Volvo 800 Series: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Volvo 800 Series fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 9.3 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 1,805 individual Volvo 800 Series tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 67.4% first-time pass rate means roughly 33 in every 100 Volvo 800 Series presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is worse than average, so budget for remedial work and treat a fresh 12-month MOT as a genuine selling point rather than a given. The average Volvo 800 Series tested had covered 143,646 miles and was built around 1995.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Volvo 800 Series sits 9.3 points below the national average, ranked 1,820 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, assume the mechanical side needs more than the visible accident damage, and pad your repair estimate accordingly.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific Volvo 800 Series rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see recorded closing bids for damaged Volvo 800 Series at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Volvo 800 Series

1. Warning device shows system malfunction, 3.8% of tests (9.1x the national rate for this defect)
2. Parking brake inoperative on one side, 2.8% of tests (4.74x the national rate for this defect)
3. A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 2.8% of tests (4.31x the national rate for this defect)
4. A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 5% of tests (3.29x the national rate for this defect)
5. Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 2.4% of tests (3.2x the national rate for this defect)
6. Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 4% of tests (3.06x the national rate for this defect)
7. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 5% of tests (2.65x the national rate for this defect)
8. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 2.4% of tests (2.35x the national rate for this defect)
9. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 2.3% of tests (2.19x the national rate for this defect)
10. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 8.4% of tests (1.66x the national rate for this defect)

From 1,806 DVSA-tracked Volvo 800 Series tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 3.09% of these flagged Volvo 800 Series defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Volvo 800 Series

An advisory doesn't fail the car - the tester flags it as worth watching, but it still passes. A different list from the failures above: what testers are noting on a Volvo 800 Series before it actually fails on it.

1. A flexible brake hose excessively damaged, deteriorated, chafed, twisted or stretched, 5.8% of tests (10.28x the national rate for this advisory)
2. A stub axle swivel pin and/or bush excessively worn, 4.7% of tests (7.26x the national rate for this advisory)
3. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 10.5% of tests (3.7x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
4. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 19.4% of tests (3.5x the national rate for this advisory)
5. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 7.3% of tests (2.76x the national rate for this advisory)
6. Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, 3.3% of tests (2.63x the national rate for this advisory)
7. A brake hose ferrule excessively corroded, 3.3% of tests (2.61x the national rate for this advisory)
8. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 10.4% of tests (2.19x the national rate for this advisory)
9. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 21.5% of tests (1.61x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
10. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 17.1% of tests (1.39x the national rate for this advisory)

From 1,806 DVSA-tracked Volvo 800 Series tests, 2024.

Volvo 800 Series pass rate by model year

From its 1995 to its 1996 model year, the Volvo 800 Series's first-time pass rate has fallen 1.9 points, from 69.3% to 67.4%, an unusual pattern where even its newest years fail more than its oldest. First-time pass rate for each Volvo 800 Series year:

• 1995 Volvo 800 Series - 69.3% first-time pass, 535 tests
• 1996 Volvo 800 Series - 67.4% first-time pass, 832 tests

Other Volvo models

• Volvo V40 - 76.1%
• Volvo Xc60 - 81.2%
• Volvo Xc90 - 75.2%
• Volvo Xc40 - 90.5%
• Volvo V70 - 69%
• Volvo V60 - 79%
• Volvo V50 - 60.4%
• Volvo C30 - 65.2%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Chrysler-Jeep Wrangler - 67.5%
• Smart City Passion 61 Auto - 67.5%
• Volvo 900 Series - 67.4%
• Nissan Murano - 67.4%
• Subaru Justy - 67.4%
• Fiat Fiorino - 67.3%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences
• Do you need an HPI check on a car you know is a write-off?

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate