Volvo S90 years to avoid? MOT pass rate by year

6,940 initial MOT tests in 2025 on cars first used 2017–2020 · DVSA data · For guidance only · How we count

All 4 Volvo S90 years have MOT pass rates above the average for vehicles first used in the same year.

Below the average for their first-use yearNone
Above the average for their first-use year2017–2020
Can't be told apart from averageNone

The MOT pass rate is one signal, not the whole story. An MOT checks safety and emissions on the day of the test. It doesn't record gearbox or engine faults, and a pass rate also reflects mileage and upkeep, so the table shows median mileage too. Whatever the year, the car in front of you matters more than its model's average.

87.0%passed first time

First-time pass rate, all years together: initial tests passed with no repairs. 95% range 86.1% to 87.7%.

Volvo S90, all years87.0%
Same-age average, all vehicles81.9%

In 2025, 87.0% of the 6,940 initial MOT tests on Volvo S90 cars were passed with no repairs. The same-age average, for all vehicles first used in the same years, was 81.9%. That is 5.1 points above the same-age average.

Check a specific S90

Its own MOT history, free.

Volvo S90 MOT pass rate by year

Year is when the car was first used. Older vehicles fail more often, so each year is compared with all vehicles first used that year.

Year	Testsmedian miles	Passed first time	Against all vehicles that year
2020age 5	1,00644,700	88.4%±2.2	+2.4 ptsall: 86.0%
2019age 6	2,09456,100	87.9%±1.5	+4.4 ptsall: 83.5%
2018age 7	2,46070,300	87.6%±1.4	+6.7 ptsall: 80.9%
2017age 8	1,38076,900	83.3%±2.1	+5.1 ptsall: 78.2%

Tests are initial MOT tests in 2025, not retests. Median miles is the middle odometer reading at the test: half had more, half had less. ± is the 95% margin of error in points (Wilson interval): a difference smaller than that could be chance. Years without a link have fewer than 10,000 tests, so they are listed here but don't have their own page.

When a car's mileage doesn't add up

Does mileage matter?

Volvo S90 first-time pass rates by the mileage at the initial test, all years together, against all vehicles of the same age and mileage.

89.1% of Volvo S90 tests at 30,000 to 59,999 miles passed first time, against 84.9% at 60,000 to 89,999 miles. For all vehicles of the same age and mileage, the figures are 83.2% and 77.9%.

Miles at the test	Tests	Passed first time	Against all vehicles, same age and mileage
30,000–59,999	2,588	89.1%±1.3	+5.9 ptsall: 83.2%
60,000–89,999	2,339	84.9%±1.6	+7.0 ptsall: 77.9%

Against all vehicles of the same age and mileage, S90 tests were above average in every band shown.

Mileage is only one factor. How a car has been driven and looked after matters too. These figures show an association across all Volvo S90 tests in 2025, not what mileage does to a particular car.

Mileage is the odometer reading at the initial test. Each band is compared with all vehicles first used in the same year with a reading in the same band, weighted by this model's own tests in each year. Bands need at least 1,000 tests. Not shown, with fewer than 1,000 tests: under 30,000, 90,000–119,999 and 120,000 or more. 2 tests (under 0.1%) had no usable odometer reading and are left out. How we count

Volvo S90 questions

Which Volvo S90 years have lower MOT pass rates?

Compared with all vehicles first used in the same year, no model year is clearly below average. Above average: 2017–2020. A pass rate is one signal: it also reflects mileage and upkeep, and doesn't record engine or gearbox faults.

Is the Volvo S90 reliable?

MOT results show only part of the picture. In 2025, 87.0% of initial MOT tests on Volvo S90 cars were passed with no repairs, against a same-age average of 81.9%. That is 5.1 points above average. An MOT checks safety and emissions on the day of the test. It doesn't measure breakdowns, engine or gearbox faults, or repair costs.

What mileage is normal for a 5-year-old Volvo S90?

At their 2025 MOT tests, Volvo S90 cars first used in 2020, about 5 years old, had a median of 44,700 miles. Half had more and half had less.

How do I check a specific S90's MOT history?

Enter its registration in our free check. It lists that car's own MOT results, the faults and advisories recorded and the mileage at each test, and flags repeated advisories and mileage that goes down.

Check a car's MOT history for free

What MOT data can't tell you about any Volvo S90

Outstanding finance, write-offs, theft and plate changes aren't in MOT records. For a particular car, you need a history check.

Compare history checks What MOT history doesn't show

Other Volvo models

Points above (+) or below (−) the same-age average for all vehicles.

All 13 Volvo models Cars ranked by MOT pass rate, by age

Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests, 2025. For guidance only: these figures describe all Volvo S90 cars tested, not the one you're looking at. How we count