Volvo MOT pass rates and reliability
We have 567,004 MOT tests on Volvo cars from 2023, covering 18 models with enough tests to compare. Choose a model to see what it fails on most often, how its pass rate changes with age and how far it is typically driven.
Across 567,004 MOT tests on Volvo cars in 2023, 73% passed first time, close to the national average of 71% for all cars. Of the Volvo models with enough tests, the XC40 did best at 90% and the V50 did least well at 55%. Newer models pass more often whatever the make, so compare cars of a similar age.
Volvo models
| Model | Tests | First-time pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| XC60 | 104,161 | 80% |
| V40 | 100,495 | 73% |
| XC90 | 68,456 | 72% |
| XC40 | 47,465 | 90% |
| V70 | 45,098 | 64% |
| V60 | 37,102 | 78% |
| V50 | 33,780 | 55% |
| C30 | 24,499 | 59% |
| S60 | 21,487 | 72% |
| S40 | 21,057 | 57% |
| XC70 | 18,080 | 69% |
| V90 | 14,500 | 85% |
| C70 | 8,725 | 60% |
| S80 | 7,814 | 69% |
| S90 | 7,520 | 88% |
| 900 Series | 3,421 | 64% |
| 800 Series | 1,940 | 62% |
| 240 | 1,404 | 64% |
What Volvo cars fail on
Share of tests with at least one failure in each area, across all models, against the figure for all cars.
- Lights and electrics9.6% (all cars 11.3%)
- Suspension7.9% (all cars 9.0%)
- Brakes7.1% (all cars 6.8%)
- Tyres7.1% (all cars 6.4%)
- Visibility3.3% (all cars 4.8%)
- Body and structure2.8% (all cars 3.5%)
- Exhaust and emissions2.1% (all cars 3.1%)
- Steering2.1% (all cars 1.8%)
Most common Volvo failure items
Share of tests on which each item was recorded.
- Coil spring: fractured or broken 3.2%
- Position lamp: not working 2.8%
- Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick 2.4%
- Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 2.3%
- Tyres, condition: has ply or cords exposed 2.0%
- Tyres, condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords 1.2%
- Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt 1.0%
- Suspension arms, pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn 1.0%
Check a particular Volvo
Model figures tell you what to look out for. To see one car's own MOT history, mileage and tax, enter its registration.
Source: Department for Transport, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023, cars and light vans, normal tests only. Pass rates are first-time passes; a pass after repair at the test station counts as a fail. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.