Volvo XC90 B6 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Volvo XC90 B6 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Volvo XC90 B6 passed on its first attempt in 92.5%, and its overall record sits +11.7 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Volvo XC90 B6 in the 2023–2025 data: 248 tests across 3 model years (2020–2022). 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 XC90 B6 MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Volvo XC90 B6, 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 XC90 B6's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Volvo XC90 B6 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Volvo XC90 B6, each with how many of the model's 248 tests it was noted on.

• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 5 Volvo XC90 B6 tests, 2.0% of the model's MOT record.
• "Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak" (Major) — noted on about 3 Volvo XC90 B6 tests, 1.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick" (Major) — noted on about 2 Volvo XC90 B6 tests, 0.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Front fog lamp switch not operating in accordance with the requirements" (Major) — noted on about 2 Volvo XC90 B6 tests, 0.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Has ply or cords exposed" (Major) — noted on about 2 Volvo XC90 B6 tests, 0.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Bearing housing likely to fail" (Major) — noted on about 2 Volvo XC90 B6 tests, 0.8% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Volvo XC90 B6 Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Volvo XC90 B6 model year on record is 2020 (96.7% across 60 tests), and the weakest is 2021 (89.7%). The gap between them is 7.0 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Volvo XC90 B6 reliability is declining in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 2.0 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 XC90 B6 Owners

These checks follow this Volvo XC90 B6's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Volvo XC90 B6.

• 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 shock absorbers — “shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak”

  Press down hard on each corner of the car and let go. It should settle in one bounce; if it keeps rocking, or you can see oil weeping down a shock absorber, that is the fault a tester will find.

• 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.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Volvo XC90 B6. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: Volvo XC90 B6 MOT & Reliability