6,423 tests in 2025
Volvo C70 reliability and MOT pass rate
66% passed first time. The 34% fail rate is 11.4 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 18 years old with 94,696 miles.
Pass rate
66%
22.6% of all cars failed; 34% of these did.
Fixed on the day
6%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
94,696 mi
18 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 0 | — |
| 10-13 years | 472 | 29.7% |
| 14+ years | 5,951 | 34.3% |
What the C70 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.
- Suspension31 dangerous43.3%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment3 dangerous31%
- Brakes227 dangerous30.4%
- Tyres632 dangerous27.6%
- Body, chassis, structure10 dangerous24.9%
- Noise, emissions and leaks10.8%
- Visibility10.3%
- Steering10 dangerous9.8%
Is the C70 getting worse?
The fail rate rose 0.6 points to 34% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (1.4 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 9,509 | 15 | 33.4% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 8,724 | 16 | 35.1% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 6,864 | 17 | 35% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 6,422 | 18 | 34% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical C70 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 C70 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt431 tests
- 2Coil spring: fractured or broken376 tests
- 3Condition: has ply or cords exposed244 tests
- 4Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements226 tests
- 5Position lamp: not working205 tests
- 6Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak173 tests
- 7Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn138 tests
- 8Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords131 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical C70 collects 3.04 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 1.6mm1,285 tests
- 2Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened790 tests
- 3Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn669 tests
- 4Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure570 tests
- 5Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened483 tests
- 6Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick462 tests
- 7Non-component advisories: Play in steering rack inner joint(s)368 tests
- 8Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine359 tests
Questions
What is the Volvo C70 MOT pass rate?
66% of the 6,423 Volvo C70 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 34% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 6% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Volvo C70 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt", recorded on 431 failed tests, followed by "Coil spring: fractured or broken" and "Condition: has ply or cords exposed". By section, suspension appears in 43.3% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 31% of failures, brakes appears in 30.4% 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 34.3%. The median Volvo C70 tested in 2025 was 18 years old with 94,696 miles.
Is the Volvo C70 getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 0.6 points to 34% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (1.4 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 C70 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 13 safety recalls naming the Volvo C70: Volvo C70 recalls.
Other Volvo models
Checking a particular C70?
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.