UK vehicle statistics / Saab

How many Saab 9-5 cars are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 5,728 licensed and 4,767 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Saab 9-5 generic-model group.

Looking at a 9-5?

Population figures cannot tell you whether one particular car is taxed, MOT-valid or safe to buy.

Check its registration free for the official tax, MOT and mileage record. If the car is still worth pursuing, the optional £9.99 full history check adds outstanding-finance, stolen and insurance write-off checks.

Wondering whether one particular 9-5 is off the road? A free SORN check shows whether it is currently SORN, taxed or untaxed.

Is the 9-5 disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 34,443 in 2014 Q3 and stand at 5,728 in 2026 Q1, down 83%. That is down 56% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 4,767 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 10,495 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

A falling population is worth knowing before you buy: it usually means fewer donor cars, fewer specialists and slower parts supply, and it is why a good example of a scarce model can hold its price while a neglected one is hard to sell at any price.

9-5 MOT pass rate

In 2024, 64.1% of 7,035 Saab 9-5 MOTs passed first time — below the 71.2% UK average. Pass rate moves with age: 72.6% of cars aged 10–14 years passed first time, against 62.9% aged 15–30 years.

  • Exhaust Emissions — 7% of tests. The car exceeded its emissions limits. Can be a sensor or a service, but on a diesel it can also mean an expensive filter or catalyst.
  • Brake Performance — 6% of tests. The brakes underperformed on the rolling road. Expect brake work rather than an adjustment.
  • Position Lamps — 5.8% of tests. A side or tail light out. Usually a bulb.
  • Headlamp Aim — 5.3% of tests. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.

Full age bands and failure notes are on the Saab 9-5 MOT pass rate page.

Before you buy

  • Exhaust Emissions — 7% of tests in 2024. The car exceeded its emissions limits. Can be a sensor or a service, but on a diesel it can also mean an expensive filter or catalyst.
  • Brake Performance — 6% of tests in 2024. The brakes underperformed on the rolling road. Expect brake work rather than an adjustment.
  • Position Lamps — 5.8% of tests in 2024. A side or tail light out. Usually a bulb.
  • Headlamp Aim — 5.3% of tests in 2024. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
  • Ask why it was off the road — Of the 10,495 9-5 vehicles still on the DVLA record, 1 in 2 is SORN (4,767 at 2026 Q1). A car that has been laid up needs a closer look at brakes, tyres and the MOT history.
  • Budget for a shrinking fleet — Licensed numbers are down 83% from the 2014 Q3 peak of 34,443. Fewer cars on the road usually means fewer donor parts and fewer specialists.
  • Check the actual 9-5 — These figures describe the model group. Enter the registration for that vehicle's free MOT, tax and mileage record before you pay a deposit.

Quarterly licensed and SORN counts

Every quarter DfT has published for this model group, newest first.

QuarterLicensedSORN
2026 Q15,7284,767
2025 Q45,9734,742
2025 Q36,1514,733
2025 Q26,3704,757
2025 Q16,6484,745
2024 Q46,9874,770
2024 Q37,2914,931
2024 Q27,6304,966
2024 Q17,9634,926
2023 Q48,3324,868
2023 Q38,6844,759
2023 Q29,0684,745
2023 Q19,4164,742
2022 Q49,8264,754
2022 Q310,2394,693
2022 Q210,6654,708
2022 Q111,0614,754
2021 Q411,5324,757
2021 Q312,0304,661
2021 Q212,6584,708
2021 Q113,0814,830
2020 Q413,6624,825
2020 Q314,3334,722
2020 Q214,6974,873
2020 Q115,3054,806
2019 Q416,1074,527
2019 Q316,8284,390
2019 Q217,5844,277
2019 Q118,3794,210
2018 Q419,1844,210
2018 Q319,9314,067
2018 Q220,7724,026
2018 Q121,7263,976
2017 Q422,7263,875
2017 Q323,4563,782
2017 Q224,4373,715
2017 Q125,4703,631
2016 Q426,3373,568
2016 Q326,9843,355
2016 Q227,9983,273
2016 Q129,0853,125
2015 Q429,8292,916
2015 Q330,5992,652
2015 Q231,5632,523
2015 Q132,4172,382
2014 Q433,3282,254
2014 Q334,4432,089

Other Saab models

See how many of every Saab model are left

Common questions

How many Saab 9-5 cars are left in the UK?

5,728 were licensed and 4,767 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many Saab 9-5 cars are SORN?

4,767 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 10,495 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the 9-5 disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 34,443 in 2014 Q3 and stand at 5,728 in 2026 Q1, down 83%. That is down 56% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 4,767 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 10,495 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

What is the Saab 9-5 MOT pass rate?

In 2024, 64.1% of 7,035 Saab 9-5 MOTs passed first time — below the 71.2% UK average.

What does the 9-5 fail its MOT on?

The most common initial failure categories in 2024 are exhaust emissions (7% of tests), brake performance (6% of tests), position lamps (5.8% of tests).

Does this say whether one 9-5 is a good buy?

No. These are population figures for the model group. Enter that vehicle's registration for its own free MOT, tax and mileage record.

Source and limitations

Source: Department for Transport and DVLA, df_VEH0120_UK. Released 2026-07-15 under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

DVLA make and model fields are administrative data and can contain omissions or inconsistencies. These statistics describe model groups, not an individual registration.

Confidential cells marked [c] represent between 1 and 4 vehicles and are treated as zero in aggregates, so totals can be slightly understated.