2,763 tests in 2025
Volvo 900 reliability and MOT pass rate
70.2% passed first time. The 29.8% fail rate is 7.2 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 29 years old with 154,166 miles.
Pass rate
70.2%
22.6% of all cars failed; 29.8% of these did.
Fixed on the day
5.4%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
154,166 mi
29 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 0 | — |
| 10-13 years | 0 | — |
| 14+ years | 2,763 | 29.8% |
What the 900 fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment4 dangerous40.9%
- Brakes77 dangerous37.4%
- Suspension19 dangerous35.2%
- Body, chassis, structure21 dangerous30%
- Noise, emissions and leaks4 dangerous27.3%
- Visibility3 dangerous16.3%
- Tyres136 dangerous16.1%
- Steering7 dangerous14.3%
Is the 900 getting worse?
The fail rate rose 0.2 points to 29.8% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (-0.8 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 3,744 | 27 | 29.6% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 3,421 | 28 | 29.3% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 2,855 | 29 | 32.2% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 2,763 | 29 | 29.8% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical 900 at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a 900 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength120 tests
- 2Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases108 tests
- 3Position lamp: not working92 tests
- 4Stop lamp: not working70 tests
- 5Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements69 tests
- 6Emissions not tested: unable to be completed60 tests
- 7Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits58 tests
- 8Service brake performance: excessively binding56 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical 900 collects 3.6 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine637 tests
- 2Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases375 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened325 tests
- 4Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm324 tests
- 5Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure270 tests
- 6Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn255 tests
- 7Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened217 tests
- 8Registration plates: inscription illegible192 tests
Questions
What is the Volvo 900 MOT pass rate?
70.2% of the 2,763 Volvo 900 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 29.8% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 5.4% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Volvo 900 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength", recorded on 120 failed tests, followed by "Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases" and "Position lamp: not working". By section, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 40.9% of failures, brakes appears in 37.4% of failures, suspension appears in 35.2% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was n/a%; at 14+ years it was 29.8%. The median Volvo 900 tested in 2025 was 29 years old with 154,166 miles.
Is the Volvo 900 getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 0.2 points to 29.8% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (-0.8 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every 900 trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
Other Volvo models
Checking a particular 900?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.