MOT data
Volvo C70 MOT fail rate by age and year
DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 30,662 MOT tests · Updated
At 16 years, 43.1% of Volvo C70 MOT tests ended in a fail (adjusted to typical mileage), against 43.0% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 16 (4,385 MOT tests) [1].
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- Tyres: fails 1.3–1.5× as often as cars the same age at 16 years, 454 of 4,385 MOT tests
- Mileage: median 97,967 miles at 16 years against 102,757 for all class 4 vehicles, 4,385 MOT tests
- Before the mileage adjustment: 42.7% of MOT tests at 16 years ended in a fail, 4,385 MOT tests
Which engine and year a car has decides which of these apply. Check the reg first.
Figures are for the model, not one car, and compare with all class 4 vehicles tested at 16 in the same test year.
- Fail rate at 16 years, typical mileage
- 43.1%
- vs 43.0% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 16
- 4,385 MOT tests
- Fail rate at 16 years, raw
- 42.7%
- vs 43.0% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 16
- 4,385 MOT tests
- Median mileage at 16 years
- 97,967 mi
- vs 102,757 mi for all class 4 vehicles
- 4,385 MOT tests
Volvo C70 MOT fail rate by age
Each line follows the cars first used in one year across the ages they were tested at from 2022 to 2025, so a line never mixes a 2005 car with a 2015 one. 31k DVSA MOT tests in all (30,662).
| Age | Raw | Typical mileage | All class 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 33.2% | 35.8% | 34.6% |
| 12 | 36.4% | 38.5% | 36.9% |
| 13 | 40.7% | 41.9% | 39.0% |
| 14 | 42.6% | 43.5% | 40.9% |
| 15 | 42.1% | 42.3% | 42.1% |
| 16 | 42.7% | 43.1% | 43.0% |
| 17 | 42.6% | 43.6% | 43.3% |
| 18 | 42.3% | 42.9% | 43.5% |
| 19* | 40.9% | 42.4% | 43.5% |
| 20* | 36.4% | 37.3% | 43.2% |
| 21* | 33.9% | 35.7% | 42.4% |
| 22* | 32.7% | 31.6% | 41.2% |
* Over 18 years: only survivors are still tested at this age, so these rates describe the cars that are left.
About average: 42.7% raw · 43.1% at typical mileage, against 43.0% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 16, 4,385 MOT tests. Which years? See the full verdict
What fails on a Volvo C70 at 16 years
4 of 11 parts fail clearly more or less often than on cars the same age, with the same direction at 3 or more ages up to 18 years and no mixed picture.
| Part | Per 100 | All class 4 | Compared | Most common fail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 10.4 | 7.5 | fails 1.3–1.5× as often as cars the same age | Tyre has ply or cords exposed (MOT fail) |
| Body and structure | 10.2 | 7.6 | fails 1.2–1.5× as often as cars the same age | Drive shaft constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (MOT fail) |
| Visibility | 4.2 | 6.8 | fails less often than cars the same age (0.5–0.7×) | Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (MOT fail) |
| Emissions and leaks | 3.7 | 6.2 | fails less often than cars the same age (0.5–0.7×) | Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction (MOT fail) |
| Suspension | 18.9 | 17.1 | about average for cars the same age | Coil spring fractured or broken (MOT fail) |
| Lights and electrics | 16.2 | 20.4 | about average for cars the same age | Position lamp not working (MOT fail) |
Buying a Volvo C70? Check that exact car before the viewing.
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- Model risks for this year and fuel
- What similar cars did at their next MOT
- Repairs ahead
- Viewing checklist
Check one Volvo C70, not the average
The figures here describe Volvo C70 cars as a group. A registration shows one car's own DVSA record: its MOT tests, the mileage at each test and the recall flag.
- Check a Volvo C70's MOT history Every MOT test, fail item, advisory and mileage reading DVSA holds for that registration.
- Mileage check on a Volvo C70 The odometer reading from each MOT, with drops, jumps and long gaps flagged.
- Check a Volvo C70 for an outstanding recall Whether DVSA's MOT record flags an outstanding safety recall for that registration.
More Volvo C70 data
Volvo C70 recalls
11 DVSA recalls list this model by name [2]. Vehicles are DVSA's count of affected Volvo C70 vehicles. The latest:
- R/2011/163 Fluid may leak into wiring harness which may cause fire (53,203 vehicles of this model). From the recall's stated risk: “A number of Volvo C30S40V50 and C70 may experience a problem with washer fluid leaking inside the washer pump unit through the wires into the central…”
- R/2011/127 Also covers the Volvo C70: Clutch pedal mechanism may fail (35,587 vehicles of this model). From the recall's stated risk: “The rod connecting the clutch master cylinder and the clutch pedal may break.”
- R/2010/071 Also covers the Volvo C70: Gearbox may jam (6,961 vehicles of this model). From the recall's stated risk: “A section of the gear shift mechanism may over time become loose and cause the mechanism to become jammed.”
Ask the seller for proof the work was done. Check any car on GOV.UK
Volvo C70 against similar cars at 16 years
Same class and fuel, all tested at 16 years, at typical mileage.
| Model | Fail rate | 95% range | MOT tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volvo C70 | 43.1% | 41.6% to 44.7% | 4,385 |
| Mazda MX-5 MOT fail rate | 37.4% | 36.3% to 38.5% | 24,545 |
| Audi TT MOT fail rate | 32.7% | 32.1% to 33.3% | 24,476 |
| Mercedes-Benz CLK MOT fail rate | 39.6% | 38.8% to 40.4% | 13,481 |
| Mercedes-Benz SLK MOT fail rate | 37.1% | 35.7% to 38.6% | 13,133 |
| BMW Z4 MOT fail rate | 30.4% | 29.1% to 31.7% | 10,966 |
| Porsche 911 MOT fail rate | 18.9% | 16.5% to 21.6% | 8,838 |
| Volkswagen Eos MOT fail rate | 39.2% | 38.1% to 40.3% | 8,500 |
| Jaguar XK MOT fail rate | 28.3% | 26.6% to 30.0% | 7,484 |
Other Volvo models
More Volvo C70 data
Years
Running costs
By part
Questions people ask
How often does a Volvo C70 fail its MOT at 16 years?
43.1% of MOT tests at 16 years ended in a fail at typical mileage (42.7% as tested), from 4,385 MOT tests, against 43.0% for all class 4 vehicles the same age; the Mazda MX-5 was at 37.4%.
What fails most on a Volvo C70 at 16 years?
10.4 in 100 MOT tests at 16 years failed on tyres, most often "tyre has ply or cords exposed", then body and structure (10.2) and visibility (4.2), from 4,385 MOT tests.
How does the Volvo C70 compare with the Mazda MX-5?
At 16 years the Volvo C70 failed 43.1% of MOT tests at typical mileage, the Mazda MX-5 37.4% and the Audi TT 32.7%, from 4,385, 24,545 and 24,476 MOT tests.
What mileage does a Volvo C70 have at 16 years?
A median of 97,967 miles at the MOT test at 16 years, against 102,757 for all class 4 vehicles the same age, from 4,385 MOT tests.
Sources
- Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 30,662 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.
- Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Vehicle safety recalls data. DVSA recall data. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.
Cars tested at 16 years are compared only with vehicles tested at 16 years in the same year, adjusted to typical mileage. Breakdowns and non-MOT faults are not in this data.