Volvo C30: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Volvo C30 fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 11.5 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 22,807 individual Volvo C30 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 65.2% first-time pass rate means roughly 35 in every 100 Volvo C30s 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 C30 tested had covered 102,278 miles and was built around 2010.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Volvo C30 sits 11.5 points below the national average, ranked 1,866 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 C30 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 the median recorded closing bid for a damaged Volvo C30: £275 at UK salvage auction, from 3 ended listings, not independently confirmed sales.

Most common MOT failures on a Volvo C30

1. Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, 2.8% of tests (4.69x the national rate for this defect)
2. A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps, 3.3% of tests (3.69x the national rate for this defect)
3. A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 4.9% of tests (3.17x the national rate for this defect)
4. Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 2.2% of tests (2.98x the national rate for this defect)
5. A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 5.9% of tests (2.65x the national rate for this defect)
6. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 4.3% of tests (2.53x the national rate for this defect)
7. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 10.7% of tests (2.12x the national rate for this defect)
8. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 4.5% of tests (1.98x the national rate for this defect)
9. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 2.9% of tests (1.72x the national rate for this defect)
10. A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED, 2.1% of tests (1.68x the national rate for this defect)

From 22,787 DVSA-tracked Volvo C30 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 6.01% of these flagged Volvo C30 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Volvo C30

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 C30 before it actually fails on it.

1. Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, 5.1% of tests (3.74x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
2. Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution., 2.4% of tests (2.83x the national rate for this advisory)
3. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 6.5% of tests (2.3x the national rate for this advisory)
4. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 26.4% of tests (1.98x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
5. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 9.3% of tests (1.96x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
6. A brake hose ferrule excessively corroded, 2.2% of tests (1.73x the national rate for this advisory)
7. A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded, 8.6% of tests (1.67x the national rate for this advisory)
8. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 7.8% of tests (1.4x the national rate for this advisory)
9. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 36.9% of tests (1.39x the national rate for this advisory)
10. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 14.4% of tests (1.18x the national rate for this advisory)

From 22,787 DVSA-tracked Volvo C30 tests, 2024.

Volvo C30 pass rate by model year

From its 2007 to its 2013 model year, the Volvo C30's first-time pass rate has risen 8.7 points, from 63.6% to 72.3%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each Volvo C30 year:

• 2007 Volvo C30 - 63.6% first-time pass, 2,207 tests
• 2008 Volvo C30 - 61.8% first-time pass, 3,065 tests
• 2009 Volvo C30 - 64.1% first-time pass, 5,160 tests
• 2010 Volvo C30 - 65.4% first-time pass, 5,014 tests
• 2011 Volvo C30 - 66.8% first-time pass, 3,212 tests
• 2012 Volvo C30 - 69.8% first-time pass, 2,933 tests
• 2013 Volvo C30 - 72.3% first-time pass, 978 tests

Volvo C30 by fuel type

The Volvo C30's two most-tested fuel types split by 2.4 points: diesel passes first time 64.5% of the time (13,251 tests) against 66.9% for petrol (9,437 tests).

• Diesel Volvo C30 - 64.5% first-time pass, 13,251 tests
• Petrol Volvo C30 - 66.9% first-time pass, 9,437 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 S60 - 75.2%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Fiat 500 C - 65.3%
• Toyota Dyna - 65.3%
• Isuzu D-Max Yukon D/C Intercooler Td - 65.3%
• MG Zt-T - 65.2%
• Nissan Nv200 - 65.1%
• Chrysler-Jeep Cherokee - 65.1%

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