36,078 tests in 2025
Volvo V70 reliability and MOT pass rate
70.3% passed first time. The 29.7% fail rate is 7.1 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 17 years old with 139,883 miles.
Pass rate
70.3%
22.6% of all cars failed; 29.7% of these did.
Fixed on the day
6.6%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
139,883 mi
17 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 2 | — |
| 6-9 years | 718 | 16.3% |
| 10-13 years | 6,758 | 20.8% |
| 14+ years | 28,600 | 32.2% |
What the V70 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 equipment40 dangerous41.1%
- Suspension244 dangerous35.2%
- Brakes1,614 dangerous33.8%
- Tyres2,879 dangerous25.3%
- Body, chassis, structure63 dangerous18.4%
- Steering70 dangerous15.1%
- Visibility7 dangerous12.7%
- Noise, emissions and leaks12 dangerous11.3%
Is the V70 getting worse?
The fail rate rose 0.1 points to 29.7% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 1 year, which is about what ageing alone predicts (0.9 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 48,554 | 16 | 29.6% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 45,081 | 16 | 29.2% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 37,900 | 17 | 30.8% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 36,068 | 17 | 29.7% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical V70 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 V70 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Position lamp: not working1,557 tests
- 2Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn986 tests
- 3Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect967 tests
- 4Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements932 tests
- 5Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt897 tests
- 6Condition: has ply or cords exposed859 tests
- 7Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play816 tests
- 8Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn798 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical V70 collects 3.25 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 1.6mm7,133 tests
- 2Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn5,161 tests
- 3Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened4,088 tests
- 4Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened3,733 tests
- 5Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick3,103 tests
- 6Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine2,774 tests
- 7Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure2,690 tests
- 8Non-component advisories: Play in steering rack inner joint(s)2,442 tests
Questions
What is the Volvo V70 MOT pass rate?
70.3% of the 36,078 Volvo V70 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 29.7% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 6.6% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Volvo V70 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Position lamp: not working", recorded on 1,557 failed tests, followed by "Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn" and "Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect". By section, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 41.1% of failures, suspension appears in 35.2% of failures, brakes appears in 33.8% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 0%; at 14+ years it was 32.2%. The median Volvo V70 tested in 2025 was 17 years old with 139,883 miles.
Is the Volvo V70 getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 0.1 points to 29.7% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 1 year, which is about what ageing alone predicts (0.9 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 V70 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 56 safety recalls naming the Volvo V70: Volvo V70 recalls.
Other Volvo models
Checking a particular V70?
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.