Volvo S90: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Volvo S90 passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 10.6 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 5,933 individual Volvo S90 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 87.3% first-time pass rate means roughly 13 in every 100 Volvo S90s presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is better than average, so a well-kept example is a reasonably safe used buy. The average Volvo S90 tested had covered 66,011 miles and was built around 2018.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Volvo S90 sits 10.6 points above the national average, ranked 1,075 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, the mechanical side is less likely to spring surprises, so your repair estimate should hold up reasonably well.

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 S90 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 S90s at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Volvo S90

1. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 4.1% of tests (1.91x the national rate for this defect)
2. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 1.9% of tests (1.16x the national rate for this defect)
3. A tyre seriously damaged, 3.2% of tests
4. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 2.8% of tests
5. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 0.8% of tests
6. A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 0.8% of tests
7. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 0.8% of tests
8. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 0.6% of tests
9. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 0.6% of tests
10. Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 0.4% of tests

From 5,917 DVSA-tracked Volvo S90 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 10.65% of these flagged Volvo S90 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Volvo S90

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 S90 before it actually fails on it.

1. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 2.7% of tests (2.01x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
2. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 17.6% of tests (1.88x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
3. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 4.5% of tests (1.41x the national rate for this advisory)
4. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 27.5% of tests, also fails
5. A tyre seriously damaged, 10.6% of tests, also fails
6. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 5.5% of tests
7. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 3.8% of tests, also fails
8. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 1.9% of tests
9. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 1.2% of tests
10. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 1% of tests

From 5,917 DVSA-tracked Volvo S90 tests, 2024.

Volvo S90 pass rate by model year

From its 2017 to its 2019 model year, the Volvo S90's first-time pass rate has risen 3.3 points, from 86.1% to 89.4%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each Volvo S90 year:

• 2016 Volvo S90 - 82% first-time pass, 283 tests
• 2017 Volvo S90 - 86.1% first-time pass, 1,384 tests
• 2018 Volvo S90 - 88.4% first-time pass, 2,496 tests
• 2019 Volvo S90 - 89.4% first-time pass, 1,662 tests

Volvo S90 by fuel type

The Volvo S90's two most-tested fuel types split by 1 points: diesel passes first time 87.4% of the time (5,138 tests) against 88.4% for petrol (593 tests).

• Diesel Volvo S90 - 87.4% first-time pass, 5,138 tests
• Petrol Volvo S90 - 88.4% first-time pass, 593 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

• BMW 330 - 87.3%
• BMW X2 - 87.3%
• Volkswagen Transporter T28 Highline Tdi - 87.3%
• Lotus Elise - 87.3%
• Land Rover Range Rover Evoque R-Dy Se D A - 87.3%
• Volkswagen Transporter T30 H-Line Tdi S-A - 87.3%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• Which fuel type fails its MOT on the most dangerous defects? Not diesel
• 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?

Embed this data

Run a site about the Volvo S90? Embed the real DVSA pass-rate badge free, linked back to this page.

<a href="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/mot/volvo-s90"><img src="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/badge/volvo-s90.svg" width="340" height="92" alt="Volvo S90 MOT Pass Rate: 87.3% - Salvage Prophet"></a>

Run a garage or parts site? Embed the Volvo S90's top real failure reason instead, linked back here.

<a href="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/mot/volvo-s90"><img src="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/badge/failure/volvo-s90.svg" width="340" height="106" alt="Volvo S90 most common MOT failure: a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm (4.1% of tests) - Salvage Prophet"></a>

All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate