MOT fail rates by first-use year

2003 Volvo S60 MOT fail rate and common faults

How Volvo S60 cars first used in 2003 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2023, against all cars of the same age. From 2,480 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 20 years, tested in 2023

MOT fail rate at age 20 (n=1,116)43.8%

All cars at 20 years (n=1,845,952)42.8%

Difference+1.1 pts

MOT tests of 2003 cars, 2022 to 20232,480

What stands out

In 2023, at 20 years old, Volvo S60 cars first used in 2003 failed 43.8% of MOTs (1,116 tests), 1.1 points above the 42.8% for all cars that age.
From 2022 to 2023, as these cars went from 19 to 20 years old, the fail rate moved from 44.6% to 43.8%.
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Volvo S60 at 20 years, is handbrake too weak, at 5.6 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 2.8).

MOT fail rate by test year

Volvo S60 cars first used in 2003: share of MOT tests that failed, by test year, against all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Test year	Age	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars	Difference
2022	19 years	44.6%	1,364	43.2%	+1.5 pts
2023	20 years	43.8%	1,116	42.8%	+1.1 pts

Most common faults at 20 years

These figures cover all Volvo S60 MOTs at 20 years: cars first used 2002 to 2005, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=4,267). The list uses every first-use year so it has enough tests. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.

MOT fail items

Fail item	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Side/position light not working Wear	9.9	5.2
Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Wear	6.0	4.0
Handbrake too weak	5.6	2.8
Rbt (sp): efficiency less than 50% of the required value	3.4	0.8
Suspension arm bush worn	3.4	2.1
Parking brake performance: inoperative on one side	3.2	1.2
Dipped headlight not working Wear	3.1	1.9
Steering track rod end: ball joint play	3.0	2.0
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear	2.8	2.6
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps Wear	2.7	1.9

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=4,267). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

Advisory	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear	17.1	15.7
Suspension pin or bush worn, without excessive movement	16.3	7.7
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	12.3	10.7
Coil spring: corroded	11.0	8.0
Non-component advisories: Play in steering rack inner joint(s)	9.2	3.6
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive	8.7	14.1
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Wear	8.6	5.4
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear	7.7	10.2
Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Wear	6.7	6.2
Brake pads wearing thin Wear	6.0	5.7

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=4,267). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 20 years

These figures cover all Volvo S60 MOTs at 20 years: cars first used 2002 to 2005, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=4,267). Each fuel is set against all cars of the same fuel and age. Fuels with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Fuel	Share of tests	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars, same fuel	Median mileage
Petrol	51.5%	41.4%	2,192	42.5%	114,254 miles
Diesel	48.5%	41.7%	2,062	43.6%	152,097 miles

Car tax rules for a 2003 car

Cars first registered from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017 are taxed by CO2 emissions band, from band A (the lowest emissions) to band M. The band is set by the CO2 figure on the V5C logbook.

These are the rules, not the amount for a specific car. Car tax check

ULEZ and clean air zones

Many petrol cars first registered from 2001 to 2005 already meet Euro 4, but not all of them. For a 2003 petrol car the Euro standard of that car decides.
Diesel cars first registered before September 2015 usually do not meet Euro 6, so a 2003 diesel usually pays the ULEZ daily charge. A few models met Euro 6 early.
The clean air zones in Birmingham and Bristol use the same Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 diesel standards. The low emission zones in Scotland use them too, but enforce them with fines, not a daily charge.

The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. ULEZ checker

Other years of the Volvo S60

2004 Volvo S60

Other Volvo models first used in 2003

Model	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Volvo V70 (2003)	22 years in 2025	45.2%	2,158	41.0%
Volvo V40 (2003)	20 years in 2023	51.0%	1,199	42.8%

More on the Volvo S60

Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.

Found one you might buy? Vet the specific car.

These figures describe 2003 Volvo S60 cars as a group, not any one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at the car you are buying: its MOT history, what similar cars did next, and what to ask the seller.

See an example Buying Report All car tools

Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources

Car tax and clean air zone rules are summarised from GOV.UK and Transport for London guidance. They are general rules and are not drawn from the MOT data.