Pass rate, every year
868 tests across 2 model years, 2019–2020.
+8.1 pts vs the national average
Pass rate, every year
868 tests across 2 model years, 2019–2020.
+8.1 pts vs the national average
Best year to buy
2020 89.7%
The strongest of the 2 years on record. See the 2020 page →
Worst year to buy
2019 88.3%
1.4 points below the 2020 peak. See the 2019 page →
The Volvo S90 R-Design + MOT pass rate is 89.1%, +8.1 percentage points above the UK average. That is 868 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2019 and 2020. This page lists the most common Volvo S90 R-Design + MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.
MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how Volvo S90 R-Design + MOT pass rates does in your corner of the country.
The Volvo S90 R-Design + passed on its first attempt in 88.0%, and its overall record sits +8.1 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Volvo S90 R-Design + in the 2023–2025 data: 868 tests across 2 model years (2019–2020). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.
| Measure | This model |
|---|---|
| Tests analysed | 868 |
| Overall pass rate | 89.1% |
| Passed on first attempt | 88.0% |
| Average mileage at test | 46,896 mi |
| Model years covered | 2019–2020 (2 years) |
| Versus UK national average | +8.1 pts above |
Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.
Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Volvo S90 R-Design +, the Tyres 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 |
|---|---|
| Tyres | 41% |
| Visibility | 31% |
| Brakes | 14% |
| Road Wheels | 5% |
| Suspension | 5% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 1% |
Shares are over the Volvo S90 R-Design +'s recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.
Around 41% of the recorded Volvo S90 R-Design + failures fall in the Tyres section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (1.5%), "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" (1.0%), "Has ply or cords exposed" (1.0%) among the Volvo S90 R-Design +'s tyres faults.
Around 31% of the recorded Volvo S90 R-Design + failures fall in the Visibility section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (1.6%), "Wipers blade defective" (0.9%), "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (0.3%) among the Volvo S90 R-Design +'s visibility faults.
Around 14% of the recorded Volvo S90 R-Design + failures fall in the Brakes section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick" (1.3%) among the Volvo S90 R-Design +'s brakes faults.
The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Volvo S90 R-Design +, each with how many of the model's 868 tests it was noted on.
The strongest Volvo S90 R-Design + model year on record is 2020 (89.7% across 526 tests), and the weakest is 2019 (88.3%). The gap between them is 1.4 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 S90 R-Design + | 526 | 89.7% |
| 2019 S90 R-Design + | 342 | 88.3% |
Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.
These checks follow this Volvo S90 R-Design +'s own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Volvo S90 R-Design +.
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.
the brakes — “brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick”
Look through the spokes of each wheel at the pad — less than 3mm of friction material, or a lip on the disc edge, is the usual failure. Check the handbrake holds on a slope with a few clicks, not at the top of its travel.
the tyre tread — “tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm”
Check all four tyres cold, including the inner shoulder where wear hides — 1.6mm across the central three-quarters is the legal limit, and most testers fail at 1.6mm without argument.
Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Volvo S90 R-Design +. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.
89.1% of the 868 recorded Volvo S90 R-Design + MOT tests ended in a pass, +8.1 percentage points above the national average. 88.0% of those passed on the first attempt.
2020 is the strongest Volvo S90 R-Design + year on record at 89.7%, while 2019 is the weakest at 88.3%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.
The most recorded Volvo S90 R-Design + failures are "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" and "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" — together around 3% of tests, mostly in the Visibility section.