Pass rate, every year
2,447 tests across 3 model years, 2019–2021.
+8.4 pts vs the national average
Pass rate, every year
2,447 tests across 3 model years, 2019–2021.
+8.4 pts vs the national average
Best year to buy
2020 89.5%
The strongest of the 3 years on record. See the 2020 page →
Worst year to buy
2019 89.2%
0.3 points below the 2020 peak. See the 2019 page →
The Volvo XC90 R-Design Pro MOT pass rate is 89.4%, +8.4 percentage points above the UK average. That is 2,447 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2019 and 2021. This page lists the most common Volvo XC90 R-Design Pro 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 XC90 R-Design Pro MOT pass rates does in your corner of the country.
The Volvo XC90 R-Design Pro passed on its first attempt in 88.3%, and its overall record sits +8.4 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Volvo XC90 R-Design Pro in the 2023–2025 data: 2,447 tests across 3 model years (2019–2021). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.
| Measure | This model |
|---|---|
| Tests analysed | 2,447 |
| Overall pass rate | 89.4% |
| Passed on first attempt | 88.3% |
| Average mileage at test | 41,545 mi |
| Model years covered | 2019–2021 (3 years) |
| Versus UK national average | +8.4 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 XC90 R-Design Pro, 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 | 43% |
| Visibility | 32% |
| Brakes | 13% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 4% |
| Suspension | 4% |
| Road Wheels | 1% |
Shares are over the Volvo XC90 R-Design Pro's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.
Around 43% of the recorded Volvo XC90 R-Design Pro 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" (2.3%), "Has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure" (1.3%), "Has ply or cords exposed" (1.3%) among the Volvo XC90 R-Design Pro's tyres faults.
Around 32% of the recorded Volvo XC90 R-Design Pro failures fall in the Visibility section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (2.0%), "Wipers blade defective" (1.3%), "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (0.3%) among the Volvo XC90 R-Design Pro's visibility faults.
Around 13% of the recorded Volvo XC90 R-Design Pro failures fall in the Brakes section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick" (1.3%), "Brake performance not tested unable to be tested" (0.2%) among the Volvo XC90 R-Design Pro's brakes faults.
The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Volvo XC90 R-Design Pro, each with how many of the model's 2,447 tests it was noted on.
The strongest Volvo XC90 R-Design Pro model year on record is 2020 (89.5% across 1,392 tests), and the weakest is 2019 (89.2%). The gap between them is 0.3 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 XC90 R-Design Pro | 103 | 89.3% |
| 2020 XC90 R-Design Pro | 1,392 | 89.5% |
| 2019 XC90 R-Design Pro | 952 | 89.2% |
Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.
These checks follow this Volvo XC90 R-Design Pro's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Volvo XC90 R-Design Pro.
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 wipers and washers — “wipers blade defective”
Run the wipers with the screen wet: they should clear it in one sweep without smearing or juddering. Top the washer bottle up and check both jets hit the 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.
Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Volvo XC90 R-Design Pro. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.
89.4% of the 2,447 recorded Volvo XC90 R-Design Pro MOT tests ended in a pass, +8.4 percentage points above the national average. 88.3% of those passed on the first attempt.
2020 is the strongest Volvo XC90 R-Design Pro year on record at 89.5%, while 2019 is the weakest at 89.2%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.
The most recorded Volvo XC90 R-Design Pro failures are "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" and "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" — together around 4% of tests, mostly in the Tyres section.