Volvo XC90, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
95,580 Volvo XC90s are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 76% of initial MOT tests, 3.7 points above the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific XC90? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Volvo XC90 at the MOT
76% of 74,798 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the XC90 248th of 575 models. Volvo XC90s aged 3 to 5 years passed 87% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 62.6%.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Pass rate by age at test
Volvo XC90 tests in 2025.
Where XC90s fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Volvo XC90 tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were position lamp not working (8.4%), condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (5.4%) and tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5%).
The MOT page lists every common XC90 MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The XC90'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.27.2% of XC90 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.23.1% of XC90 failure items
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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.17.2% of XC90 failure items
Volvo XC90s in the UK
95,580 were licensed at the end of June 2026, the 3rd most of any Volvo. The number licensed has grown 93% since the end of 2014.
- Change since 2014
- +93%from 49,610 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2019half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2019 or earlier
- First registered in 2025
- 8,084against 9,349 in 2024
- Declared off the road
- 7,2847.1% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Volvo XC90s since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 49,610 |
| End of 2015 | 51,498 |
| End of 2016 | 56,249 |
| End of 2017 | 60,960 |
| End of 2018 | 65,595 |
| End of 2019 | 70,687 |
| End of 2020 | 73,399 |
| End of 2021 | 77,718 |
| End of 2022 | 81,661 |
| End of 2023 | 84,798 |
| End of 2024 | 89,729 |
| End of 2025 | 93,553 |
| End of June 2026 | 95,580 |
How old they are
Licensed Volvo XC90s by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
A further 3,471 were first used before 2006.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7,041 | 8,084 |
| 2024 | 8,699 | 9,349 |
| 2023 | 6,671 | 7,081 |
| 2022 | 6,215 | 6,891 |
| 2021 | 6,605 | 7,255 |
| 2020 | 4,796 | 5,301 |
| 2019 | 7,091 | 7,865 |
| 2018 | 6,158 | 6,826 |
| 2017 | 5,378 | 6,230 |
| 2016 | 5,072 | 5,828 |
| 2015 | 2,641 | 2,996 |
| 2014 | 2,220 | |
| 2013 | 2,300 | |
| 2012 | 2,732 | |
| 2011 | 3,832 | |
| 2010 | 5,155 | |
| 2009 | 2,727 | |
| 2008 | 1,154 | |
| 2007 | 1,698 | |
| 2006 | 1,487 |
2,641 XC90s first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 88% of the 2,996 first registered that year.
XC90 engines and fuel
2.0 litre engines made up 60% of Volvo XC90 MOT tests in 2025, followed by 2.4 litre at 38%. Diesel accounts for 46% of licensed XC90s and plug-in hybrid for 25%.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 74,785 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed XC90s
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 4,291 | 4% |
| Diesel | 43,505 | 46% |
| Plug-in hybrid | 23,916 | 25% |
| Hybrid electric | 23,846 | 25% |
| Gas | 22 | <0.1% |
Volvo XC90 recalls
43 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Volvo XC90. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every XC90 is affected.
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Dec 2025 R/2025/517
Front seat belts
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles the front left seat bolts may not have been torqued according to specification which could reduce the occupant protection in an impact.
- Remedy
- Re-torque front seat bolts.
-
Jun 2025 R/2025/211
BCM2 SW - Safety Notice
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Affected vehicles may experience a temporary loss of braking functionality after coasting downhill with 'B' mode selected or when using One Pedal Drive. This could potentially lead to a collision.
- Remedy
- Install modified software via an Over the Air (OTA) update.
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Mar 2025 R/2025/117
SPA1 Cell Modules
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles the High Voltage (HV) Battery may have a manufacturing defect which could cause the battery cells to overheat when the HV Battery is fully charged. In a worst-case scenario there is a risk of fire when the vehicle is parked up with a fully charged HV Battery.
- Remedy
- Check and replace the HV Battery if necessary and install modified software.
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Nov 2024 R/2024/446
BCM2 - Push Road
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The rod connecting the brake pedal to the brake booster may not have been assembled correctly. The final torque might not be according to manufacturing specification due to deviations in the equipment. If the rod does disconnect the mechanical connection between brake pedal and brake booster cannot be guaranteed. In the worst-case scenario if the rod disconnects the brake pedal function cannot be guaranteed
- Remedy
- A Volvo retailer will check and if necessary tighten the rod to correct specification.
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Mar 2024 R/2024/124
Seat and Seat Belt Torque
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The screw joints for the seats and seat-belts may not have been torqued to the correct specification which means in the event of an impact insufficient protection will be available.
- Remedy
- The solution is to check and adjust the torque.
-
Dec 2023 R/2023/345
The anchorage bolts for the second-row seat belts and seat belt buckles may not have been correctly secured. In a worst-case scenario this may not provide sufficient protection in the event of a collision
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- Inspect and re-install.
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Jan 2023 R/2023/025
There may be a potential software error in the brake control module
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- Update the brake control module software.
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Oct 2022 R/2022/313
A software error may prevent the engine control module from starting the engine
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The Engine Control Module (ECM) may prevent the combustion engine from starting.
- Remedy
- Download updated software.
Other Volvo models
The most-tested Volvo models in 2025, against the XC90's 76% MOT pass rate.
Volvo XC90 FAQs
How many Volvo XC90s are there in the UK?
95,580 Volvo XC90s were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 7,284 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Volvo XC90 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 76% first-time pass rate for the Volvo XC90 across 74,798 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Volvo XC90 had any recalls?
43 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Volvo XC90. The most recent was published in December 2025. 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 XC90?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, brakes and tyres. 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 XC90'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 XC90?
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.