Is the Volvo S60 reliable?

On MOT evidence the Volvo S60 is above average. It passes 76.6% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 90 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Volvo S60?

The item recorded most often is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", which appears in 12.7% of failed Volvo S60 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 S60?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 26.8% of all Volvo S60 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Volvo S60 usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 102,868 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.

Does a Volvo S60 get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 89.2% of Volvo S60 tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 61.8%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Are most Volvo S60 models petrol or diesel?

Of the Volvo S60 cars tested, 64% are diesel, 31% are petrol, 5% are hybrid. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Volvo S60 MOT pass rate & common failures

From 19,070 recorded MOT tests of the Volvo S60, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

The Volvo S60 passes 76.6% of MOT tests once results are adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, against a national average of 72.3%. That is above average, ranking it 90 of 262 models with enough data to compare fairly. Based on 19,070 tests. Its most commonly recorded failure is tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, which appears in 12.7% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 102,868 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage

76.6%national average72.3%unadjusted72.1%range covered97%rank90 of 262

The S60 is 4.3 percentage points above the national pass rate once age and mileage are accounted for, which is above average. The unadjusted figure is 72.1%; the difference is what the age and mileage of this model’s fleet was hiding.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Volvo S60 tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements12.7%
552 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm12.7%
551 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
3.A tyre cords visible or damaged11.2%
486 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
4.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements10.0%
436 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
5.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning9.7%
420 occurrencesLamp not working explained
6.A tyre seriously damaged7.7%
335 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
7.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc7.6%
330 occurrencesDriveshaft CV joint gaiter split or missing explained
8.A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play7.2%
312 occurrencesBall joint worn explained
9.Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement7.1%
308 occurrencesParking brake efficiency too low explained
10.A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage7.0%
306 occurrencesShock absorber defective explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Volvo S60 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 requirements26.8%
5,103 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured12.2%
2,320 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
3.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm11.7%
2,226 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
4.A tyre seriously damaged11.0%
2,105 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
5.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn10.9%
2,079 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
6.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened10.8%
2,061 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained
7.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users4.7%
899 tests
8.Number plate inscription missing or illegible3.9%
740 testsRegistration plate missing, insecure or illegible explained

How wear changes the picture

Pass rate by vehicle age

3–5 yrs89%

6–8 yrs81%

9–11 yrs75%

12–14 yrs70%

15+ yrs62%

Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The S60 fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 102,868
Fuel mix of tested cars: Diesel64.3%
Petrol31.0%
Hybrid4.6%

Trim names grouped into this model (11)

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

S60 + B5 MHEV AUTO
S60 + T8 RECHARGE AWD AUTO
S60 INSCRIPTION + T5 AUTO
S60 INSCRIPTION B5 MHEV AUTO
S60 R-DESIGN + T5 AUTO
S60 R-DESIGN + T8 PHEV AWD A
S60 R-DESIGN B5 MHEV AUTO
S60 R-DESIGN T8 RECHARGE AWD A
S60 T
S60 ULTIMATE B5 MHEV AUTO
S60 ULTIMATE T8 RECHARGE AWD A

Check a specific Volvo S60

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

Similar test volumes

Compare against other makes

Lexus RX — 88.2% adjusted, ranked 8
Toyota Estima — 80.3% adjusted, ranked 51
Renault Grand Scenic — 59.4% adjusted, ranked 253
Abarth 595 — 76.0% adjusted, ranked 95

Common questions

Is the Volvo S60 reliable?: On MOT evidence the Volvo S60 is above average. It passes 76.6% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 90 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Volvo S60?: The item recorded most often is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", which appears in 12.7% of failed Volvo S60 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 S60?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 26.8% of all Volvo S60 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Volvo S60 usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 102,868 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.
Does a Volvo S60 get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 89.2% of Volvo S60 tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 61.8%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.
Are most Volvo S60 models petrol or diesel?: Of the Volvo S60 cars tested, 64% are diesel, 31% are petrol, 5% are hybrid. 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. The adjusted rate is directly standardised across twenty-five age and mileage bands and reweighted onto the national distribution, so this model is compared against cars that have lived a similar life rather than against a younger or lighter-used fleet.

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.