2025 MOT results
Volvo V70 common problems
The most common reason a Volvo V70 fails its MOT is a sidelight out, on 16.9% of its 13,764 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 2 faults stand out: a tyre worn through to the cords at 6.7% of failures against 3.9% expected; a worn steering or suspension joint at 6.3% of failures against 4.0% expected.
- Tests in 2025 37,989 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 36.2% 13,764 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 10.0% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 65.0% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Volvo V70 MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Volvo V70 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 |
|---|---|
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 16.9% |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 9.2% |
| Parking brake efficiency below requirements Brakes | 7.3% |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Body, chassis, structure | 7.0% |
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 6.7% |
| Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play Steering | 6.3% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 6.2% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | 6.2% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 6.1% |
| Headlamp aim: too low Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.6% |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.5% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 5.2% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Sidelight out
16.9% of failures 11.9% expected somewhat more often
A sidelight, also called a position lamp, not working. It marks the width of the car at night.
Walk round the car with the lights on and the hazards going; these are the cheapest failures to avoid.
-
Headlamp aim out of line
9.2% of failures 7.4% expected somewhat more often
The beam pattern points too high, too low, or in the wrong place, so it either dazzles others or lights too little road.
Nothing to do at the roadside, but a garage resets the aim in minutes; a sagging suspension corner or a heavy boot load can throw it out.
-
Weak handbrake
7.3% of failures 5.9% expected somewhat more often
The handbrake cannot hold the car to the efficiency the test requires, usually from a stretched cable or seized rear callipers.
On a hill, the handbrake should hold the car with a couple of clicks left in the lever.
-
Split joint boot
7.0% of failures 6.2% expected about as expected
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.
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Tyre worn through to the cords
6.7% of failures 3.9% expected 1.7 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.
-
Worn steering or suspension joint
6.3% of failures 4.0% expected 1.6 times as often
Play in a steering or suspension joint, where a worn ball and socket lets the wheel move where it should not.
A knock at low speed over rough ground, or vague steering, is the usual warning.
Which parts of the car fail
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails a Volvo V70, on 48.5% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is tyres, on 21.4% against 16.8% expected.
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 |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 48.5% |
| Suspension | 29.1% |
| Brakes | 28.2% |
| Tyres | 21.4% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 15.8% |
| Visibility | 13.3% |
| Steering | 12.5% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 10.2% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
65.0% of Volvo V70 tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Volvo V70s, 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 | 21.9% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 12.1% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 11.3% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 10.3% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 8.6% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 7.6% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 7.5% |
| Play in steering rack inner joint(s) Non-component advisories | 6.7% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 5.2% |
| Exhaust system: mounting defective Body, chassis, structure | 4.6% |
| Shock absorbers: light misting of oil Suspension | 3.4% |
| Linkage ball joint has slight play Suspension | 3.3% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What changes as a Volvo V70 gets older
A 2015 Volvo V70 failed 20.5% of its MOT tests in 2025; a 2003 one failed 45.5%. What fails changes as much as how often, and these are the two years themselves rather than an average across them.
2015 Volvo V70 20.5% failed, from 2,000 tests
- Worn brake pads 12.4%
- Engine management light on 10.9%
- Tyre worn through to the cords 9.2%
- Tyre worn below the legal limit 9.2%
- Cut tyre 8.3%
- Split joint boot 7.5%
2003 Volvo V70 45.5% failed, from 2,144 tests
- Sidelight out 24.8%
- Weak handbrake 11.9%
- Headlamp aim out of line 11.5%
- Split joint boot 11.0%
- Wiper blades that do not clear the screen 8.7%
- Worn suspension bushes 8.2%
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 V70 problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Volvo V70?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Position lamp: not working” is the most common: it appears on 16.9% of failed Volvo V70 tests. Across categories, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails one, on 48.5% of failed tests.
How often does a Volvo V70 fail its MOT?
36.2% of Volvo V70 tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 37,989 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 54 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Volvo V70 than on other cars?
Yes. “Tyres: ply or cords exposed” appears on 6.7% of its failures against 3.9% for cars of the same age, and “Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play” appears on 6.3% of its failures against 4.0% 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 V70 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 | 37,989 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.