Volvo XC60 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Volvo XC60 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Volvo XC60 passed on its first attempt in 81.5%, and its overall record sits +3.3 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Volvo XC60 in the 2023–2025 data: 318,706 tests across 14 model years (2008–2021). 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 XC60 MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Volvo XC60, 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.

Shares are over the Volvo XC60's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Volvo XC60 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Volvo XC60, each with how many of the model's 318,706 tests it was noted on.

• "Coil spring fractured or broken" (Major) — noted on about 12,985 Volvo XC60 tests, 4.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 12,151 Volvo XC60 tests, 3.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 7,196 Volvo XC60 tests, 2.3% of the model's MOT record.
• "Brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick" (Major) — noted on about 4,978 Volvo XC60 tests, 1.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" (Major) — noted on about 3,695 Volvo XC60 tests, 1.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (Major) — noted on about 3,681 Volvo XC60 tests, 1.2% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Volvo XC60 Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Volvo XC60 model year on record is 2021 (92.9% across 56 tests), and the weakest is 2008 (77.5%). The gap between them is 15.4 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Volvo XC60 reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.6 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 XC60 Owners

These checks follow this Volvo XC60's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Volvo XC60.

• 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 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 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 XC60. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Where the Volvo XC60 is most common

Across every XC60 model year on record (2008–2021): 132,005 Volvo XC60 cars tested in a recordable postcode area, across 318,684 tests. Peterborough (PE) has the most, with 2,956 cars tested there. Cars are counted by the postcode area of the MOT station, so this is where they were tested, not necessarily where their owners live.

The twenty areas with the most Volvo XC60 cars in the record, sorted by car count — sort the columns for a different question. Cars tested at a station whose postcode area could not be resolved are counted in the model's total but in no area, so the shares add up to slightly under 100% even across every area, and an area's cars are a subset of the model's. Pass rate is blank below 30 tests in an area, where a percentage is noise rather than a finding. How this model's pass rate varies by postcode →

Frequently Asked Questions: Volvo XC60 MOT & Reliability