engine size in 100cc bands.
Saab 9-3s licensed in the UK at the end of 2025, by engine size
Engine size
Share of those licensed
1,901cc to 2,000cc 18,229 licensed
64.8%
2,001cc to 2,100cc 7,861 licensed
27.9%
2,701cc to 2,800cc 930 licensed
3.3%
1,701cc to 1,800cc 691 licensed
2.5%
2,101cc to 2,200cc 97 licensed
0.3%
Other sizes 339 licensed
1.2%
Source:DfT / DVLAEnd of 2014 to end of 2025Updated
Engine size and fuel together, end of 2025
Engine size and fuel together, end of 2025
Engine size
Fuel
Licensed
Share
1,901–2,000cc
Diesel
12,480
44.3%
2,001–2,100cc
Petrol
7,795
27.7%
1,901–2,000cc
Petrol
5,727
20.3%
2,701–2,800cc
Petrol
926
3.3%
1,701–1,800cc
Petrol
682
2.4%
Engine sizes, 2014 to 2025
Share of those licensed at the end of each year, for the most common sizes.
Saab 9-3s licensed in the UK by fuel type, share of each year’s total
Year
Petrol
Diesel
2014
48.8%
50.9%
2015
48.4%
51.3%
2016
47.9%
51.8%
2017
48.2%
51.5%
2018
48.7%
51.0%
2019
49.2%
50.5%
2020
49.7%
49.9%
2021
50.7%
48.9%
2022
51.4%
48.2%
2023
52.8%
46.8%
2024
54.0%
45.6%
2025
54.9%
44.7%
Source:DfT / DVLAEnd of 2014 to end of 2025Updated
United Kingdom figures from DfT table VEH0220 (licensed cars at the end of each year, SORN
excluded), so they differ slightly from the Great Britain counts elsewhere on this page.
How we use engine sizes.
Saab 9-3 fuel economy and CO2
The Vehicle Certification Agency’s new car data lists the Saab 9-3 from 2000, when the data begins, to 2011. On the NEDC test (listings 2000 to 2011), official combined fuel economy for its petrol, diesel and other fuel versions ranges from 24.1 to 62.8 mpg, with CO2 of 119 to 279 g/km.
Official NEDC figures by engine and fuel, listed 2000 to 2011
Official NEDC figures by engine and fuel, listed 2000 to 2011
Official figures from laboratory type-approval tests. VCA says they may not be achieved in
real-world driving, and should not be used to rank cars with similar figures.
Engine sizes are rounded to the nearest 0.1 litre. A version is one line in
VCA’s data (description, gearbox, engine and fuel), counted once however many years it was
listed.
Matched from VCA’s model names “9-3 MY2008 4 Door Saloon”, “9-3 MY2008 5 Door Estate”, “9-3 Series Convertible”, “9-3 MY2008 2 Door Convertible”. How we use VCA’s figures.
Saab 9-3 safety recalls
DVSA lists 10 safety recalls for the Saab 9-3 since 1992, the first in 2002. The most recent was launched on 3 December 2010.
Right hand front seat may not lock correctly
Launched 3 December 2010DVSA recall R/2010/213Manufacturer ref. 15027
Defect
It has been established that due to a process problem at a sub supplier the right hand side front seat recliner mechanism may fail. This will result in that the back-rest can't be moved back into the locking position. The condition is very obvious but if ignored and the vehicle is involved in a crash the seat belt which is integral to the seat structure will not restrain the occupant as designed.
Remedy
The seat should be inspected and if necessary replaced.
A recall applies to cars built on particular dates or with particular VINs, not to every Saab 9-3. The details come from manufacturers through DVSA, which says they may be delayed or
incomplete. To check a specific car, use GOV.UK’s vehicle recall check or ask the manufacturer or a
dealer. How we match recalls to models.
Figures cover Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). Northern Ireland is not included.
Licensed counts are vehicles with a current tax or exemption at the end of each year (or the latest quarter). SORN counts are shown separately.
First registrations count vehicles registered in Great Britain for the first time, including used imports.
Models are grouped by DVLA’s generic model name, so every generation and trim counts together.
MOT figures cover normal tests of cars aged three and over in 2025; retests are excluded. Age is rounded to the nearest year.
DVSA records the model name typed in at the test. We match those names to DVLA’s generic models, so a handful of tests may be counted under a close relative.
