Volvo V90 Reliability: Common Problems and Years to Avoid
What the Volvo V90 fails its MOT on, with rough repair costs, and how each model year's MOT pass rate compares with other cars of the same age. Based on 19,091 MOT tests across 7 model years (DVSA data for tests carried out in 2024, retests included).
Segment: premium | Fuel: Diesel, Petrol, LPG
88%
Volvo V90 pass rate
87%
Volvo average
82%
All-model average
The Volvo V90 has an average MOT pass rate of 88%, which is 1 point above the Volvo average and 6 points above the average across all models in our data. Newer Volvo V90s pass their MOT more often than older ones, by 7 percentage points on average, which is mostly down to age and wear.
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What the Volvo V90 Fails Its MOT On
Of the 1,756 MOT tests on the Volvo V90 that failed at the first attempt in 2025, the share that failed on each part of the test, next to the share for all cars and vans of the same ages. A test that failed on two areas counts in both.
Tyres
34%Cars and vans the same age: 29% · Typical repair £50-£300
Brakes
21%Cars and vans the same age: 20% · Typical repair £80-£450
Suspension
18%Cars and vans the same age: 21% · Typical repair £150-£600
Lights and electrics
17%Cars and vans the same age: 27% (the V90 fails on this less often) · Typical repair £15-£200
Body, chassis and structure
15%Cars and vans the same age: 6.4% (the V90 fails on this more often) · Typical repair £200-£1200
The 3 single faults it failed on most
- Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick (15% of failed tests, brakes)
- Drive shaft CV boot split or insecure (12% of failed tests, body, chassis and structure)
- Tyre has a cut deep enough to reach the ply or cords (12% of failed tests, tyres)
Source: CarCostCheck analysis of DVSA anonymised MOT test results and failure items for 2025: first attempt at each MOT, fail and pass-after-repair defects, DVSA's defect categories (names shortened). Repair costs are rough UK ranges, not quotes. Method and national figures: MOT failure reasons 2025.
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Volvo V90 Years to Avoid
Every car in the 2024 MOT data was tested at the same age as the other cars first registered that year, so each V90 year is compared with all cars from the same year. Years with 1,000+ tests that were at least three years old are included.
Failed more often than cars their age
- 2019: 88% passed, against 91% for all 2019 cars (3 points lower, 4,722 tests)
Passed more often than cars their age
No year passed 3 or more points more often than other cars of the same age.
A lower pass rate means that year failed its MOT more often in 2024; it does not mean every car from that year is bad. Old cars still on the road are often the best-kept ones, which can lift the pass rates of the oldest years. How a car has been looked after matters more, so check the MOT history of the car you are looking at.
Volvo V90 Reliability by Year
MOT pass rate for each model year, from DVSA data for tests carried out in 2024 (retests included). Newer cars usually pass more often simply because they are younger. All Cars is the pass rate of every car first registered that year, with the gap in points. Highest and lowest are marked among years with 100+ tests that were at least three years old when tested. Fuel and engine size are a guide only.
Volvo V90 Running Costs
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Volvo V90 FAQ
What are the most common Volvo V90 problems?
In 2025, MOT tests on the Volvo V90 that failed at the first attempt most often failed on tyres (34% of the 1,756 failed tests), brakes (21%) and suspension (18%). The single most common fault was "Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick" (15%). Across 19,091 MOT tests (DVSA MOT data for tests in 2024, retests included), 88% ended in a pass.
Is the Volvo V90 reliable?
The Volvo V90 has an average MOT pass rate of 88%, from 19,091 MOT tests (DVSA MOT data for tests in 2024, retests included). Comparing each model year with all cars first registered the same year, so that age is allowed for, it passed within 1 point of other cars of the same age, so about average for its age.
Which Volvo V90 years should I avoid?
Compared with all cars first registered the same year (DVSA MOT data for tests in 2024, retests included), the 2019 (88% of 4,722 tests passed, against 91% for all 2019 cars) failed their MOT most often for their age. A year's pass rate does not tell you about one car, so check the MOT history of the car you are buying.
How much does it cost to fix common Volvo V90 faults?
As a rough guide, brake work on a Volvo V90 typically costs £80-£450 and suspension repairs £150-£600, while exhaust and emissions fixes can cost £80-£800. Lighting and wiper fixes are usually under £200.
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Other Volvo Models
Common problems pages for other Volvo models