Pass rate, every year
73.7% Below average
88,275 tests across 8 model years, 2006–2013.
−7.3 pts vs the national average
Volvo C30 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics
Best year to buy
2013 77.8%
The strongest of the 8 years on record. See the 2013 page →
Worst year to buy
2006 70.9%
6.9 points below the 2013 peak. See the 2006 page →
The Volvo C30 MOT pass rate is 73.7%, −7.3 percentage points below the UK average. That is 88,275 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2006 and 2013. This page lists the most common Volvo C30 MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.
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Volvo C30 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average
The Volvo C30 passed on its first attempt in 65.5%, and its overall record sits −7.3 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Volvo C30 in the 2023–2025 data: 88,275 tests across 8 model years (2006–2013). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.
| Measure | This model |
|---|---|
| Tests analysed | 88,275 |
| Overall pass rate | 73.7% |
| Passed on first attempt | 65.5% |
| Average mileage at test | 102,695 mi |
| Model years covered | 2006–2013 (8 years) |
| Versus UK national average | −7.3 pts below |
Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.
Most Common Volvo C30 MOT Problems by Failure Category
Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Volvo C30, the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.
| Inspection section | Share of failures |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 50% |
| Suspension | 22% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 17% |
| Visibility | 8% |
| Steering | 2% |
| Brakes | 1% |
| Tyres | 0% |
Shares are over the Volvo C30's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Around 50% of the recorded Volvo C30 failures fall in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (13.3%), "Position lamp not working" (4.5%), "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps" (2.0%) among the Volvo C30's lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment faults.
Suspension
Around 22% of the recorded Volvo C30 failures fall in the Suspension section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Coil spring fractured or broken" (3.6%), "Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn" (3.2%), "Ball joint excessively worn" (1.8%) among the Volvo C30's suspension faults.
Body, chassis, structure
Around 17% of the recorded Volvo C30 failures fall in the Body, chassis, structure section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (3.6%), "Joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (3.2%) among the Volvo C30's body, chassis, structure faults.
Top Recorded Volvo C30 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions
The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Volvo C30, each with how many of the model's 88,275 tests it was noted on.
- "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 11,773 Volvo C30 tests, 13.3% of the model's MOT record.
- "Position lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 3,973 Volvo C30 tests, 4.5% of the model's MOT record.
- "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 3,206 Volvo C30 tests, 3.6% of the model's MOT record.
- "Coil spring fractured or broken" (Major) — noted on about 3,157 Volvo C30 tests, 3.6% of the model's MOT record.
- "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 2,916 Volvo C30 tests, 3.3% of the model's MOT record.
- "Joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (Major) — noted on about 2,784 Volvo C30 tests, 3.2% of the model's MOT record.
What C30 fails on more than most
4 failure items are recorded at least 1.5 times the UK rate on this model. One has a part guide — what to buy, which brands, and what the tester looks at next time.
| Failure item | This model | UK | × UK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registration plate lamp inoperative (multiple lamps) | 13.3% | 3.2% | 4.2× | £5–£20 part £6–£18 |
| Indicator incorrect colour | 5.0% | 1.3% | 3.8× | £3–£12 |
| Registration plate lamp inoperative (single lamp) | 2.8% | 0.9% | 3.1× | £5–£20 |
| Service brake fluctuating | 2.6% | 1.0% | 2.6× | £60–£150 |
Rates are a share of this model's own tests (88,275 for the top row), so a big seller cannot outrank a rare one. The UK figure is the same item's share of every test in our data. Items C30 records at or below the UK rate are not listed — this is where it is unusual, not a full inventory. All failure items · parts and costs
Best and Worst Volvo C30 Model Years by Pass Rate
The strongest Volvo C30 model year on record is 2013 (77.8% across 3,676 tests), and the weakest is 2006 (70.9%). The gap between them is 6.9 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.
Volvo C30 reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.3 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 C30 | 3,676 | 77.8% |
| 2012 C30 | 11,080 | 76.7% |
| 2011 C30 | 12,420 | 74.6% |
| 2010 C30 | 19,603 | 73.9% |
| 2009 C30 | 20,202 | 72.7% |
| 2008 C30 | 12,164 | 71.3% |
| 2007 C30 | 8,683 | 71.9% |
| 2006 C30 | 447 | 70.9% |
Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.
Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Volvo C30 Owners
These checks follow this Volvo C30's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Volvo C30.
-
the lights — “registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources”
Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.
-
the coil springs — “coil spring fractured or broken”
Look up inside each wheel arch with a torch, all the way round the spring. A snapped spring usually breaks at the very bottom coil, where a quick glance will not reach.
-
the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”
Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.
Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Volvo C30. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.
Frequently Asked Questions: Volvo C30 MOT & Reliability
What is the Volvo C30 MOT pass rate?
73.7% of the 88,275 recorded Volvo C30 MOT tests ended in a pass, −7.3 percentage points below the national average. 65.5% of those passed on the first attempt.
Which Volvo C30 model years pass the MOT most often?
2013 is the strongest Volvo C30 year on record at 77.8%, while 2006 is the weakest at 70.9%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.
What are the most common Volvo C30 MOT failures?
The most recorded Volvo C30 failures are "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" and "Position lamp not working" — together around 18% of tests, mostly in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section.