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All models / All cars / Saloons & estates / Volvo S90

Volvo S90

All generations and engines together · 7,552 MOT tests in the 2025 data · typical mileage at age 7: 82k

Reliability verdict
BBy age
BBy miles

Graded against its peers

Better than most saloons and estates, by age and by mileage. Watch steering and suspension. A solid used buy, provided its MOT history has no repeating steering advisories.

First-time failure at age 7
14.1%
Across 1,993 tests. The average for saloons and estates is 17.4%.
First-time failure at 50-60k miles
12.3%
Across 1,074 tests. The average for saloons and estates is 16.8%.
Rank in its class
7 of 34
1 = lowest failure rate among the 34 saloons and estates we can rank.
Typical mileage at age 7
82k miles
How far the average car has gone by seven years old. Low-mileage models can look better by age than they are.

What owners report

Reported

Owner folklore from forums and the motoring press, with how well each report stands up. Most of it never shows up in an MOT, which is why this section exists at all.

Plug-in hybrid (T8 Twin Engine) battery and BECM faults

Emerging

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.

Reported on early (2016-2019) T8 cars · sources: go-parts.com, Volvo Owners Club forum, owner reports on Reddit

EGR valve and cooler trouble on diesel engines

Emerging

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.

Reported on higher-mileage D4/D5 cars · sources: Volvo Owners Club forum, general Volvo diesel fault write-ups

Low-pressure fuel pump fuse recall

Confirmed pattern

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.

2018-2019 build cars · official recall (2021) · sources: car-recalls.co.uk (DVSA-sourced recall data), gov.uk vehicle recall checker

Sensus infotainment freezing and screen faults

Emerging

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.

Reported across model years · sources: owner write-ups and forum threads referencing Sensus faults across Volvo's 60/90-series range

Plastic inlet manifold melting or warping

Confirmed pattern

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.

2014-2018 engine builds · official recall (2019) · sources: car-recalls.co.uk (DVSA-sourced recall data)

Tyre vibration from inner-liner separation

Disputed

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.

Reported on early cars, low mileage · sources: Honest John (Ask Honest John reader report)

What to check on this car

Ranked from this model’s own MOT record, then from what owners report.

Saveable checklist

From this model’s MOT record

The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.

Steering playRuns high on this model With the engine running and the car parked, waggle the wheel lightly about the straight-ahead. The wheels should respond almost at once. A dead zone before anything happens means wear in the rack or the track rod ends.Recorded on 3.1% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.4%
Bushes and ball jointsRuns high on this model Drive slowly over broken tarmac with the windows down and listen for clonks from either end. Back at the car, have someone rock the steering wheel while you rest a hand on each front wheel; play you can feel through the tyre is a worn joint.Recorded on 2.8% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.9%
Leaks Look at the ground where the car usually stands, then glance under the engine after your test drive. Fresh drips of oil or coolant are the cheapest warning you will ever get about a car.Recorded on 2.6% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 2.0%
Dampers Look for oil misting on the damper body behind each wheel, then push down hard on each corner of the car. It should settle in one bounce. A floaty or crashy ride on the test drive is the same fault felt from the driver's seat.Recorded on 2.3% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 2.3%
Rubber boots and gaitersRuns high on this model On full steering lock, look in behind each front wheel at the concertina rubber boots on the driveshafts and steering rack. Splits, or grease flung around the arch, mean dirt is getting into a joint that costs far more than the boot protecting it.Recorded on 1.0% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.6%
Coil springs Look through the wheel spokes at the bottom coil of each spring; when springs snap it is usually there, and the break is visible. Step back and check the car sits level too. A dropped corner is often a broken spring.Recorded on 1.4% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.4%
Wheels Look at each rim for kerb damage and check no wheel nuts are missing. A steering wheel that shimmies between 50 and 60 on the test drive often turns out to be a buckled or badly balanced wheel.Recorded on 0.6% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.6%

Worth doing on any used car

These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.

Tyres, all four Check the tread across the full width of each tyre, inner edge included, and look for cracking and mismatched brands. A set of decent tyres is £500 or more on most cars, which makes this the easiest money to take off a price. If the pressure warning light is on, budget for sensors too.Recorded on 24.2% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 20.1%
Pads and discsRuns high on this model Look through the wheel spokes at the brake disc. A pronounced lip on its outer edge, or a rusty and scored face, means discs and pads are due all round, a few hundred pounds on most cars. A haggling point rather than a reason to walk away.Recorded on 16.8% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 8.7%
Windscreen and wipers Scan the glass in daylight for chips, especially in the driver's line of sight where even a small one can fail the MOT. Run the washers and check the wipers clear without smearing.Recorded on 2.5% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 2.0%

Because of what owners report

Drawn from the reports above rather than the MOT data. These are the model-specific ones.

Cold start a diesel car and watch for a limp-mode message or engine light within the first few minutes. Could point to an EGR valve or cooler problem starting to develop.
On a T8 Twin Engine car, check the dash for a 'reduced power' or turtle icon and ask when the 12V and hybrid battery were last checked. A BECM fault can trigger turtle mode or stop the car starting at all.
Run the registration through the government recall checker before you view the car. Flags whether the fuel pump fuse or inlet manifold recalls are outstanding on that specific VIN.
Poke around the infotainment screen: change source, pair a phone, use the reversing camera. Freezing, lag or a reboot mid-test is the known Sensus fault, not a one-off glitch.
Drive at motorway speed and feel for vibration through the wheel or seat. Could be the tyre inner-liner issue rather than wheel balance or suspension wear.
Check the service book for evidence of DPF-related work or repeated regens noted by the garage. Frequent short trips plus no record of long runs raises the risk of EGR and DPF clogging.
Ask for the last MOT and any advisories in full, not just the pass certificate. Recurring advisories nobody has acted on are a red flag on any used S90.

Open the saveable checklist, tick it off at the car

The MOT data

Measured

Computed from DVSA MOT results, all of Great Britain, 2025. Nothing here is opinion.

How this model wears

Volvo S90Class average, all tracked models

What testers flag

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.

Faults with the car itself

The rows that judge the model rather than its keeper. 5,095 tests in this band.

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
Advisory
5.2%class 6.7%
A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play
Advisory
3.1%class 0.4%
Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users
Advisory
2.6%class 2.0%
A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
Advisory
2.3%class 2.3%
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
Fail
1.4%class 1.4%
Play in steering rack inner joint(s)
Advisory
1.3%class 1.1%
A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play
Fail
1.1%class 0.4%
A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated
Minor
1.0%class 0.6%
A shock absorber bush excessively worn
Advisory
0.8%class 0.2%
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
Fail
0.8%class 0.6%

Wear, upkeep and luck

Tyres, pads and stone chips say more about how the car was driven and maintained than about how it was built.

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
Advisory
27.3%class 22.9%
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
Advisory
16.8%class 8.7%
A tyre seriously damaged
Advisory
10.3%class 13.4%
Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured
Advisory
7.5%class 10.1%
Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn
Advisory
5.2%class 3.4%
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
Fail
3.8%class 1.6%
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
Fail
2.6%class 2.3%
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
Minor
2.5%class 2.0%

Others in its class

Same segment (Saloons & estates), best MOT record first. Compare before you shortlist.

Audi A88.6%Porsche Panamera9.4%Lexus IS9.6%BMW 7 Series10.0%Mercedes S-Class10.8%Jaguar XJ12.9%See all Saloons & estatesreliability ranked