19,369 tests in 2025
Volvo C30 reliability and MOT pass rate
65.2% passed first time. The 34.8% fail rate is 12.2 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 15 years old with 105,017 miles.
Pass rate
65.2%
22.6% of all cars failed; 34.8% of these did.
Fixed on the day
6.9%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
105,017 mi
15 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 0 | — |
| 10-13 years | 3,524 | 31.2% |
| 14+ years | 15,845 | 35.6% |
What the C30 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.
- Suspension560 dangerous47.5%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment3 dangerous39.4%
- Tyres1,985 dangerous25.2%
- Brakes667 dangerous25.1%
- Body, chassis, structure39 dangerous19.4%
- Visibility3 dangerous13.2%
- Noise, emissions and leaks9 dangerous11.3%
- Steering26 dangerous9.3%
Is the C30 getting worse?
The fail rate rose 2.4 points to 34.8% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 5.3 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 25,558 | 12 | 32.4% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 24,498 | 13 | 34.3% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 20,324 | 14 | 34.7% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 19,367 | 15 | 34.8% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical C30 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 C30 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Coil spring: fractured or broken985 tests
- 2Position lamp: not working921 tests
- 3Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt841 tests
- 4Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn750 tests
- 5Condition: has ply or cords exposed590 tests
- 6Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps576 tests
- 7Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm571 tests
- 8Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn532 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical C30 collects 2.92 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.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm4,163 tests
- 2Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn2,578 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened2,112 tests
- 4Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure1,723 tests
- 5Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick1,674 tests
- 6Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine1,373 tests
- 7Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened1,316 tests
- 8Sub-frame: corroded and seriously weakened813 tests
Questions
What is the Volvo C30 MOT pass rate?
65.2% of the 19,369 Volvo C30 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 34.8% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 6.9% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Volvo C30 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Coil spring: fractured or broken", recorded on 985 failed tests, followed by "Position lamp: not working" and "Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt". By section, suspension appears in 47.5% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 39.4% of failures, tyres appears in 25.2% 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 35.6%. The median Volvo C30 tested in 2025 was 15 years old with 105,017 miles.
Is the Volvo C30 getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 2.4 points to 34.8% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 5.3 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
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 C30 trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 18 safety recalls naming the Volvo C30: Volvo C30 recalls.
Other Volvo models
Checking a particular C30?
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.