86.8%
Volvo S90 pass rate
Used Volvo S90 buying guide
In 2025, Volvo S90 cars passed 86.8% of 7,814 initial MOT tests, 14.5 points above the 72.3% UK average. Here is where it fails and what to check before you buy.
Looking at a specific S90? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Volvo S90 MOT record in brief
Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded.
72.3%
UK average, all cars
+14.5
percentage points above average
Ranked on pass rate the S90 sits 92nd of 575 models in the data. Volvo as a brand averaged 75.3%, so this model runs 11.6 points ahead of its own brand. Volvo S90 cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 88.4% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 6 to 10 years that fell to 86.3%.
A pass rate is not a reliability score. The full Volvo S90 MOT record has the pass rate by age, every common failure and how the S90 compares with similar cars.
S90 fuel types
Diesel made up 69.7% of Volvo S90 MOT tests in 2025, against 39.3% across all models in this data. Most used examples you look at will be diesels.
Where the S90 fails its MOT
Where Volvo S90 cars that failed their 2025 MOT were marked down, as a share of all recorded failure items.
The specific items testers recorded most often were brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick (18.4%), tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (11.1%) and condition has ply or cords exposed (9.1%). See every common S90 MOT failure.
These are DVSA failure records across every Volvo S90 that failed, not a claim that every S90 has these problems.
What should you check when buying a used S90?
The areas above, most common first, and what an MOT tester looks at in each.
1
Tyres
Check tread depth across the full width of every tyre (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear. 34.2% of S90 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. 25.9% of S90 failure items.
3
Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters. 11% of S90 failure items.
4
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. 7.9% of S90 failure items.
5
Steering
Feel for play, knocking or stiffness in the steering, and check there is no steering warning light. 6% of S90 failure items.
None of this replaces the car's own record. Run a free MOT history check on the registration to see every test, advisory and recorded mileage for that car.
What the MOT record doesn't tell you
Knowing Volvo S90 failures cluster around tyres and brakes tells you what to inspect. It tells you nothing about whether the car is safe to buy. An MOT does not show money still owed on the car, a write-off, a theft record or a clocked odometer.
Check the exact S90 you are looking at. One £15 report, instant results, backed by a £30,000 data guarantee. More on the Volvo history check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
Other used Volvo models
The most-tested Volvo models in 2025, with how their MOT pass rate compares with the S90.
Used Volvo S90 FAQs
Is the Volvo S90 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 an 86.8% first-time pass rate for the Volvo S90 across 7,814 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Do older Volvo S90 cars fail their MOT more often?
Volvo S90 cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 88.4% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 6 to 10 years that fell to 86.3%. On an older example, the car's own MOT history tells you more than the model average.
What should I check before buying a used Volvo S90?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: tyres, brakes and suspension. Then check the individual car's history: outstanding finance, insurance write-off records, stolen markers, mileage and previous keepers. None of these appear in the MOT record or on the V5C.
How do I check a Volvo S90'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.
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability.