All generations and engines together · 7,552 MOT tests in the 2025 data · typical mileage at age 7: 82k
Computed from DVSA MOT results, all of Great Britain, 2025. Nothing here is opinion.
Share of tests where each item was recorded. The dark tick is the class average across all tracked models; bars are scaled within each group.
The rows that judge the model rather than its keeper. 5,095 tests in this band.
Tyres, pads and stone chips say more about how the car was driven and maintained than about how it was built.
Owner folklore from forums and the motoring press. Most of it never shows up in an MOT, which is why this section exists at all.
Some T8 cars go into reduced-power 'turtle mode' or won't start, traced to the battery energy control module (BECM) rather than the traction cells themselves. Owners on the Volvo Owners Club forum and Reddit report the issue on early cars, alongside slow but expected loss of EV-only range (one 2018 car dropped from around 21 miles to 16 over three years, which is normal ageing rather than a fault). A BECM replacement is a specialist job and not cheap; the high-voltage battery itself is covered by an 8-year warranty so check paperwork on any T8 before that runs out.
D4 and D5 diesel S90s can develop a sticking or clogged EGR valve, usually flagged by a limp mode or engine warning light, with owners on Volvo forums reporting it as an 'engine out' job that some independent garages won't tackle because of the labour involved. It tends to show up on higher-mileage cars that have done a lot of short journeys. Repair cost varies a lot by garage but a full EGR cooler or valve replacement runs into four figures if the engine has to come out.
Volvo recalled 2018-2019 cars over a 15-amp fuse that could blow on the low-pressure fuel pump circuit, which can cause the engine to cut out or fail to restart. This is an official DVSA-registered recall with a free dealer fix, so check the car's recall status (via Volvo's own checker or the government site) if it's from that build window and hasn't had the work done.
The portrait touchscreen (Sensus, and Google-based Sensus on later cars) is reported to freeze, lag or reboot itself, sometimes taking the reversing camera and CarPlay/Android Auto connection down with it. A hold-to-reset on the home button usually clears it short term, but repeat offenders often need a software update or, in worse cases, a screen replacement, which is not a cheap part. It is a nuisance fault rather than a safety one, but it is common enough to be worth checking on a test drive.
A recall covers engines where the plastic inlet manifold could melt and deform, raising the risk of an engine bay fire or sudden loss of power. It is listed as an official DVSA-registered recall against S90 build dates in the 2014-2018 range, so it likely relates to shared Drive-E engines used before and during the S90's launch window. Any car that size should already have had the fix at a dealer for free; ask to see it on the service history or run a recall check by VIN.
One well-documented Honest John case describes severe vibration above 50mph on a low-mileage (around 7,000-mile) car, traced to the inner lining of the original-fit Pirelli tyres separating and unbalancing the wheel. The owner said this was a known issue with that tyre batch, but Volvo customer services would not confirm it as a wider pattern, which is why it sits as disputed rather than confirmed. Cheap enough to sort (one replacement tyre) but worth checking for uneven vibration on a test drive.
Built from the two sections above.
Same segment (Saloons & estates), best MOT record first. Compare before you shortlist.