Volvo XC70 MOT pass rate & common failures
110,830 MOT tests on the Volvo XC70 (2000–2021) give it a 79.6% pass rate. Against large family cars of a similar age (23.2% fail rate), the XC70 comes out 2.8pp better. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and brakes.
Best and worst XC70 years
Ranked across XC70 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
Not every year is equal — 86.4% of 2015 examples pass against 70.3% of 2003 ones.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (10.7%) and suspension (8.5%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, position lamp and coil spring — headlamp aim alone was recorded 6,045 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 26.6% versus 9.6%.
The diesel cars hold up better: 20.3% fail against 22.8% for petrol, a 2.5-point gap across 110,827 tests.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 24.1% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
By model year
Every XC70 model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 653 | 73.0% | 27.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 3,347 | 70.3% | 29.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 5,475 | 70.6% | 29.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 8,812 | 72.5% | 27.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 8,113 | 73.1% | 26.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 8,635 | 74.6% | 25.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 6,206 | 80.3% | 19.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 6,302 | 81.1% | 18.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 8,642 | 81.4% | 18.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 11,261 | 81.1% | 18.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 8,182 | 81.4% | 18.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 9,432 | 83.2% | 16.8% | Suspension |
| 2014 | 10,210 | 84.7% | 15.3% | Suspension |
| 2015 | 9,291 | 86.4% | 13.6% | Tyres |
| 2016 | 5,992 | 85.1% | 14.9% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 105 | 83.8% | 16.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 77 | 75.3% | 24.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 31 | 80.7% | 19.4% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 10.7% | 11,803 |
| 2 | Suspension | 8.5% | 9,460 |
| 3 | Brakes | 6.2% | 6,878 |
| 4 | Tyres | 4.7% | 5,203 |
| 5 | Steering | 3.3% | 3,684 |
| 6 | Visibility | 2.9% | 3,218 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.2% | 2,455 |
| 8 | Emissions & environmental | 0.9% | 974 |
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 | 6,045 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 4,863 |
| 3 | Coil spring | 3,711 |
| 4 | Pins and bushes | 3,321 |
| 5 | Track rod end | 3,129 |
| 6 | Headlamp | 3,017 |
| 7 | Tread depth | 2,296 |
| 8 | Brake pads | 2,294 |
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 | 24.1% | 26,673 |
| 2 | Tyres | 23.9% | 26,512 |
| 3 | Brakes | 20.6% | 22,802 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 11.4% | 12,616 |
| 5 | Other defects | 10.2% | 11,346 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 5.4% | 6,026 |
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 | 1,195 | 9.6% |
| 30-60k | 10,536 | 11.6% |
| 60-90k | 21,100 | 15.9% |
| 90-120k | 24,120 | 18.6% |
| 120-150k | 22,876 | 22.6% |
| 150k+ | 30,918 | 26.6% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 105,946 | 20.3% |
| Petrol | 4,881 | 22.8% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 23,475 | 19.5% |
| 2022 | 22,893 | 19.8% |
| 2023 | 22,401 | 21.0% |
| 2024 | 21,516 | 21.0% |
| 2025 | 20,545 | 20.8% |
What to check before buying a Volvo XC70
- Lighting & signalling (10.7% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (8.5% 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.
- Brakes (6.2% 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.
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 XC70?
79.6% of the 110,830 Volvo XC70 MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 20.4% fail rate, across model years 2000–2021.
What does the Volvo XC70 most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 10.7% of tests, then suspension (8.5%).
Which XC70 years are best and worst for MOT results?
2015 has the best pass rate at 86.4% and 2003 the weakest at 70.3%, from 9,291 and 3,347 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect XC70 MOT results?
Fail rates run at 9.6% for cars in the 0-30k band and 26.6% for 150k+, a 17.0-point difference.
Is the diesel or petrol XC70 more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the diesel fails 20.3% of the time against 22.8% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 110,830 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.