Volvo V90 years to avoid? MOT pass rate by year

16,096 initial MOT tests in 2025 on cars first used 2017–2022 · DVSA data · For guidance only · How we count

No Volvo V90 year has an MOT pass rate clearly below the average for vehicles first used in the same year. Above it: 2017–2018 and 2021. The other 3 years can't be told apart from average.

Below the average for their first-use yearNone
Above the average for their first-use year2017–2018 and 2021
Can't be told apart from average2019–2020 and 2022

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.

84.4%passed first time

First-time pass rate, all years together: initial tests passed with no repairs. 95% range 83.9% to 85.0%.

Volvo V90, all years84.4%
Same-age average, all vehicles82.9%

In 2025, 84.4% of the 16,096 initial MOT tests on Volvo V90 cars were passed with no repairs. The same-age average, for all vehicles first used in the same years, was 82.9%. That is 1.6 points above the same-age average.

Check a specific V90

Its own MOT history, free.

Volvo V90 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
2022age 3	1,04431,400	90.2%±2.0	+1.7 ptsall: 88.5%
2021age 4	1,27742,000	89.7%±1.8	+2.5 ptsall: 87.2%
2020age 5	2,44847,700	85.3%±1.5	−0.7 ptsall: 86.0%
2019age 6	4,43956,200	84.4%±1.1	+0.9 ptsall: 83.5%
2018age 7	3,97770,200	83.6%±1.2	+2.7 ptsall: 80.9%
2017age 8	2,91181,800	80.7%±1.5	+2.5 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 V90 first-time pass rates by the mileage at the initial test, all years together, against all vehicles of the same age and mileage.

91.2% of Volvo V90 tests under 30,000 miles passed first time, against 80.5% at 90,000 to 119,999 miles. For all vehicles of the same age and mileage, the figures are 89.9% and 74.2%.

Miles at the test	Tests	Passed first time	Against all vehicles, same age and mileage
Under 30,000	1,631	91.2%±1.5	+1.3 ptsall: 89.9%
30,000–59,999	6,469	86.0%±0.9	+2.2 ptsall: 83.8%
60,000–89,999	5,075	82.9%±1.1	+4.8 ptsall: 78.2%
90,000–119,999	1,982	80.5%±1.9	+6.3 ptsall: 74.2%

Against all vehicles of the same age and mileage, V90 tests were about average under 30,000 miles and above average at 30,000 to 119,999 miles.

Mileage is only one factor. How a car has been driven and looked after matters too. These figures show an association across all Volvo V90 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: 120,000 or more. 2 tests (under 0.1%) had no usable odometer reading and are left out. How we count

Common V90 problems at the MOT

Share of the 2,503 failed tests with a fault in each area, all years together. A test can count in more than one area, so these add up to more than 100%.

Tyres40.0%

MOT records show roadworthiness faults, not engine or gearbox problems. Each year page compares that year's failure areas with all vehicles first used in the same year.

What to check when viewing a V90

Based on the areas where Volvo V90 MOT tests fail most often. These are general checks anyone can do, not a mechanical inspection.

Tyres
In 40.0% of failed V90 tests
- Check the tread on every tyre. The legal minimum for cars is 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters of the tread.
- Look for cuts, bulges, and wear on only the inner or outer edge, which can point to an alignment problem.
- Check that the spare wheel or the tyre repair kit is there.

Then read the car's own MOT history. Advisories in the same area at several tests are worth asking about.

Check a V90's MOT history

After an MOT advisory

Volvo V90 cars that passed their 2024 MOT first time with an advisory, and what their next MOT found, against similar cars that passed with nothing noted in that area. All first-use years together.

Tyres

Of Volvo V90 cars that passed their 2024 MOT with a tyre advisory and came back for their next MOT 10–14 months later, 8.1% failed on tyres, against 5.6% of similar cars with nothing noted. Based on 2,234 and 7,624 cars.

With a tyre advisory8.1%
Similar cars, nothing noted5.6%

Cars not tested again in that window are not included: 8.0% of those with a tyre advisory and 8.5% of the others.

Brakes

Of Volvo V90 cars that passed their 2024 MOT with a brake advisory and came back for their next MOT 10–14 months later, 6.5% failed on brakes, against 3.0% of similar cars with nothing noted. Based on 1,507 and 8,324 cars.

With a brake advisory6.5%
Similar cars, nothing noted3.0%

Cars not tested again in that window are not included: 8.7% of those with a brake advisory and 8.3% of the others.

Similar cars are the same model, first-use year and mileage band. Areas are the DVSA's top-level groups, so the later fail may not be the fault that was advised. These figures describe what happened to these cars. They don't show what a repair would have changed.

How we worked this out All models compared, with the data

Volvo V90 questions

Which Volvo V90 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: 2017–2018 and 2021. The rest can't be told apart from average. A pass rate is one signal: it also reflects mileage and upkeep, and doesn't record engine or gearbox faults.

Is the Volvo V90 reliable?

MOT results show only part of the picture. In 2025, 84.4% of initial MOT tests on Volvo V90 cars were passed with no repairs, against a same-age average of 82.9%. That is 1.6 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 are the most common Volvo V90 problems at the MOT?

The most common failure areas are tyres (in 40.0% of failed tests). A failed test can count in more than one area.

What mileage is normal for a 3-year-old Volvo V90?

At their 2025 MOT tests, Volvo V90 cars first used in 2022, about 3 years old, had a median of 31,400 miles. Half had more and half had less.

How do I check a specific V90'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 V90

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 V90 cars tested, not the one you're looking at. How we count