5,857 tests in 2025
Volvo S80 reliability and MOT pass rate
75.8% passed first time. The 24.2% fail rate is 1.6 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 17 years old with 122,137 miles.
Pass rate
75.8%
22.6% of all cars failed; 24.2% of these did.
Fixed on the day
6.8%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
122,137 mi
17 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 161 | — |
| 10-13 years | 1,387 | 20% |
| 14+ years | 4,309 | 26% |
What the S80 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 equipment3 dangerous36.7%
- Suspension33 dangerous32.4%
- Brakes217 dangerous29.8%
- Tyres395 dangerous25.2%
- Body, chassis, structure10 dangerous16.3%
- Steering7 dangerous15.3%
- Visibility1 dangerous12%
- Noise, emissions and leaks1 dangerous9.2%
Is the S80 getting worse?
The fail rate rose 1.1 points to 24.2% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (1.7 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 8,635 | 15 | 23.1% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 7,814 | 15 | 23.8% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 6,398 | 16 | 24.6% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 5,857 | 17 | 24.2% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical S80 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 S80 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Position lamp: not working183 tests
- 2Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick126 tests
- 3Condition: has ply or cords exposed125 tests
- 4Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt120 tests
- 5Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play110 tests
- 6Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm101 tests
- 7Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn99 tests
- 8Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements90 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical S80 collects 3 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 1.6mm1,101 tests
- 2Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn688 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened578 tests
- 4Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened552 tests
- 5Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick469 tests
- 6Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure458 tests
- 7Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine364 tests
- 8Non-component advisories: Play in steering rack inner joint(s)258 tests
Questions
What is the Volvo S80 MOT pass rate?
75.8% of the 5,857 Volvo S80 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 24.2% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 6.8% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Volvo S80 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Position lamp: not working", recorded on 183 failed tests, followed by "Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick" and "Condition: has ply or cords exposed". By section, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 36.7% of failures, suspension appears in 32.4% of failures, brakes appears in 29.8% 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 26%. The median Volvo S80 tested in 2025 was 17 years old with 122,137 miles.
Is the Volvo S80 getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 1.1 points to 24.2% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (1.7 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 S80 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 49 safety recalls naming the Volvo S80: Volvo S80 recalls.
Other Volvo models
Checking a particular S80?
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.