2025 MOT results
Volvo V60 common problems
The most common reason a Volvo V60 fails its MOT is worn brake pads, on 12.7% of its 9,274 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 4 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: a leaking damper at 6.5% of failures against 3.0% expected; a tyre worn through to the cords at 10.6% of failures against 5.4% expected; a split joint boot at 6.8% of failures against 3.5% expected.
- Tests in 2025 41,185 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 22.5% 9,274 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 8.7% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 48.2% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Volvo V60 MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Volvo V60 tests with that defect. Where we can compare it with cars of the same registration years, the marker shows what an average car of those ages records (12 of the 12 items below).
Most common reasons for failure
A test can fail for more than one defect, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 12.7% |
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 10.6% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 10.1% |
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 9.2% |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Body, chassis, structure | 6.8% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 6.6% |
| Shock absorbers: serious fluid leak Suspension | 6.5% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 5.6% |
| Headlamp aim: too low Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.6% |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension | 4.4% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility | 3.8% |
| Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play Steering | 3.7% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Worn brake pads
12.7% of failures 7.5% expected 1.7 times as often
Friction material worn under 1.5mm, thinner than the point most manufacturers call the limit.
Look through the wheel spokes at the pad against the disc; wear indicators squeal before they get this far.
-
Tyre worn through to the cords
10.6% of failures 5.4% expected 2 times as often
The tyre is worn or damaged far enough to expose the cords underneath, which is a dangerous defect.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
-
Tyre worn below the legal limit
10.1% of failures 9.0% expected about as expected
A tyre worn past the 1.6mm legal minimum across the middle three quarters of the tread.
A 20p coin in the main grooves: if the outer band of the coin is visible, the tyre is close to the limit.
-
Cut tyre
9.2% of failures 6.4% expected somewhat more often
A cut in the tyre deep or long enough to reach the structure underneath, usually from a kerb or debris.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
-
Split joint boot
6.8% of failures 3.5% expected 1.9 times as often
A split rubber boot on a joint or driveshaft. The joint may still be sound, but dirt and water get in once the boot is open.
Turn the wheels to full lock and look behind them for greasy splits in the rubber concertina.
-
Engine management light on
6.6% of failures 4.9% expected somewhat more often
The engine management light is on, or has been disconnected. Either fails the test.
A cheap code reader on the diagnostic socket will say what the car has stored before you pay for a test.
Which parts of the car fail
Tyres is the area that most often fails a Volvo V60, on 35.0% of failed tests. That is also where it differs most from cars of the same registration years, which record 26.7%.
Failure categories
DVSA's own sections of the test. The marker is what cars of the same registration years record.
| Defect category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Tyres | 35.0% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 23.2% |
| Brakes | 21.1% |
| Suspension | 19.7% |
| Visibility | 12.4% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 8.9% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 8.8% |
| Steering | 7.1% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
48.2% of Volvo V60 tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Volvo V60s, these are the items to ask about on a car you are viewing, because they are what the last tester expected to go next.
Most common advisories
Share of all tests, passes included.
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 21.4% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 10.9% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 6.6% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 5.8% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 4.6% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 3.0% |
| Shock absorbers: light misting of oil Suspension | 2.9% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 2.9% |
| Tyres: cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 2.9% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 2.7% |
| Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt Non-component advisories | 2.6% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 2.1% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What changes as a Volvo V60 gets older
A 2021 Volvo V60 failed 12.5% of its MOT tests in 2025; a 2011 one failed 32.0%. What fails changes as much as how often, and these are the two years themselves rather than an average across them.
2021 Volvo V60 12.5% failed, from 3,665 tests
- Cut tyre 23.4%
- Tyre worn through to the cords 17.7%
- Wiper blades that do not clear the screen 12.7%
- Lighting fault 12.4%
- Tyre worn below the legal limit 8.1%
- Worn brake pads 5.7%
2011 Volvo V60 32.0% failed, from 2,374 tests
- Worn brake pads 11.9%
- Worn steering or suspension joint 9.0%
- Headlamp aim out of line 8.8%
- Tyre worn through to the cords 8.2%
- Leaking damper 8.0%
- Tyre worn below the legal limit 7.6%
Shares are of each year's failed tests. Every MOT a particular car has had, with the defects and advisories written at each test, is on GOV.UK's MOT history service from the registration, free.
Volvo V60 problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Volvo V60?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick” is the most common: it appears on 12.7% of failed Volvo V60 tests. Across categories, tyres is the area that most often fails one, on 35.0% of failed tests.
How often does a Volvo V60 fail its MOT?
22.5% of Volvo V60 tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 41,185 tests of cars aged three and over. Allowing for the age and mileage of the cars tested, that gives it a UK Motoring Reliability Score of 52 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Volvo V60 than on other cars?
Yes. “Shock absorbers: serious fluid leak” appears on 6.5% of its failures against 3.0% for cars of the same age, and “Tyres: ply or cords exposed” appears on 10.6% of its failures against 5.4% for cars of the same age. Where an item is missing from the national figures for a year, we use the smallest share those figures show, so the comparison never overstates the difference.
Are these the same as breakdowns or known faults?
No. These are the items a tester recorded at the MOT, which covers condition and safety: lamps, brakes, tyres, suspension, corrosion and emissions. A gearbox that is unpleasant, an infotainment screen that has died, or a car that will not start on a cold morning are not part of the test, so they are not in these figures.
Where do the figures come from?
Every normal MOT test of a Volvo V60 aged three and over in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT results. Retests are excluded, and the same fault on more than one wheel counts once.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT defects and advisories | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 41,185 MOT tests | 19 September 2026 |
- Shares for defects are of failed tests; shares for advisories are of all tests. A test can carry several defects, so shares add to more than 100%.
- The expected share is what an average car of the same registration years records, weighted by where this model’s failures fall. Where an item is outside the national figures for a year, the smallest share those figures show is used in its place, which is an upper bound, so the comparison never overstates a model’s problems. No expectation is published where less than 80% of the model’s failures can be compared.
- Great Britain only: DVSA does not run MOT testing in Northern Ireland. Cars under three years old are not tested.
- The descriptions of what each part does are general and the same on every model. Every figure comes from the MOT data.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.