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MOT fail rates

Volvo S90 MOT fail rate by age

How often the Volvo S90 fails its MOT at each age, compared with all cars of the same age, and what it fails on. From 29,076 DVSA MOT tests taken 2022 to 2025.

MOT data updated

At 5 years, the most tested age

MOT fail rate at age 5 (n=7,088)11.6%
All cars at 5 years (n=9,425,360)15.3%
Median mileage at test46,988
All cars, median mileage37,103

72 of 338 model groups with enough tests fail less often at 5 years.

What stands out

  • At 3 years the Volvo S90 fails 10.6% of MOTs (3,821 tests), 1.5 points below the 12.1% for all cars that age. At 8 years it fails 17.1% (1,673 tests), 6.7 points below the 23.8% average.
  • The gap is widest at 7 years: 7.0 points below all cars.
  • Its most common structural or mechanical fail item at 5 years: Coil spring broken, at 0.4 per 100 MOTs.

MOT fail rate by age, first used undefined or later

3 years 8 years 26.1%

Solid line: this model. Dashed line: all cars at the same age.

Volvo S90 (first used undefined or later): share of MOT tests that failed, by age, against all cars. Ages with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
AgeMOT fail rateTests (n)All carsDifferenceMedian mileage
3 years10.6%3,82112.1%−1.5 pts27,103 miles
4 years11.3%6,03513.4%−2.0 pts37,177 miles
5 years11.6%7,08815.3%−3.7 pts46,988 miles
6 years12.6%6,30117.8%−5.2 pts57,902 miles
7 years13.6%4,15820.6%−7.0 pts68,633 miles
8 years17.1%1,67323.8%−6.7 pts75,956 miles

Most common fail items at 5 years

Split into structural or mechanical items and wear items. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.

Structural and mechanical

Fail itemPer 100 MOTs
Coil spring broken Major0.4

Out of 7,088 MOTs. A test with two faults counts twice.

Wear and upkeep

Fail itemPer 100 MOTs
Brake pads under 1.5 mm Dangerous4.5
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Dangerous2.6
Tyre condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Major2
Tyre with cords exposed Dangerous1.3
Wipers not clearing screen Major0.5
Tyre condition: has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Dangerous0.5
Tyre condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Dangerous0.4
Headlamp aim: too low Major0.4

Out of 7,088 MOTs. A test with two faults counts twice.

Other models at 5 years

ModelMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars
Volvo XC4010.4%46,35915.3%
Volvo XC6011.9%45,00615.3%
Volvo V4018.5%35,00815.3%

MOT fail rate by first-use year

Each year has its own page: the fail rate for cars first used that year at each MOT from 2022 to 2025 with at least 1,000 tests, the most common faults at that age, and the car tax and ULEZ rules for that year.

First-use year data updated .

Latest MOT age with at least 1,000 tests for each first-use year.
First usedAge at testMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars
20178 years in 202516.5%1,39023.8%
20187 years in 202512.3%2,47420.6%
20196 years in 202512.1%2,10617.8%
20205 years in 202511.6%1,01015.3%

More on the Volvo S90

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.

Looking at one Volvo S90?

These are figures for the model, not for one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at a single car: its MOT tests, defects, advisories and mileage readings.

See an example report Browse the 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 22 September 2026.

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