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

First-time pass rate87.3%
UK national average76.7%
Difference+10.6 points
Tests analysed5,933
Average mileage at test66,011 miles
Average year of manufacture2018
Reliability rank1,075 of 2,005 models

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. On a Volvo S90 bought as a 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 what damaged Volvo S90s actually sold for at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Volvo S90

  1. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 2.7% of tests (1.75x the national rate for this defect)
  2. A tyre seriously damaged, 2% of tests
  3. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 1.9% of tests
  4. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 1.3% of tests
  5. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 0.6% of tests
  6. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 0.5% of tests
  7. A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 0.5% of tests
  8. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 0.4% of tests
  9. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 0.4% of tests
  10. Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 0.2% of tests

From 10,266 DVSA-tracked Volvo S90 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 9.62% of these flagged Volvo S90 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.

Volvo S90 pass rate by model year

Pass rates fall steadily as cars age, so the model year matters as much as the model. First-time pass rate for each Volvo S90 year:

Volvo S90 by fuel type

Diesel and petrol versions of the same car fail on different things, so the fuel type moves the number:

Other Volvo models

Models with a similar pass rate

If this car is a salvage or write-off

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Volvo S90 MOT pass rate badge: 87.3%

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate