Volvo C70: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Volvo C70 fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 12.3 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 7,771 individual Volvo C70 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 64.4% first-time pass rate means roughly 36 in every 100 Volvo C70s 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 C70 tested had covered 96,199 miles and was built around 2007.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Volvo C70 sits 12.3 points below the national average, ranked 1,877 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 C70 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 C70: £350 at UK salvage auction, from 4 ended listings, not independently confirmed sales.

Most common MOT failures on a Volvo C70

1. A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 6.7% of tests (4.36x the national rate for this defect)
2. Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 2.7% of tests (3.62x the national rate for this defect)
3. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 3.3% of tests (3.48x the national rate for this defect)
4. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 5.4% of tests (3.25x the national rate for this defect)
5. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 7.4% of tests (3.23x the national rate for this defect)
6. Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 3.9% of tests (3.02x the national rate for this defect)
7. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 2% of tests (1.97x the national rate for this defect)
8. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 4.3% of tests (1.81x the national rate for this defect)
9. A tyre seriously damaged, 4.7% of tests (1.7x the national rate for this defect)
10. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 8.3% of tests (1.64x the national rate for this defect)

From 7,766 DVSA-tracked Volvo C70 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 5.36% of these flagged Volvo C70 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Volvo C70

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 C70 before it actually fails on it.

1. A flexible brake hose excessively damaged, deteriorated, chafed, twisted or stretched, 2.6% of tests (4.62x the national rate for this advisory)
2. A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting, 4.3% of tests (4x the national rate for this advisory)
3. Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, 5.4% of tests (3.91x the national rate for this advisory)
4. A brake hose ferrule excessively corroded, 3% of tests (2.35x the national rate for this advisory)
5. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 10.4% of tests (2.2x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
6. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 26.4% of tests (1.97x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
7. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 4.1% of tests (1.44x the national rate for this advisory)
8. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 16.6% of tests (1.36x the national rate for this advisory)
9. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 3.6% of tests (1.34x the national rate for this advisory)
10. A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded, 6.7% of tests (1.3x the national rate for this advisory)

From 7,766 DVSA-tracked Volvo C70 tests, 2024.

Volvo C70 pass rate by model year

From its 2003 to its 2011 model year, the Volvo C70's first-time pass rate has fallen 11.1 points, from 73.9% to 62.8%, an unusual pattern where even its newest years fail more than its oldest. First-time pass rate for each Volvo C70 year:

• 2002 Volvo C70 - 69.5% first-time pass, 256 tests
• 2003 Volvo C70 - 73.9% first-time pass, 398 tests
• 2004 Volvo C70 - 67.1% first-time pass, 495 tests
• 2005 Volvo C70 - 64% first-time pass, 397 tests
• 2006 Volvo C70 - 59.5% first-time pass, 1,036 tests
• 2007 Volvo C70 - 62.1% first-time pass, 1,142 tests
• 2008 Volvo C70 - 64.3% first-time pass, 1,010 tests
• 2009 Volvo C70 - 62.7% first-time pass, 815 tests
• 2010 Volvo C70 - 64.4% first-time pass, 717 tests
• 2011 Volvo C70 - 62.8% first-time pass, 484 tests
• 2012 Volvo C70 - 72.6% first-time pass, 281 tests
• 2013 Volvo C70 - 68.5% first-time pass, 235 tests

Volvo C70 by fuel type

The Volvo C70's two most-tested fuel types split by 1.6 points: petrol passes first time 65.6% of the time (4,039 tests) against 64% for diesel (3,673 tests).

• Petrol Volvo C70 - 65.6% first-time pass, 4,039 tests
• Diesel Volvo C70 - 64% first-time pass, 3,673 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

• Honda Stream - 64.6%
• Great Wall Steed - 64.6%
• Citroen Nemo - 64.4%
• Peugeot Bipper - 64.3%
• Daihatsu Terios - 64.3%
• Mitsubishi Colt - 64.2%

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