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Volvo XC70 exhaust, emissions and leaks problems

DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 6,557 MOT tests · Updated

At 11 years, 0.5 in 100 MOT tests of the Volvo XC70 failed on exhaust, emissions and leaks, against 3.2 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 6,557 MOT tests) [1].

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  • Against all class 4 vehicles the same age: about average for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years), 35 MOT tests with a fail
  • By age: seen at 16 ages from 6 to 21 years, 70,628 MOT tests
  • MOT tests at 11 years: 6,557 for the Volvo XC70

Figures are for the model as a whole, not for one car.

What the MOT tests show

What we know

0.5 fails per 100 MOT tests at 11 years, against 3.2 for all class 4 vehicles tested at 11 (all test years). That is about average.

Why it matters

An exhaust, emissions and leaks fail stops the car passing until it is fixed.

What to check

Start the car from cold and look for smoke at the exhaust, listen for blowing joints, and look under the engine and gearbox for fresh oil or fluid drips.

Volvo XC70 exhaust, emissions and leaks fails by age

Volvo XC70 exhaust, emissions and leaks fails per 100 MOT tests by ageSolid line: the Volvo XC70. Dashed line: all cars the same age. The table below lists every value.02466 years: 0.5 per 100 (all cars 1.3), 1,031 MOT tests67 years: 0.5 per 100 (all cars 1.7), 2,678 MOT tests8 years: 0.6 per 100 (all cars 2.1), 4,401 MOT tests89 years: 0.5 per 100 (all cars 2.4), 5,977 MOT tests10 years: 0.5 per 100 (all cars 2.8), 6,322 MOT tests1011 years: 0.5 per 100 (all cars 3.2), 6,557 MOT tests12 years: 0.7 per 100 (all cars 3.7), 6,215 MOT tests1213 years: 0.7 per 100 (all cars 4.3), 5,642 MOT tests14 years: 1.1 per 100 (all cars 5.1), 5,329 MOT tests1415 years: 1.2 per 100 (all cars 5.7), 4,853 MOT tests16 years: 1.5 per 100 (all cars 6.2), 4,667 MOT tests1617 years: 1.5 per 100 (all cars 6.5), 4,983 MOT tests18 years: 2.0 per 100 (all cars 6.8), 4,622 MOT tests1819 years: 2.5 per 100 (all cars 7.0), 3,722 MOT tests20 years: 2.3 per 100 (all cars 7.0), 2,473 MOT tests2021 years: 2.9 per 100 (all cars 7.1), 1,156 MOT tests
Fails per 100 MOT tests by age, all first-use years pooled. Volvo XC70 All class 4 vehicles the same age Shaded: over 18 years, survivors only.
AgeMOT testsFails per 100All class 4 vehicles the same age
61,0310.51.3
72,6780.51.7
84,4010.62.1
95,9770.52.4
106,3220.52.8
116,5570.53.2
126,2150.73.7
135,6420.74.3
145,3291.15.1
154,8531.25.7
164,6671.56.2
174,9831.56.5
184,6222.06.8
19*3,7222.57.0
20*2,4732.37.0
21*1,1562.97.1

All first-use years of the Volvo XC70 pooled at each age, against all class 4 vehicles at that age over all 2022–2025 test years. * Only survivors are still tested at this age.

What fails in the exhaust, emissions and leaks at 11 years

Advisories (not fails)

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  • Model risks for this year and fuel
  • What similar cars did at their next MOT
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See a sample report

How to check on a test drive

Start the car from cold and look for smoke at the exhaust, listen for blowing joints, and look under the engine and gearbox for fresh oil or fluid drips.

The most common advisory here in MOT records: Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive.

Check one Volvo XC70, not the average

The figures here describe Volvo XC70 cars as a group. These free tools answer for one car. Each line says what the tool reads.

Other Volvo XC70 problems

Exhaust, emissions and leaks on rival models

Questions people ask

Does the Volvo XC70 have more exhaust, emissions and leaks problems than other cars?

0.5 in 100 MOT tests at 11 years, against 3.2 for all class 4 vehicles the same age: about average by our test (all test years; 6,557 MOT tests).

How common are Volvo XC70 exhaust, emissions and leaks problems?

0.5 in 100 MOT tests at 11 years failed on exhaust, emissions and leaks, against 3.2 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 6,557 MOT tests).

Sources

  1. Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 70,628 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.

Parts: against all class 4 vehicles at the same age, all 2022–2025 test years pooled, not adjusted for mileage. Breakdowns and non-MOT faults are not in this data. How we compare