Fault File
All models / All cars / Saloons & estates / Saab 9-5

Saab 9-5

All generations and engines together · 1,245 MOT tests in the 2025 data

Reliability verdict

Not enough recent tests to rate this saloon or estate. Watch suspension and emissions/leaks. Not enough recent MOT data to call this one yet.

What owners report

Reported

Owner folklore from forums and the motoring press, with how well each report stands up. Most of it never shows up in an MOT, which is why this section exists at all.

Engine oil sludging on the 4-cylinder (chain-cam) engines

Confirmed pattern

The B205/B235 four-cylinder turbo engines are prone to oil sludge building up in the sump and cylinder head if oil isn't changed often enough, blocking the passages that feed the timing chain and tensioner. It shows up as rattly cold starts, a lit oil pressure light, or a blocked sump pickup, usually from 60k miles on cars that have had long service intervals. Saab extended the engine warranty to 8 years in the UK in 2005 because of how widespread it was; a sump clean and pickup replacement runs a few hundred pounds, a full rebuild much more.

From 60k miles on neglected cars · sources: Honest John, Autodoc, Saab owner forums

Direct ignition cassette (DIC) failure and misfires

Confirmed pattern

The four coil packs sit in one moulded cassette on top of the engine, and Saab enthusiasts widely regard it as a wear item rather than a rare failure. Symptoms are a rough idle, a flashing engine management light, and misfire codes (owners report P1312/P1334 together as the classic pair), sometimes with no-start after it's run rough for a while. It tends to strike from around 80-100k miles, sometimes repeatedly on the same car, and a replacement cassette plus fitting is roughly £150-350. Saab issued a technical bulletin covering ignition module replacement (TSB 1577), which forums say occasionally sent good units back out as replacements.

Reported 80-100k miles, repeat failures common · sources: Honest John, SaabCentral, Saab Link Forums

Rear trailing arm bush wear

Partly in the MOT data

Owners regularly report knocking or growling from the rear axle and uneven rear tyre wear, traced to the rubber trailing arm bushes wearing out, with aftermarket poly bushes a common owner fix. This lines up with the measured MOT data, where suspension is the standout failure category for this model. It backs up the folklore: the rear end does wear, and by the time it clonks on a test drive it's often already borderline for MOT advisories.

Reported from 70-90k miles · sources: Saabscene, SaabCentral forums

1.9 TiD (JTDM-based) diesel: cambelt-driven water pump and EGR/swirl flap issues

Emerging

On the 1.9-litre diesel, the water pump is driven off the timing belt and its failure can also wreck the belt, so missing the roughly 40,000-mile belt/pump/tensioner change is far more costly than on a normal cambelt car. Owners and Honest John also report swirl flaps in the inlet manifold breaking up and getting ingested, and EGR valves and DPFs choking with symptoms of poor pulling power and warning lights. None of this is manufacturer-acknowledged as a design fault, but it comes up repeatedly on the same engine.

Belt/pump service due every ~40k miles · sources: Honest John, Autodoc

3.0 V6 diesel: heavy oil consumption and short-lived EGR valves

EmergingV6 diesel only

The GM/Isuzu-sourced 3.0 V6 diesel is reported to burn oil heavily under load, up to a litre every 1,400 miles when towing according to Honest John, so buyers of this engine need to check oil level religiously rather than trust the dashboard warning. EGR valves on this engine are also said to fail early, sometimes within around 12,000 miles of a replacement. It's specific to the V6 diesel and doesn't affect the four-cylinder petrol or the 1.9 diesel.

Applies to 3.0 V6 diesel only · sources: Honest John

Automatic gearbox: hesitant or jerky shifts, and diesel heat-exchanger contamination

EmergingAutomatics only

On automatic cars, owners describe hunting, jerky or delayed gear changes developing from around 80k miles, often linked to worn solenoids or an ECU that's fallen out of adaptation, and regular ATF changes are said to make a real difference to longevity. On 1.9 diesel automatics there's a separate, more serious fault where the transmission fluid heat exchanger in the radiator can leak and let coolant into the gearbox, contaminating the fluid and damaging the box; repair costs range from a service and adaptation reset up to a full transmission rebuild if coolant has got in. Manual cars aren't affected by either issue.

From 80k miles on autos · sources: Honest John, Autodoc, Saabscene

What to check on this car

Ranked from this model’s own MOT record, then from what owners report.

Saveable checklist

From this model’s MOT record

The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.

Underneath, with a torchRuns high on this model Get down and look at the sills, the subframes and the rear suspension mounting points. Flaking scale and bubbling matter; light surface rust does not. On older cars this is the one check that finds the fault that scraps them.Recorded on 18.4% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 4.3%
LeaksRuns high on this model Look at the ground where the car usually stands, then glance under the engine after your test drive. Fresh drips of oil or coolant are the cheapest warning you will ever get about a car.Recorded on 14.0% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 4.8%
Lights and horn walkroundRuns high on this model With a helper, run every light: dipped, main beam, indicators, brake lights including the high-level one, reverse, fog, and the horn. On newer cars a dead LED section can mean replacing the whole lamp unit rather than a bulb.Recorded on 9.2% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 3.5%
Coil springsRuns high on this model Look through the wheel spokes at the bottom coil of each spring; when springs snap it is usually there, and the break is visible. Step back and check the car sits level too. A dropped corner is often a broken spring.Recorded on 8.4% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 5.0%
Brake pipes underneathRuns high on this model Follow the metal brake lines with a torch where they run along the sills and over the rear axle. White crust or flaking metal means they are corroding, and the online MOT history usually shows the same advisory creeping up for years before the fail.Recorded on 6.1% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 1.6%
DampersRuns high on this model Look for oil misting on the damper body behind each wheel, then push down hard on each corner of the car. It should settle in one bounce. A floaty or crashy ride on the test drive is the same fault felt from the driver's seat.Recorded on 5.2% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 2.7%
Bushes and ball joints Drive slowly over broken tarmac with the windows down and listen for clonks from either end. Back at the car, have someone rock the steering wheel while you rest a hand on each front wheel; play you can feel through the tyre is a worn joint.Recorded on 6.1% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 9.0%

Worth doing on any used car

These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.

Tyres, all four Check the tread across the full width of each tyre, inner edge included, and look for cracking and mismatched brands. A set of decent tyres is £500 or more on most cars, which makes this the easiest money to take off a price. If the pressure warning light is on, budget for sensors too.Recorded on 24.4% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 20.9%
Pads and discs Look through the wheel spokes at the brake disc. A pronounced lip on its outer edge, or a rusty and scored face, means discs and pads are due all round, a few hundred pounds on most cars. A haggling point rather than a reason to walk away.Recorded on 13.8% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 11.4%
Windscreen and wipers Scan the glass in daylight for chips, especially in the driver's line of sight where even a small one can fail the MOT. Run the washers and check the wipers clear without smearing.Recorded on 3.4% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 2.6%

Because of what owners report

Drawn from the reports above rather than the MOT data. These are the model-specific ones.

Check the oil on the dipstick for a thick, dark, mayonnaise-like texture and ask for a full service history with regular oil changes. Thin or infrequent oil changes are the main cause of sump and timing chain sludging on the four-cylinder engines.
Let it idle and watch for a rough, uneven beat or a flickering engine management light. A rough idle with misfire codes points to a failing direct ignition cassette, a common and repeat-prone fault.
Drive over a bumpy road and listen for knocking or growling from the back of the car, and check for uneven rear tyre wear. Worn rear trailing arm bushes are one of the most common owner complaints and show up in the MOT suspension data.
On a diesel, ask when the cambelt, water pump and tensioner were last changed. A missed change on the 1.9 TiD can let the water pump fail and take the belt with it, causing serious engine damage.
On a 3.0 V6 diesel, check the oil level yourself rather than trusting the gauge, and ask about oil top-ups between services. This engine is reported to burn oil heavily, especially under load or when towing.
On an automatic, drive it through several gear changes from cold and warm, including light throttle and kickdown. Hesitant, jerky or delayed shifts suggest worn solenoids or a gearbox overdue an ATF service.
On a diesel automatic, check the transmission fluid colour and smell for coolant contamination (milky or sweet-smelling fluid). A failed heat exchanger lets coolant mix with ATF, which can wreck the gearbox and is expensive to put right.

Open the saveable checklist, tick it off at the car

The MOT data

Measured

Computed from DVSA MOT results, all of Great Britain, 2025. Nothing here is opinion.

How this model wears

Saab 9-5Class average, all tracked models

What testers flag

Share of tests where each item was recorded. The dark tick is the class average across all tracked models; bars are scaled within each group.

Faults with the car itself

The rows that judge the model rather than its keeper. 1,244 tests in this band.

A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded
Advisory
33.0%class 7.4%
Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users
Advisory
14.0%class 4.8%
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
Fail
9.2%class 3.5%
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
Advisory
8.4%class 5.0%
A brake hose ferrule excessively corroded
Advisory
6.1%class 1.6%
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
Advisory
6.1%class 9.0%
A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
Advisory
5.2%class 2.7%
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
Fail
4.2%class 3.2%
The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mo
Advisory
3.2%class 1.3%
Exhaust system leaking or insecure
Advisory
2.9%class 2.2%

Wear, upkeep and luck

Tyres, pads and stone chips say more about how the car was driven and maintained than about how it was built.

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
Advisory
26.9%class 23.4%
Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured
Advisory
13.8%class 11.4%
A tyre seriously damaged
Advisory
13.0%class 11.3%
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
Advisory
6.7%class 7.3%
Number plate inscription missing or illegible
Advisory
5.3%class 2.3%
Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn
Advisory
4.2%class 2.8%
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
Minor
3.7%class 3.3%
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
Minor
3.4%class 2.6%

Others in its class

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