Volvo Xc70: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Volvo Xc70 fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 3 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 17,492 individual Volvo Xc70 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 73.7% first-time pass rate means roughly 26 in every 100 Volvo Xc70s 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 Xc70 tested had covered 124,680 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 Xc70 sits 3 points below the national average, ranked 1,653 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 Xc70 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 Xc70s at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Volvo Xc70

1. Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 1.8% of tests (2.41x the national rate for this defect)
2. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 2.9% of tests (2.22x the national rate for this defect)
3. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 4.2% of tests (1.8x the national rate for this defect)
4. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 3.8% of tests (1.69x 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, 3.5% of tests (1.58x the national rate for this defect)
6. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 7.1% of tests (1.41x the national rate for this defect)
7. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 2.4% of tests (1.41x the national rate for this defect)
8. Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 1.5% of tests (1.17x the national rate for this defect)
9. A tyre seriously damaged, 2.8% of tests
10. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 2.4% of tests

From 17,479 DVSA-tracked Volvo Xc70 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 4.35% of these flagged Volvo Xc70 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Volvo Xc70

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 Xc70 before it actually fails on it.

1. Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, 3.8% of tests (2.79x the national rate for this advisory)
2. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 25.1% of tests (1.88x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
3. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 8.9% of tests (1.87x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
4. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 2.5% of tests (1.87x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
5. Product on the lens or light source which obviously reduces light intensity or changes emitted colour to other than white or yellow, 2.1% of tests (1.86x the national rate for this advisory)
6. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 4.6% of tests (1.45x the national rate for this advisory)
7. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 5.4% of tests (1.37x the national rate for this advisory)
8. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 14.9% of tests (1.22x the national rate for this advisory)
9. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 3.1% of tests (1.19x the national rate for this advisory)
10. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 29.7% of tests, also fails

From 17,479 DVSA-tracked Volvo Xc70 tests, 2024.

Volvo Xc70 pass rate by model year

From its 2003 to its 2016 model year, the Volvo Xc70's first-time pass rate has risen 17.5 points, from 61.5% to 79%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each Volvo Xc70 year:

• 2003 Volvo Xc70 - 61.5% first-time pass, 434 tests
• 2004 Volvo Xc70 - 59.3% first-time pass, 727 tests
• 2005 Volvo Xc70 - 63.5% first-time pass, 1,244 tests
• 2006 Volvo Xc70 - 66% first-time pass, 1,155 tests
• 2007 Volvo Xc70 - 67.6% first-time pass, 1,271 tests
• 2008 Volvo Xc70 - 73.1% first-time pass, 974 tests
• 2009 Volvo Xc70 - 77.5% first-time pass, 1,006 tests
• 2010 Volvo Xc70 - 76.5% first-time pass, 1,393 tests
• 2011 Volvo Xc70 - 76% first-time pass, 1,806 tests
• 2012 Volvo Xc70 - 75.2% first-time pass, 1,330 tests
• 2013 Volvo Xc70 - 79% first-time pass, 1,571 tests
• 2014 Volvo Xc70 - 80.6% first-time pass, 1,751 tests
• 2015 Volvo Xc70 - 81.4% first-time pass, 1,605 tests
• 2016 Volvo Xc70 - 79% first-time pass, 1,025 tests

Volvo Xc70 by fuel type

The Volvo Xc70's two most-tested fuel types split by 1.2 points: diesel passes first time 74.1% of the time (16,610 tests) against 72.9% for petrol (785 tests).

• Diesel Volvo Xc70 - 74.1% first-time pass, 16,610 tests
• Petrol Volvo Xc70 - 72.9% first-time pass, 785 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

• Ford Grand C-Max - 73.8%
• Toyota Avensis - 73.7%
• Kia Soul - 73.7%
• Rover MINI - 73.7%
• Mercedes-Benz Vito 110 Progressive Cdi - 73.7%
• MINI Countryman Cooper D All4 - 73.7%

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