Volvo XC90 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Volvo XC90 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Volvo XC90 passed on its first attempt in 76.2%, and its overall record sits −0.8 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Volvo XC90 in the 2023–2025 data: 210,525 tests across 19 model years (2003–2021). 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 XC90 MOT Problems by Failure Category

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

Top Recorded Volvo XC90 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Volvo XC90, each with how many of the model's 210,525 tests it was noted on.

• "Position lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 8,509 Volvo XC90 tests, 4.0% of the model's MOT record.
• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 6,957 Volvo XC90 tests, 3.3% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 6,458 Volvo XC90 tests, 3.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Headlamp lens slightly defective" (Minor) — noted on about 4,144 Volvo XC90 tests, 2.0% of the model's MOT record.
• "Decelerometer (sp) efficiency below requirements" (Major) — noted on about 3,124 Volvo XC90 tests, 1.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Ball joint excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 3,076 Volvo XC90 tests, 1.5% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Volvo XC90 Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Volvo XC90 model year on record is 2020 (89.3% across 2,134 tests), and the weakest is 2003 (70.7%). The gap between them is 18.6 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Volvo XC90 reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 0.9 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 Owners

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

• the lights — “position lamp not working”

  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 suspension joints — “ball joint excessively worn”

  With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.

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

Where the Volvo XC90 is most common

Across every XC90 model year on record (2003–2021): 90,072 Volvo XC90 cars tested in a recordable postcode area, across 210,478 tests. Birmingham (B) has the most, with 2,296 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 XC90 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 XC90 MOT & Reliability