Volvo C70, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
5,578 Volvo C70s are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 60% of initial MOT tests, 12.3 points below the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific C70? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Volvo C70 at the MOT
60% of 6,849 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the C70 493rd of 575 models.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Where C70s fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Volvo C70 tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (7.4%), coil spring fractured or broken (6.5%) and position lamp not working (4.8%).
The MOT page lists every common C70 MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The C70's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.22.2% of C70 failure items
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Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.21.1% of C70 failure items
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Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing.16.7% of C70 failure items
Volvo C70s in the UK
5,578 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has fallen 64% since the end of 2014.
- Change since 2014
- −64%from 15,690 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2008half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2008 or earlier
- Declared off the road
- 2,87534% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Volvo C70s since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 15,690 |
| End of 2015 | 14,829 |
| End of 2016 | 13,852 |
| End of 2017 | 12,743 |
| End of 2018 | 11,678 |
| End of 2019 | 10,680 |
| End of 2020 | 9,800 |
| End of 2021 | 9,108 |
| End of 2022 | 8,376 |
| End of 2023 | 7,530 |
| End of 2024 | 6,485 |
| End of 2025 | 5,737 |
| End of June 2026 | 5,578 |
How old they are
Licensed Volvo C70s by year of first use.
A further 38 were first used before 1999.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 |
|---|---|
| 2013 | 216 |
| 2012 | 259 |
| 2011 | 419 |
| 2010 | 599 |
| 2009 | 635 |
| 2008 | 754 |
| 2007 | 808 |
| 2006 | 671 |
| 2005 | 267 |
| 2004 | 321 |
| 2003 | 249 |
| 2002 | 154 |
| 2001 | 123 |
| 2000 | 91 |
| 1999 | 65 |
C70 engines and fuel
2.0 litre engines made up 46% of Volvo C70 MOT tests in 2025, followed by 2.4 litre at 44%. Diesel accounts for 51% of licensed C70s and petrol for 49%.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 6,846 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed C70s
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 2,734 | 49% |
| Diesel | 2,840 | 51% |
| Gas | 4 | 0.1% |
Volvo C70 recalls
13 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Volvo C70. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every C70 is affected.
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Dec 2011 R/2011/163
Fluid may leak into wiring harness which may cause fire
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- A number of Volvo C30S40V50 and C70 may experience a problem with washer fluid leaking inside the washer pump unit through the wires into the central control electronic module. This can impact on a number of different features of the vehicle but in the worst case it may lead to a fire.
- Remedy
- The solution is to replace and then modify the wiring harness for the washer fluid pump. In addition to this the washer pump connector will be inspected for any signs of corrosion and the washer pump will be replaced if necessary
-
Sep 2011 R/2011/127
Clutch pedal mechanism may fail
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The rod connecting the clutch master cylinder and the clutch pedal may break. It may not be possible to disengage the clutch. In worst cases this may happen suddenly with no warning to the driver. If this happens bring the car to a safe stop using the engine and switch off the ignition.
- Remedy
- Replace clutch master cylinder with a new metal push rod in-place of the plastic one.
-
Jun 2010 R/2010/071
Gearbox may jam
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- A section of the gear shift mechanism may over time become loose and cause the mechanism to become jammed. If this was to occur it might not be possible to change gear or select neutral.
- Remedy
- Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected to check that the ball joint for the gear selector is properly secured.
-
May 2010 R/2010/051
Engine speed may not decrease
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The engine oil level may rise. This situation may lead to the engine speed being maintained or possibly increased after the throttle pedal is released. In an extreme situation the engine may continue to run after it has been switched off.
- Remedy
- Recall the affected vehicles and carry out a ECM software upgrade adjust engine oil level and install a decal to confirm oil level to the consumer.
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Dec 2009 R/2009/155
Gearbox may not engage or shift gears as intended
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- It has been identified that due to internal leakage the gearbox hydraulic control module may not be able to engage or shift gears as intended.
- Remedy
- Recalled vehicles will have the gearbox replaced.
-
May 2009 R/2009/052
Brakes may not perform adequately
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Brake assistance from the vacuum pressure pump may be reduced under certain cold start conditions. The brakes will still function but more pressure on the pedal will be required than normal.
- Remedy
- Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected to replace the non-return valve in the vacuum pump.
-
Jul 2008 R/2008/112
Power steering pipe may leak
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- It has been established that the material in the power steering return line hose has not been manufactured to specification.
- Remedy
- Recalled vehicles will have the hose inspected and replaced as necessary.
-
Mar 2008 R/2008/040
Reduced braking performance
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- It has been identified that internal leakage of the brake master cylinder could occur. Should this be the case the driver may experience reduced braking performance whilst applying and maintaining force on the brake pedal.
- Remedy
- Recalled vehicles will have the brake master cylinder inspected and possibly replaced. At the same time the brake fluid reservoir will be checked and the affected pipes cleansed.
Other Volvo models
The most-tested Volvo models in 2025, against the C70's 60% MOT pass rate.
Volvo C70 FAQs
How many Volvo C70s are there in the UK?
5,578 Volvo C70s were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 2,875 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Volvo C70 reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 60% first-time pass rate for the Volvo C70 across 6,849 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Volvo C70 had any recalls?
13 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Volvo C70. The most recent was published in December 2011. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.
What should I check before buying a used Volvo C70?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, suspension and brakes. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.
How do I check a Volvo C70's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
Already found a C70?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Across the 1,548 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Volvo history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Volvo VIN check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to October 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.