Volvo XC70 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Volvo XC70 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Volvo XC70 passed on its first attempt in 74.3%, and its overall record sits −1.9 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Volvo XC70 in the 2023–2025 data: 63,164 tests across 16 model years (2002–2017). 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 XC70 MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Volvo XC70, 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 XC70's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Volvo XC70 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Volvo XC70, each with how many of the model's 63,164 tests it was noted on.

• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 3,041 Volvo XC70 tests, 4.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 1,879 Volvo XC70 tests, 3.0% of the model's MOT record.
• "Position lamp not working" (Rectified) — noted on about 1,774 Volvo XC70 tests, 2.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Coil spring fractured or broken" (Major) — noted on about 1,693 Volvo XC70 tests, 2.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Headlamp lens slightly defective" (Minor) — noted on about 1,170 Volvo XC70 tests, 1.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Track rod end ball joint has excessive play" (Major) — noted on about 1,137 Volvo XC70 tests, 1.8% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Volvo XC70 Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Volvo XC70 model year on record is 2015 (84.9% across 5,610 tests), and the weakest is 2003 (70.3%). The gap between them is 14.6 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

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

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Volvo XC70 Owners

These checks follow this Volvo XC70's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Volvo XC70.

• 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.

• 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.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Volvo XC70. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Where the Volvo XC70 is most common

Across every XC70 model year on record (2002–2017): 24,718 Volvo XC70 cars tested in a recordable postcode area, across 63,153 tests. Nottingham (NG) has the most, with 643 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 XC70 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 XC70 MOT & Reliability