MOT fail rates

Volvo V90 MOT fail rate by age

How often the Volvo V90 fails its MOT at each age, compared with all cars of the same age, and what it fails on. From 57,957 DVSA MOT tests taken 2022 to 2025.

MOT data updated 22 September 2026

At 5 years, the most tested age

MOT fail rate at age 5 (n=13,896)14.5%

All cars at 5 years (n=9,425,360)15.3%

Median mileage at test48,708

All cars, median mileage37,103

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

What stands out

At 3 years the Volvo V90 fails 12.3% of MOTs (9,280 tests), about the same as the 12.1% for all cars that age. At 8 years it fails 19.7% (3,379 tests), 4.1 points below the 23.8% average.
The gap is widest at 8 years: 4.1 points below all cars.
Its most common structural or mechanical fail item at 5 years: Driveshaft CV boot split, at 1.3 per 100 MOTs.

MOT fail rate by age, first used undefined or later

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

Volvo V90 (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.
Age	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars	Difference	Median mileage
3 years	12.3%	9,280	12.1%	+0.3 pts	28,138 miles
4 years	13.4%	12,233	13.4%	0.0 pts	37,850 miles
5 years	14.5%	13,896	15.3%	−0.8 pts	48,708 miles
6 years	15.5%	11,819	17.8%	−2.3 pts	58,942 miles
7 years	16.9%	7,350	20.6%	−3.7 pts	70,533 miles
8 years	19.7%	3,379	23.8%	−4.1 pts	80,878 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 item	Per 100 MOTs
Driveshaft CV boot split Major	1.3
Coil spring broken Major	0.4

Out of 13,896 MOTs. A test with two faults counts twice.

Wear and upkeep

Fail item	Per 100 MOTs
Brake pads under 1.5 mm Dangerous	4.4
Tyre condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Major	3.1
Tyre with cords exposed Dangerous	2.1
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Dangerous	2.1
Wipers not clearing screen Major	1
Tyre condition: has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Dangerous	0.7
Headlamp aim: too low Major	0.6
Position lamp: with a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning Major	0.5

Out of 13,896 MOTs. A test with two faults counts twice.

Other models at 5 years

Model	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Volvo XC40	10.4%	46,359	15.3%
Volvo XC60	11.9%	45,006	15.3%
Volvo V40	18.5%	35,008	15.3%

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 28 September 2026.

Latest MOT age with at least 1,000 tests for each first-use year.
First used	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
2017	8 years in 2025	19.2%	2,932	23.8%
2018	7 years in 2025	16.4%	3,992	20.6%
2019	6 years in 2025	15.6%	4,456	17.8%
2020	5 years in 2025	14.7%	2,457	15.3%
2021	4 years in 2025	10.2%	1,281	13.4%

More on the Volvo V90

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 V90?

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