Volvo V70 MOT pass rate & common failures
285,341 MOT tests on the Volvo V70 (1996–2021) give it a 76.5% pass rate. Against large family cars of a similar age (25.5% fail rate), the V70 comes out 2.0pp better. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, brakes and suspension.
Best and worst V70 years
Ranked across V70 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: 2016 cars pass 88.3% of the time while 2002 cars manage 71.4%, a 16.9-point spread.
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 14.4% of all tests — 5.6 points clear of brakes, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, position lamp and headlamp — headlamp aim alone was recorded 20,107 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 13.8% in the 0-30k band and 27.8% in the 150k+ band, a 13.9-point spread — more than double.
Split by fuel, petrol examples fail 5.2pp more often than diesel ones (27.1% vs 21.8%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: suspension was flagged on 30.2% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
By model year
Every V70 model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 4,061 | 72.7% | 27.3% | Brakes |
| 1998 | 5,862 | 71.5% | 28.5% | Brakes |
| 1999 | 7,227 | 72.5% | 27.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 10,102 | 72.5% | 27.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 12,609 | 71.5% | 28.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 18,166 | 71.4% | 28.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 19,439 | 71.7% | 28.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 21,923 | 71.9% | 28.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 24,492 | 73.0% | 27.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 18,969 | 73.4% | 26.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 18,430 | 75.5% | 24.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 21,930 | 79.0% | 21.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 24,025 | 77.9% | 22.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 17,829 | 80.8% | 19.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 12,751 | 82.2% | 17.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 9,543 | 82.0% | 18.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 10,296 | 82.3% | 17.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 11,533 | 84.7% | 15.3% | Tyres |
| 2015 | 11,525 | 86.9% | 13.1% | Tyres |
| 2016 | 4,280 | 88.3% | 11.7% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 119 | 89.9% | 10.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 58 | 84.5% | 15.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 53 | 86.8% | 13.2% | Body, structure & corrosion |
| 2020 | 48 | 83.3% | 16.7% | Suspension |
| 2021 | 47 | 89.4% | 10.6% | Body, structure & corrosion |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 14.4% | 41,141 |
| 2 | Brakes | 8.8% | 25,073 |
| 3 | Suspension | 7.7% | 22,091 |
| 4 | Tyres | 6.2% | 17,815 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 4.6% | 13,037 |
| 6 | Visibility | 3.9% | 11,051 |
| 7 | Steering | 3.4% | 9,665 |
| 8 | Emissions & environmental | 2.9% | 8,137 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 20,107 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 17,694 |
| 3 | Headlamp | 10,383 |
| 4 | Rbt (sp) | 10,029 |
| 5 | Pins and bushes | 9,957 |
| 6 | Tread depth | 7,479 |
| 7 | Ball joint | 6,595 |
| 8 | Joints | 6,586 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 30.2% | 86,270 |
| 2 | Tyres | 27.6% | 78,629 |
| 3 | Brakes | 23.2% | 66,151 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 15.0% | 42,719 |
| 5 | Other defects | 14.6% | 41,583 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 10.5% | 30,113 |
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 | 2,356 | 13.8% |
| 30-60k | 14,886 | 12.2% |
| 60-90k | 34,902 | 17.1% |
| 90-120k | 55,654 | 21.0% |
| 120-150k | 65,145 | 24.6% |
| 150k+ | 111,765 | 27.8% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 192,113 | 21.8% |
| Petrol | 93,144 | 27.1% |
| Gas/LPG | 72 | 26.4% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 66,113 | 23.2% |
| 2022 | 61,597 | 23.5% |
| 2023 | 56,866 | 23.2% |
| 2024 | 52,758 | 24.2% |
| 2025 | 48,007 | 23.6% |
What to check before buying a Volvo V70
- Lighting & signalling (14.4% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (8.8% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
- Suspension (7.7% 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.
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 V70?
76.5% of the 285,341 Volvo V70 MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 23.5% fail rate, across model years 1996–2021.
What does the Volvo V70 most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 14.4% of tests, then brakes (8.8%).
Which V70 years are best and worst for MOT results?
2016 has the best pass rate at 88.3% and 2002 the weakest at 71.4%, from 4,280 and 18,166 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect V70 MOT results?
Fail rates run at 13.8% for cars in the 0-30k band and 27.8% for 150k+, a 13.9-point difference.
Is the diesel or petrol V70 more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the diesel fails 21.8% of the time against 27.1% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 285,341 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.