Volvo C70 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Volvo C70 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Volvo C70 passed on its first attempt in 64.9%, and its overall record sits −7.8 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Volvo C70 in the 2023–2025 data: 29,334 tests across 14 model years (2000–2013). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common Volvo C70 MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Volvo C70, the Suspension section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Shares are over the Volvo C70's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Volvo C70 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Volvo C70, each with how many of the model's 29,334 tests it was noted on.

• "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 1,563 Volvo C70 tests, 5.3% of the model's MOT record.
• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 1,492 Volvo C70 tests, 5.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Coil spring fractured or broken" (Major) — noted on about 1,490 Volvo C70 tests, 5.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (Major) — noted on about 1,264 Volvo C70 tests, 4.3% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 836 Volvo C70 tests, 2.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Rbt (sp) efficiency below requirements" (Major) — noted on about 650 Volvo C70 tests, 2.2% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Volvo C70 Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Volvo C70 model year on record is 2000 (79.1% across 479 tests), and the weakest is 2006 (70.9%). The gap between them is 8.2 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Volvo C70 reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.4 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Volvo C70 Owners

These checks follow this Volvo C70's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Volvo C70.

• 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 C70. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: Volvo C70 MOT & Reliability