Car statistics by year

2005 Saab 9-5

Saab 9-5 cars first registered in 2005: how they did at their 2025 MOT, what failed them, how far they have been driven and how many are still on the road. Compared with every car first registered in 2005, so like is set against like.

A year of the Saab 9-5. “2005” is the year of first registration.

Last updated
Records analysed
785 MOT tests of 2005 Saab 9-5 cars
Methodology
View methodology
  • MOT first-time pass rate, 2025 62.7% All 2005 cars 57.7%
  • Typical mileage at the MOT 128,700 miles; all 2005 cars 103,800
  • Left at the end of 2025 1,136 25.4% of the 4,481 at the end of 2014
  • Tests finding a dangerous defect 9.2% All 2005 cars 9.9%
  • Tests with an advisory 71.8% All 2005 cars 70.3%
  • MOT tests in 2025 785 normal tests in Great Britain

How do 2005 Saab 9-5s do at their MOT?

In 2025, at about 20 years old, 62.7% of 2005 Saab 9-5 MOT tests were passed first time, against 57.7% for all cars first registered in 2005. 2005 Saab 9-5s did better than average for their age, by 5.0 points. A year earlier the same cars passed 62.5% of the time (all 2005 cars 56.6%).

MOT pass rate by year of first registration: Saab 9-5 vs all cars

Each pair of bars is one year of first registration, tested in 2025. Older cars pass less often, so compare each Saab 9-5 bar with the all-cars bar beside it.

MOT first-time pass rate in 2025 by year of first registration, Saab 9-5 compared with all cars
First registered Saab 9-5All cars
’04 65.5%57.9%
’05 62.7%57.7%
’06 61.0%56.9%
’07 65.6%57.3%
’08 67.5%57.0%
’09 70.1%58.2%
’10 70.2%59.3%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

Most common MOT failures on the 2005 Saab 9-5

Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction was the most common single reason a 2005 Saab 9-5 failed, on 11.3% of about 300 failed tests. By area of the car, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment failed most often (50.5% of failed tests; all 2005 cars 49.6%). 9.2% of tests found at least one dangerous defect, against 9.9% for all cars first registered in 2005. A failed test can have several defects, so shares add up to more than 100%.

Most common reasons for failure

Share of failed tests with each defect. The same fault on any wheel or side counts once.

Most common specific MOT defects on failed 2005 Saab 9-5 tests, 2025
Defect Share of failed tests
Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks 11.3%
Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 10.6%
Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 9.9%
Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Body, chassis, structure 7.5%
Parking brake efficiency below requirements Brakes 7.2%
Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres 6.5%
Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded Brakes 5.8%
Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn Suspension 5.8%
Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility 5.8%
Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension 5.1%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

Failure categories: Saab 9-5 vs all 2005 cars

The marker shows the share for all cars first registered the same year.

Share of failed 2005 Saab 9-5 MOT tests with a defect in each category, with all 2005 cars for comparison
Category Share of failed tests
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 50.5%
Suspension 36.2%
Brakes 28.3%
Tyres 18.4%
Noise, emissions and leaks 18.1%
Body, chassis, structure 14.0%
Visibility 12.3%
Steering 6.1%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

Most common MOT advisories on the 2005 Saab 9-5

An advisory is something the tester noticed that did not fail the test but may need work soon. 71.8% of 2005 Saab 9-5 tests had at least one (all 2005 cars 70.3%). These are the things to check on one you are thinking of buying.

Most common advisories

Most common MOT advisories on 2005 Saab 9-5 tests, 2025
Advisory Share of tests
Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks 26.5%
Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes 19.0%
Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres 16.9%
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes 13.2%
Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension 11.8%
Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension 11.0%
Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension 10.3%
Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres 7.9%
Coil spring: corroded Suspension 7.3%
Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes 6.5%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

What mileage is normal for a 2005 Saab 9-5?

Half of the 2005 Saab 9-5s tested in 2025 had covered fewer than 128,700 miles. A quarter had covered fewer than 101,000 and a quarter more than 156,000. For all cars first registered in 2005, the middle figure was 103,800 miles, so 2005 Saab 9-5s have been driven 24.0% further than average.

Mileage at the 2025 MOT

Odometer readings at each car’s latest MOT of the year. The bar covers the middle half of cars; the line the middle 80%.

Odometer readings at the 2025 MOT, 2005 Saab 9-5 and all 2005 cars, by percentile
10% 25% Median 75% 90% Cars
2005 Saab 9-5 77,700 101,000 128,700 156,000 185,100 743
All 2005 cars 53,000 75,300 103,800 136,000 168,500 411,156
miles

Half of the 2005 Saab 9-5s tested in 2025 had covered fewer than 128,700 miles.

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

How many 2005 Saab 9-5s are left?

At the end of 2014, 4,481 2005 Saab 9-5s were on the DVLA record in the United Kingdom (these counts start in 2014). By the end of 2025, 1,136 were: 671 licensed and 465 declared off the road (SORN). That is 25.4% still on the record, against 29.5% for all cars first registered in 2005.

Share still on the record since 2014

Cars licensed or SORN at each year end, as a share of the number at the end of 2014. Cars scrapped or exported leave the record. Late registrations and imports can push the share above 100%.

2005 Saab 9-5s on the DVLA record at each year end as a share of the number at the end of 2014, compared with all 2005 cars
Year end 2005 Saab 9-5All 2005 cars
2014 100.0%100.0%
2015 94.5%95.9%
2016 88.2%91.2%
2017 78.2%83.5%
2018 67.1%74.6%
2019 56.9%65.8%
2020 49.8%58.1%
2021 42.4%50.0%
2022 36.7%44.0%
2023 32.1%38.7%
2024 28.1%33.6%
2025 25.4%29.5%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of 2025 Updated

Recalls that may affect cars built around 2005

None of the Saab 9-5’s 4 recalls in DVSA’s records has build dates that include 2005. 3 have no build dates, so could apply to any year.

The 2005 on this page is the year of first registration, not the year the car was built. A car first registered early in 2005 may have been built in 2004, and recalls apply to particular build dates and VINs, so check the recalls either side too.

Every Saab 9-5 recall · Check a specific car on GOV.UK · How we match recalls

Recall details come from manufacturers through DVSA. “Vehicles” is the number the manufacturer reported; “all models” means the figure covers everything in the recall. A recall listed here may not apply to a particular car: only the manufacturer or GOV.UK can say for its VIN.

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis January 1992 to September 2026 Updated

Other years of the Saab 9-5

7 years of the Saab 9-5, 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 2009 cars did best at their 2025 MOT (70.1% passed first time) and the 2006 cars worst (61.0%).

Saab 9-5s by year of first registration
Year Registered Left Pass rate All cars
2004 1,006 65.5% 57.9%
2005 1,136 62.7% 57.7%
2006 1,134 61.0% 56.9%
2007 1,068 65.6% 57.3%
2008 897 67.5% 57.0%
2009 614 70.1% 58.2%
2010 644 70.2% 59.3%

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.

Data sources and methodology

Datasets used on this page
Figures Source Period Records Updated
MOT results and mileage Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency
Derived statistics UK Motoring
2025 785 MOT tests of 2005 Saab 9-5 cars 15 September 2026
Cars on the record Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of 2025 1,136 cars still on the record (licensed or SORN) 15 September 2026
  • MOT figures cover normal tests in Great Britain in 2025 of Saab 9-5 cars first registered in 2005; retests are excluded. “All cars” means every car we match to a model, first registered in 2005.
  • Year of first registration is DVSA’s first-use date: when the car was first registered, in the UK or abroad.
  • Defects and advisories are DVSA’s descriptions made readable. Where on the car a defect was found (side, front or rear) is ignored, so the same fault on any wheel counts once per test.
  • Mileage is the odometer reading at each car’s latest normal MOT of the year, as recorded by the tester. A few readings are in kilometres or mistyped; percentiles are not thrown by a handful of outliers.
  • Cars on the record come from DfT table VEH0124 and cover the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland; MOT figures cover Great Britain only.
  • 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.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.