Volvo V70: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Volvo V70 fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 7.7 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 41,750 individual Volvo V70 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 69% first-time pass rate means roughly 31 in every 100 Volvo V70s 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 V70 tested had covered 139,302 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 V70 sits 7.7 points below the national average, ranked 1,783 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 V70 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 V70: £400 at UK salvage auction, from 3 ended listings, not independently confirmed sales.

Most common MOT failures on a Volvo V70

1. Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, 2.1% of tests (3.53x the national rate for this defect)
2. Parking brake inoperative on one side, 2.1% of tests (3.52x the national rate for this defect)
3. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 5.8% of tests (2.48x the national rate for this defect)
4. A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 5.5% of tests (2.47x the national rate for this defect)
5. Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 2.9% of tests (2.21x the national rate for this defect)
6. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 2.7% of tests (2.04x the national rate for this defect)
7. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 3.3% of tests (1.95x the national rate for this defect)
8. A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 2.8% of tests (1.86x the national rate for this defect)
9. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 8.8% of tests (1.75x the national rate for this defect)
10. A tyre seriously damaged, 3.9% of tests (1.38x the national rate for this defect)

From 41,725 DVSA-tracked Volvo V70 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 4.77% of these flagged Volvo V70 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Volvo V70

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 V70 before it actually fails on it.

1. A flexible brake hose excessively damaged, deteriorated, chafed, twisted or stretched, 3.1% of tests (5.45x the national rate for this advisory)
2. Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, 5.9% of tests (4.34x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
3. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 17.4% of tests (3.68x the national rate for this advisory)
4. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 7.4% of tests (2.61x the national rate for this advisory)
5. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 3.2% of tests (2.41x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
6. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 29.4% of tests (2.2x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
7. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 5.5% of tests (2.07x the national rate for this advisory)
8. A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded, 7.1% of tests (1.37x the national rate for this advisory)
9. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 7.5% of tests (1.35x the national rate for this advisory)
10. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 32.6% of tests (1.22x the national rate for this advisory)

From 41,725 DVSA-tracked Volvo V70 tests, 2024.

Volvo V70 pass rate by model year

From its 1997 to its 2016 model year, the Volvo V70's first-time pass rate has risen 21.9 points, from 63.7% to 85.6%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each Volvo V70 year:

• 1997 Volvo V70 - 63.7% first-time pass, 532 tests
• 1998 Volvo V70 - 62.7% first-time pass, 777 tests
• 1999 Volvo V70 - 65.8% first-time pass, 941 tests
• 2000 Volvo V70 - 63% first-time pass, 1,287 tests
• 2001 Volvo V70 - 62.4% first-time pass, 1,576 tests
• 2002 Volvo V70 - 61.2% first-time pass, 2,291 tests
• 2003 Volvo V70 - 61.9% first-time pass, 2,504 tests
• 2004 Volvo V70 - 62.3% first-time pass, 2,917 tests
• 2005 Volvo V70 - 63.7% first-time pass, 3,399 tests
• 2006 Volvo V70 - 65.1% first-time pass, 2,624 tests
• 2007 Volvo V70 - 68.6% first-time pass, 2,679 tests
• 2008 Volvo V70 - 72.3% first-time pass, 3,330 tests
• 2009 Volvo V70 - 69.3% first-time pass, 3,701 tests
• 2010 Volvo V70 - 74.5% first-time pass, 2,842 tests
• 2011 Volvo V70 - 76.3% first-time pass, 2,082 tests
• 2012 Volvo V70 - 75.3% first-time pass, 1,568 tests
• 2013 Volvo V70 - 75.6% first-time pass, 1,713 tests
• 2014 Volvo V70 - 81.3% first-time pass, 1,954 tests
• 2015 Volvo V70 - 82.3% first-time pass, 2,023 tests
• 2016 Volvo V70 - 85.6% first-time pass, 744 tests

Volvo V70 by fuel type

The Volvo V70's two most-tested fuel types split by 6.6 points: diesel passes first time 71.4% of the time (28,789 tests) against 64.8% for petrol (12,658 tests).

• Diesel Volvo V70 - 71.4% first-time pass, 28,789 tests
• Petrol Volvo V70 - 64.8% first-time pass, 12,658 tests

Other Volvo models

• Volvo V40 - 76.1%
• Volvo Xc60 - 81.2%
• Volvo Xc90 - 75.2%
• Volvo Xc40 - 90.5%
• Volvo V60 - 79%
• Volvo V50 - 60.4%
• Volvo C30 - 65.2%
• Volvo S60 - 75.2%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Ssangyong Rexton - 69.2%
• Rover 25 - 69.2%
• Chrysler-Jeep 300 - 69.1%
• Chevrolet Cruze - 69%
• Mercedes-Benz C 320 - 69%
• Mercedes-Benz Vito 110 Pure Cdi - 69%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• Does high mileage mean a worse MOT pass rate? The workhorses say no
• 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