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Volvo V90

All generations and engines together · 15,739 MOT tests in the 2025 data · typical mileage at age 7: 82k

Reliability verdict
CBy age
CBy miles

Graded against its peers

Middling among saloons and estates, by age and by mileage. Watch suspension and corrosion. A fair used buy, provided its MOT history has no repeating suspension advisories.

First-time failure at age 7
18.3%
Across 3,070 tests. The average for saloons and estates is 17.4%.
First-time failure at 50-60k miles
15.1%
Across 2,353 tests. The average for saloons and estates is 16.8%.
Rank in its class
22 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 battery losing range

DisputedPlug-in hybrid (T8) only

T8 Twin Engine cars carry a lithium-ion pack behind the rear seats, and owners on the Volvo Owners Club forum report the claimed electric-only range dropping off well before the car reaches five years old, with some asking whether a replacement pack is worth it once out of warranty. Check how much of Volvo's high-voltage battery warranty is left rather than trusting the dash range estimate. Replacement out of warranty is not cheap, expect a four-figure bill if a dealer diagnoses genuine pack degradation rather than a software recalibration.

Reported from around 3-5 years old · sources: Volvo Owners Club forum (T8 battery threads)

Sensus infotainment lag and glitches

Emerging

Owners report the touchscreen running slow to respond, sat-nav position drifting off the actual road, and occasional freezes that need a reboot to clear. Software updates arrive periodically and fix some of it, but not all, and some owners are still chasing the same niggles years apart. It's an annoyance rather than a safety issue and won't strand the car, but worth checking on a test drive.

Reported across model years, ongoing · source: Volvo Owners Club forum (Sensus and software-update threads)

Diesel timing belt, not a chain

Worth knowingDiesel only

The D3/D4/D5 diesel engines use a rubber timing belt rather than a chain, unlike a lot of rivals' modern diesels, and a belt change isn't always obvious in service records. On an older, higher-mileage diesel with no documented belt change, budget for one rather than assume it's fit-and-forget. These are interference engines, so a snapped belt means a wrecked top end and a bill running well into four figures.

Applies to diesel D3/D4/D5 only · sources: Volvo Owners Club forum service threads, Volvo service schedule

Random dash warnings and lock/fob glitches

Emerging

A scatter of owners report ABS/ESC warning lights appearing with no repeatable fault found, engine management lights triggering on sensor faults rather than anything mechanical, and the odd morning where neither key fob will unlock the car. It isn't one well-defined failure, more a pattern of small electrical gremlins that usually clear with a dealer reset or software update. Worth noting when buying used, not a reason to walk away on its own.

Scattered reports, no single confirmed root cause · source: Volvo Owners Club forum

Panoramic sunroof leaks

Disputed

At least one documented case of a panoramic sunroof letting water into the cabin on a 2018 car at around 15,000 miles, most likely blocked drain channels rather than a design fault. It's a known failure mode on panoramic sunroofs across the industry, so worth checking for damp carpets or headlining stains, but there isn't enough reported volume on the V90 specifically to call it a pattern.

One documented case, 2018 car, ~15,000 miles · source: CarComplaints.com

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.

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 4.6% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.9%
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 3.2% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.6%
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 2.8% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.4%
Lights and horn walkroundRuns high on this model With a helper, run every light: dipped, main beam, indicators, brake lights including the high-level one, reverse, fog, and the horn. On newer cars a dead LED section can mean replacing the whole lamp unit rather than a bulb.Recorded on 2.2% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.1%
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%
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 2.1% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 2.0%
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 2.0% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.4%

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 26.1% 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 17.3% 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 2.2% 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.

On a PHEV (T8), check the claimed electric range against a real short drive. A big gap from the WLTP figure points to battery degradation, ask about the remaining high-voltage warranty.
Play with the touchscreen and sat-nav for a few minutes. Lag, screen freezes or the map drifting off the actual road are the known Sensus niggles.
On a diesel, ask for proof of a timing belt change if it's higher-mileage or older. No record means budget for one, it's a belt not a chain and a snapped one wrecks the engine.
Cycle the ignition and watch the dash for ABS/ESC or engine warning lights. A light that clears itself on restart is one of the reported electrical gremlins, worth a dealer check either way.
Try both key fobs to unlock and start the car. A fob that fails first time has been reported by owners as an intermittent fault.
Check the headlining and door sills for damp or staining, especially around the sunroof. Signs of water ingress point to blocked panoramic sunroof drains.
Pull the full MOT history, not just the pass or fail. The same advisory repeating across years means nobody's fixing the underlying cause.

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 V90Class 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. 8,806 tests in this band.

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
Advisory
6.4%class 6.7%
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
Fail
3.2%class 0.6%
A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play
Advisory
2.8%class 0.4%
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 lamp with a multiple light source up to 1/2 not functioning
Minor
2.2%class 0.1%
Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users
Advisory
2.1%class 2.0%
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
Fail
2.0%class 1.4%
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
Minor
1.5%class 0.6%
A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting
Advisory
1.1%class 0.6%
Play in steering rack inner joint(s)
Advisory
0.9%class 1.1%

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
29.9%class 22.9%
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
Advisory
17.3%class 8.7%
A tyre seriously damaged
Advisory
10.4%class 13.4%
Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured
Advisory
6.3%class 10.1%
Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn
Advisory
4.4%class 3.4%
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
Fail
3.2%class 1.6%
Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt
Advisory
3.2%class 2.2%
A tyre seriously damaged
Fail
2.8%class 1.4%

Others in its class

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

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