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Volvo reliability and common MOT problems by model

Volvo shows a 19.3% combined MOT failure rate across 651,278 tests in Motintel data. Xc40 has one of the lower high-confidence rates at 7.7%. V50 deserves extra checking at 28.5%.

Data sources: DVSA MOT records, official recall records, and MOT fault wording snapshots (2026-04-27, 2026-04-29, rfr_codes_2025-05-12, failure items 2023). Search-indexed model pages must clear 20,000 MOT tests and 10,000 vehicles.

Most reliable Volvo models in MOT data

#	Model	MOT failure rate	Tests	Vehicles
1	Volvo Xc40	7.7%	42,006 tests	36,894 vehicles
2	Volvo Xc60	15.1%	107,060 tests	88,120 vehicles
3	Volvo V60	16.2%	38,637 tests	31,436 vehicles
4	Volvo V40	19.0%	122,974 tests	98,332 vehicles
5	Volvo Xc90	19.6%	75,441 tests	58,391 vehicles

Volvo models with the highest MOT failure rates

#	Model	MOT failure rate	Tests	Vehicles
1	Volvo V50	28.5%	46,001 tests	32,528 vehicles
2	Volvo S40	27.2%	28,007 tests	20,231 vehicles
3	Volvo C30	26.0%	32,393 tests	23,537 vehicles
4	Volvo V70	23.1%	57,151 tests	43,043 vehicles
5	Volvo Xc70	20.9%	22,502 tests	17,508 vehicles

Common Volvo MOT problem areas

#	Problem area	MOT notes	Models affected	What to check	High-rate examples
1	Suspension and steering	81,530 MOT notes	11 models	Listen for knocks, check uneven tyre wear, and ask whether worn joints or bushes have been replaced.	Volvo V70, Volvo Xc90, Volvo S40
2	Corrosion and structure	79,113 MOT notes	11 models	Inspect sills, subframes, suspension mounts, brake pipes, and previous welding or rust repairs.	Volvo S40, Volvo V70, Volvo V50
3	Lights and electrical	69,876 MOT notes	11 models	Test every exterior light, warning lamp, horn, washer, and basic electrical function before buying.	Volvo C30, Volvo V70, Volvo V50
4	Emissions, engine, and exhaust	37,282 MOT notes	11 models	Check cold starts, exhaust smoke, warning lights, service history, and recent emissions repairs.	Volvo S40, Volvo V50, Volvo V70
5	Windscreen, wipers, and mirrors	35,320 MOT notes	11 models	Check the windscreen, wipers, washers, mirrors, chips, cracks, and whether the driver's view is clear.	Volvo V50, Volvo S40, Volvo V70
6	Tyres and wheels	11,838 MOT notes	11 models	Look for matching tyres, legal tread, sidewall damage, wheel damage, and uneven wear.	Volvo Xc90, Volvo Xc60, Volvo S40

All Volvo model reports

Model	MOT tests	Vehicles	Failure rate
V40	122,974	98,332	19.0%
Xc60	107,060	88,120	15.1%
Xc90	75,441	58,391	19.6%
V70	57,151	43,043	23.1%
V50	46,001	32,528	28.5%
Xc40	42,006	36,894	7.7%
V60	38,637	31,436	16.2%
C30	32,393	23,537	26.0%
S40	28,007	20,231	27.2%
S60	24,311	19,199	19.7%
Xc70	22,502	17,508	20.9%
C70 limited data	11,540	8,408	26.6%
V90 limited data	11,390	9,645	11.9%
S80 limited data	9,515	7,449	19.7%
S90 limited data	6,626	5,644	9.9%
900 Series limited data	4,237	3,255	23.8%
800 Series limited data	2,449	1,870	25.1%
240 limited data	1,730	1,310	25.2%
Xc60 Edition T4 Auto limited data	1,486	1,292	10.4%
Xc40 Inscription Pro B4 Mhev A limited data	1,322	1,253	4.8%
V90 Momentum T4 Auto limited data	1,261	1,064	13.6%
700 Series limited data	1,170	895	24.2%
Xc40 R Design Pro B4 Mhev Auto limited data	1,035	954	7.3%
S60 R Design T5 Auto limited data	1,034	896	8.0%

Models with limited data (fewer than 20,000 tests or 10,000 vehicles) have full reports but are not indexed in search engines until the evidence threshold is met.