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Volvo S80, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls

5,421 Volvo S80s are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 69% of initial MOT tests, 3.3 points below the 72.3% UK average.

Looking at a specific S80? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.

Volvo S80 at the MOT

69% of 6,207 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the S80 366th of 575 models. Volvo S80s aged 6 to 10 years passed 80.8% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 67.3%.

First-time pass rate, 2025

Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.

  • Volvo S8069%
  • All Volvo modelsThe S80 is 6.3 pts behind75.3%
  • All cars72.3%

Pass rate by age at test

Volvo S80 tests in 2025.

  • 6 to 10 years771 tests80.8%
  • 11 years and over5,436 tests67.3%

Where S80s fail

Share of all failure items recorded on Volvo S80 tests in 2025.

  • Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment30.9%
  • Brakes15.2%
  • Suspension15.2%
  • Tyres12.1%
  • Body, chassis, structure6.9%

The items testers recorded most often were position lamp not working (7.8%), condition has ply or cords exposed (3.7%) and headlamp aim too low (3.5%).

The MOT page lists every common S80 MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.

Full Volvo S80 MOT record

What to look at on a viewing

The S80's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.

  1. 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.30.9% of S80 failure items

  2. 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.15.2% of S80 failure items

  3. Suspension

    Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.15.2% of S80 failure items

Volvo S80s in the UK

5,421 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has fallen 71% since the end of 2014.

Change since 2014
−71%from 18,748 licensed
Typical year of first use
2009half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2009 or earlier
First registered in 2025
11against 432 in 2015
Declared off the road
2,57032% of those registered, under SORN

Licensed Volvo S80s since 2014

Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.

Show the figures
DateLicensed
End of 201418,748
End of 201517,504
End of 201615,928
End of 201714,257
End of 201812,534
End of 201911,150
End of 20209,980
End of 20218,979
End of 20228,205
End of 20237,295
End of 20246,528
End of 20255,768
End of June 20265,421

How old they are

Licensed Volvo S80s by year of first use.

  • Licensed at the end of 2025
  • First registered that year

A further 10 were first used before 1999.

Show the figures
First usedLicensed, end 2025First registered that year
2016164196
2015383432
2014364
2013383
2012317
2011346
2010499
2009365
2008495
2007555
2006284
2005331
2004304
2003315
2002227
2001156
200083
199953

S80 engines and fuel

2.4 litre engines made up 60% of Volvo S80 MOT tests in 2025, followed by 2.0 litre at 24%. Diesel accounts for 78% of licensed S80s and petrol for 21%.

Engine size at MOT, 2025

Share of 6,203 initial MOT tests in 2025.

  • 2.4 litre60%
  • 2.0 litre23.7%
  • 1.6 litre6.3%
  • 2.5 litre4.1%
  • 2.9 litre2.4%

Fuel type, licensed S80s

DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.

FuelLicensedShare
Petrol1,15021%
Diesel4,24778%
Gas240.4%

Volvo S80 recalls

49 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Volvo S80. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every S80 is affected.

  1. Jul 2020 R/2020/210

    There is a risk for trapped air to be in the cooling system which may result in insufficient cooling of engine components

    S80s built Oct 2013 to Apr 2016 · 76,945 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Remedy
    Add an extra degassing line (Bleeder Hose) between the cooling system radiator and the cooling system expansion tank which will evacuate the trapped air

  2. Jul 2020 R/2020/205

    There is a risk for trapped air to be in the cooling system

    S80s built Nov 2012 to Apr 2016 · 15,167 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    There is a risk for trapped air to be in the cooling system which may result in insufficient cooling of engine components.
    Remedy
    Add an extra degassing line (Bleeder Hose) between the cooling system radiator and the cooling system expansion tank which will evacuate the trapped air.

  3. Jul 2020 R/2020/192

    Potential breakage/fatigue of a flexible steel cable supporting the front seatbelt anchor point

    S80s built Feb 2006 to Apr 2016 · 170,160 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Remedy
    Replace the seat belt fastener with a new designed seat belt fastening.

  4. Oct 2019 R/2019/180

    The engine's plastic inlet manifold may melt and deform

    S80s built Nov 2012 to Apr 2016

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The engines plastic inlet manifold may melt and deform
    Remedy
    Update vehicles with improved soot reducing software cleaning of TMAP and EMAP. Fit additional hoses where necessary.

  5. Jan 2019 R/2018/377

    Small cracks on the inside of a rubber fuel hose

    S80s built Apr 2015 to May 2016 · 30,777 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Remedy
    Replacement of affected fuel hoses.

  6. Oct 2016 R/2016/249

    Coolant leakage may result in a fire

    S80s built May 2010 to May 2015 · 3,192 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    It has been identified that during the engine warm-up process and under certain driving/climate conditions for instance periods of high acceleration or high engine load immediately after a cold start in cold climates there is the possibility for coolant leakage or oil seepage. This can lead to the possibility in a worst-case scenario of smoke or a slow developing fire in the engine compartment. However the driver will receive a warning message on the Driver's Information Module indicating a low coolant level.
    Remedy
    Recall all affected vehicles to modify the coolant bypass valve and install a new exhaust manifold gasket.

  7. Jan 2016 R/2015/253

    Fuel guage may not show fuel level correctly

    S80s built Nov 2014 to Apr 2015 · 1,109 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Fuel gauge may not show correct level
    Remedy
    The remedy is not yet available for all models. Until a remedy is available the manufacturer advises to maintain fuel level above approx one third.

  8. Feb 2015 R/2015/040

    Parking brake may unintentionally release

    S80s built Apr 2012 to Jan 2015 · 2,146 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Vehicles with manual gearboxes and start/stop functionality have Parking Brake Module (PBM) software that may allow the parking brake to unintentionally release. The unintended release of the parking brake can only occur when the engine is running and the gearstick moved so it will happen when the vehicle is attended.
    Remedy
    Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected to download upgraded Parking Brake Module (PBM) software.
How to check a specific S80 for recalls

Other Volvo models

The most-tested Volvo models in 2025, against the S80's 69% MOT pass rate.

All 18 Volvo models

Volvo S80 FAQs

How many Volvo S80s are there in the UK?

5,421 Volvo S80s were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 2,570 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.

Is the Volvo S80 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 69% first-time pass rate for the Volvo S80 across 6,207 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.

Has the Volvo S80 had any recalls?

49 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Volvo S80. The most recent was published in July 2020. 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 S80?

On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, brakes and suspension. 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 S80'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 an S80?

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.