7,271 tests in 2025
Volvo S90 reliability and MOT pass rate
88.1% passed first time. The 11.9% fail rate is 10.7 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 7 years old with 63,364 miles.
Pass rate
88.1%
22.6% of all cars failed; 11.9% of these did.
Fixed on the day
1.3%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
63,364 mi
7 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 1,412 | 9.1% |
| 6-9 years | 5,784 | 12.3% |
| 10-13 years | 0 | — |
| 14+ years | 68 | — |
What the S90 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.
- Tyres376 dangerous41.6%
- Brakes292 dangerous31.4%
- Suspension1 dangerous16.1%
- Steering9%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment1 dangerous6.4%
- Body, chassis, structure1 dangerous5.6%
- Visibility5.3%
- Noise, emissions and leaks1 dangerous4.8%
Is the S90 getting worse?
The fail rate rose 2.8 points to 12.7% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 5.5 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 6,164 | 4 | 9.9% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 5,999 | 5 | 10.9% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 5,096 | 6 | 12.1% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 5,440 | 7 | 12.7% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical S90 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 S90 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick212 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm117 tests
- 3Condition: has ply or cords exposed103 tests
- 4Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords102 tests
- 5Coil spring: fractured or broken74 tests
- 6Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play50 tests
- 7Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt33 tests
- 8Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction28 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical S90 collects 2.18 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 1.6mm1,068 tests
- 2Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick922 tests
- 3Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure402 tests
- 4Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened327 tests
- 5Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn238 tests
- 6Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords152 tests
- 7Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn151 tests
- 8Tread depth: tread pattern not visible over the whole tread area when minimum depth required is 1.0mm148 tests
Questions
What is the Volvo S90 MOT pass rate?
88.1% of the 7,271 Volvo S90 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 11.9% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 1.3% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Volvo S90 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick", recorded on 212 failed tests, followed by "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" and "Condition: has ply or cords exposed". By section, tyres appears in 41.6% of failures, brakes appears in 31.4% of failures, suspension appears in 16.1% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 9.1%; at 6-9 years it was 12.3%. The median Volvo S90 tested in 2025 was 7 years old with 63,364 miles.
Is the Volvo S90 getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 2.8 points to 12.7% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 5.5 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 S90 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 17 safety recalls naming the Volvo S90: Volvo S90 recalls.
Other Volvo models
Checking a particular S90?
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.