Volvo C30 MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 20 model years and 157,010 tests, the Volvo C30 passes its MOT 74.3% of the time. Small family cars of a similar age fail 24.3% of the time, so this is 1.3pp worse than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and tyres.
Best and worst C30 years
Ranked across C30 years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Build year matters more than the headline suggests: 2013 cars pass 78.7% of the time while 2008 cars manage 71.7%, a 7.0-point spread.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (14.2%) and suspension (11.9%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are position lamp, pins and bushes and coil spring — position lamp alone was recorded 9,387 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 12.3% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 30.1% once past 150k — 2.4× the risk.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 24.9% of the time against 26.2% for diesel.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 30.1% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 24.5% of tests failed in 2021 against 26.6% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every C30 model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 849 | 72.6% | 27.4% | Suspension |
| 2007 | 16,253 | 72.5% | 27.6% | Suspension |
| 2008 | 22,616 | 71.7% | 28.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 36,444 | 73.5% | 26.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 34,416 | 74.8% | 25.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 21,379 | 75.0% | 24.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 18,775 | 77.7% | 22.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 6,229 | 78.7% | 21.3% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 14.2% | 22,295 |
| 2 | Suspension | 11.9% | 18,766 |
| 3 | Tyres | 7.1% | 11,155 |
| 4 | Brakes | 6.4% | 9,981 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 4.8% | 7,601 |
| 6 | Visibility | 4.2% | 6,567 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 2.7% | 4,215 |
| 8 | Steering | 2.2% | 3,510 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Position lamp | 9,387 |
| 2 | Pins and bushes | 8,158 |
| 3 | Coil spring | 6,665 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 6,351 |
| 5 | Tread depth | 5,687 |
| 6 | Joints | 5,593 |
| 7 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 5,474 |
| 8 | Headlamp | 5,141 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 30.1% | 47,239 |
| 2 | Suspension | 25.4% | 39,859 |
| 3 | Brakes | 21.6% | 33,944 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 17.5% | 27,496 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 8.9% | 14,014 |
| 6 | Other defects | 7.6% | 11,884 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 3,518 | 12.3% |
| 30-60k | 19,349 | 18.4% |
| 60-90k | 42,572 | 24.0% |
| 90-120k | 48,883 | 27.5% |
| 120-150k | 29,588 | 29.6% |
| 150k+ | 13,064 | 30.1% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 93,373 | 26.2% |
| Petrol | 63,637 | 24.9% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 34,541 | 24.5% |
| 2022 | 33,297 | 25.0% |
| 2023 | 32,237 | 26.2% |
| 2024 | 29,796 | 26.4% |
| 2025 | 27,139 | 26.6% |
What to check before buying a Volvo C30
- Lighting & signalling (14.2% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (11.9% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Tyres (7.1% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Volvo C30?
74.3% of the 157,010 Volvo C30 MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 25.7% fail rate, across model years 2001–2020.
What does the Volvo C30 most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 14.2% of tests, then suspension (11.9%).
Which C30 years are best and worst for MOT results?
2013 has the best pass rate at 78.7% and 2008 the weakest at 71.7%, from 6,229 and 22,616 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect C30 MOT results?
Fail rates run at 12.3% for cars in the 0-30k band and 30.1% for 150k+, a 17.8-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel C30 more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 24.9% of the time against 26.2% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 157,010 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.