How reliable is the Volvo C30 compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Volvo C30, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 58.4% across 20,617 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Volvo C30?

The item recorded most often is "A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened", which appears in 16.5% of failed Volvo C30 tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a Volvo C30?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 32.1% of all Volvo C30 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Volvo C30 usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 105,339 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Are most Volvo C30 models petrol or diesel?

Of the Volvo C30 cars tested, 58% are diesel, 42% are petrol. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Volvo C30 MOT pass rate & common failures

From 20,617 recorded MOT tests of the Volvo C30, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 20,617 MOT tests, 58.4% of Volvo C30 tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Volvo C30 fleet does not yet cover a wide enough spread of ages and distances to compare it fairly against other models. Its most commonly recorded failure is spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, which appears in 16.5% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 105,339 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

58.4%unadjusted, not comparable20,617 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the C30. The examples tested do not cover a wide enough spread of ages and mileages to compare it fairly, and an unadjusted pass rate mostly sorts models by how recently they were bought rather than how well they were built. The failure and advisory patterns below come from the same 20,617 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Volvo C30 tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened16.5%
1,185 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
2.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn16.2%
1,163 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
3.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning15.8%
1,137 occurrencesLamp not working explained
4.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc14.3%
1,024 occurrencesDriveshaft CV joint gaiter split or missing explained
5.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements11.1%
800 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
6.A tyre cords visible or damaged10.8%
774 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
7.A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps9.5%
684 occurrencesLamp not working explained
8.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn7.2%
518 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
9.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm7.1%
513 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
10.Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements6.5%
464 occurrencesLamp of the wrong colour, position or intensity explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Volvo C30 tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements32.1%
6,627 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn19.3%
3,977 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
3.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured15.6%
3,215 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
4.A tyre seriously damaged12.4%
2,561 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
5.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened10.4%
2,151 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained
6.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm10.2%
2,108 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
7.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users7.1%
1,456 tests
8.A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded5.5%
1,126 testsSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained

What gets tested

The C30 fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 105,339
Fuel mix of tested cars: Diesel57.7%
Petrol42.3%

Trim names grouped into this model (2)

Recorded exactly as DVSA holds them. Trim-level names are rolled up so one model is not split across a dozen thin pages.

C30 SE
C30 SE LUX

Check a specific Volvo C30

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Volvo models

Volvo XC60 — 79.1% adjusted
Volvo V40 — 67.4% adjusted
Volvo XC40 — 90.0% unadjusted
Volvo XC90 — 77.6% adjusted
Volvo V60 — 78.3% adjusted
Volvo V70 — 63.8% unadjusted
All Volvo models

Common questions

How reliable is the Volvo C30 compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Volvo C30, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 58.4% across 20,617 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Volvo C30?: The item recorded most often is "A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened", which appears in 16.5% of failed Volvo C30 tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Volvo C30?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 32.1% of all Volvo C30 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Volvo C30 usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 105,339 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.
Are most Volvo C30 models petrol or diesel?: Of the Volvo C30 cars tested, 58% are diesel, 42% are petrol. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. No adjusted rate is shown because this model's tested examples do not cover enough of the national age and mileage range for standardisation to mean anything.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.