2025 MOT results
Volvo XC70 common problems
The most common reason a Volvo XC70 fails its MOT is a sidelight out, on 14.0% of its 5,100 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, one fault stands out: a worn steering or suspension joint at 7.7% of failures against 4.4% expected.
- Tests in 2025 16,660 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 30.6% 5,100 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 7.4% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 56.3% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Volvo XC70 MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Volvo XC70 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 | 14.0% |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension | 13.8% |
| Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play Steering | 7.7% |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 7.3% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 7.1% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | 6.1% |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Body, chassis, structure | 5.6% |
| Headlamp aim: too low Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.5% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 5.4% |
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 5.2% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint excessively worn Suspension | 4.7% |
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 4.6% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
-
Sidelight out
14.0% of failures 11.3% 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.
-
Broken coil spring
13.8% of failures 9.6% expected somewhat more often
A broken suspension spring, which usually snaps in the bottom coil and often fails on both sides within a year.
Look at each corner for a sagging ride height, and listen for a knock over speed bumps.
-
Worn steering or suspension joint
7.7% of failures 4.4% expected 1.8 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.
-
Headlamp aim out of line
7.3% of failures 6.6% expected about as expected
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.
-
Worn brake pads
7.1% of failures 5.2% expected somewhat more 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.
-
Worn suspension bushes
6.1% of failures 5.2% expected somewhat more often
Worn rubber bushes in a suspension arm, letting the arm move under load.
Perished or cracked rubber at the inner ends of the lower arms, visible with the wheel turned.
Which parts of the car fail
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails a Volvo XC70, on 42.6% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is steering, on 14.3% against 8.0% 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 | 42.6% |
| Suspension | 38.0% |
| Brakes | 24.0% |
| Tyres | 17.5% |
| Steering | 14.3% |
| Visibility | 11.3% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 10.6% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 3.8% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
56.3% of Volvo XC70 tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Volvo XC70s, 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 | 18.9% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 10.4% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 9.9% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 8.0% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 6.2% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 5.9% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 5.6% |
| Shock absorbers: light misting of oil Suspension | 4.4% |
| Play in steering rack inner joint(s) Non-component advisories | 4.0% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 3.5% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 3.3% |
| Linkage ball joint has slight play Suspension | 2.7% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Volvo XC70 problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Volvo XC70?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Position lamp: not working” is the most common: it appears on 14.0% of failed Volvo XC70 tests. Across categories, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails one, on 42.6% of failed tests.
How often does a Volvo XC70 fail its MOT?
30.6% of Volvo XC70 tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 16,660 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 60 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Volvo XC70 than on other cars?
Yes. “Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play” appears on 7.7% of its failures against 4.4% 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 XC70 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 | 16,660 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.