15,503 tests in 2025
Volvo V90 reliability and MOT pass rate
85.5% passed first time. The 14.5% fail rate is 8.1 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 6 years old with 60,969 miles.
Pass rate
85.5%
22.6% of all cars failed; 14.5% of these did.
Fixed on the day
1.5%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
60,969 mi
6 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 4,405 | 11.3% |
| 6-9 years | 10,948 | 15.6% |
| 10-13 years | 0 | — |
| 14+ years | 128 | — |
What the V90 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.
- Tyres798 dangerous41.7%
- Brakes522 dangerous23.1%
- Suspension4 dangerous16.9%
- Body, chassis, structure5 dangerous15%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment2 dangerous10.3%
- Visibility2 dangerous5.8%
- Steering2 dangerous4.6%
- Noise, emissions and leaks3.7%
Is the V90 getting worse?
The fail rate rose 4.2 points to 15.9% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (5.5 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 10,045 | 4 | 11.7% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 10,084 | 5 | 13.5% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 8,721 | 6 | 15.1% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 9,354 | 7 | 15.9% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical V90 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 V90 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick386 tests
- 2Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords369 tests
- 3Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt292 tests
- 4Condition: has ply or cords exposed257 tests
- 5Coil spring: fractured or broken216 tests
- 6Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm199 tests
- 7Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively80 tests
- 8Condition: has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure76 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical V90 collects 2.11 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 1.6mm2,383 tests
- 2Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick1,945 tests
- 3Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure774 tests
- 4Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened583 tests
- 5Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords414 tests
- 6Tread depth: tread pattern not visible over the whole tread area when minimum depth required is 1.0mm370 tests
- 7Non-component advisories: Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt356 tests
- 8Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn354 tests
Questions
What is the Volvo V90 MOT pass rate?
85.5% of the 15,503 Volvo V90 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 14.5% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 1.5% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Volvo V90 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick", recorded on 386 failed tests, followed by "Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" and "Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt". By section, tyres appears in 41.7% of failures, brakes appears in 23.1% of failures, suspension appears in 16.9% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 11.3%; at 6-9 years it was 15.6%. The median Volvo V90 tested in 2025 was 6 years old with 60,969 miles.
Is the Volvo V90 getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 4.2 points to 15.9% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (5.5 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 V90 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 16 safety recalls naming the Volvo V90: Volvo V90 recalls.
Other Volvo models
Checking a particular V90?
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.