The MOT Files

Known faults, from the test record

Volvo S90 common problems

What fails on the Volvo S90 at MOT, which parts are behind it, and how each model year compares. From 7,809 DVSA test records.

Data updated

Quick answer

The Volvo S90's most common MOT problems are tyres, brake pads and shoes, coil springs, recorded in 57.1%, 34.2% and 9.3% of failed tests respectively. By model year, 2020 cars pass most often (88.3%) and 2017 cars least (83.3%), though most of that gap is age. Every figure here is what testers recorded, not what owners reported.

A “common problems” list is usually a forum thread: whoever had the worst day writes the longest post. This one is built the other way, from every Volvo S90 that took an MOT last year and what the tester wrote down. It cannot see breakdowns, electrical gremlins or a gearbox that hunts, because the test does not check those. What it can see, it sees across 7,809 cars.

By component

What wears out on a S90

Failure items grouped by the part behind them, with the share of failed Volvo S90 tests recording each. A part can carry several DVSA wordings; they are listed beneath. One failed test often lists several items, so shares do not sum to 100%.

  1. 1.Tyres

    57.1% of failed tests

    Tread wears with every mile and sidewalls age and take kerb damage; the legal minimum is 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters.

    • “Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements” — explained19.2%
    • “A tyre cords visible or damaged” — explained15.9%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained13.1%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained4.1%

    Across all cars, tyres failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long tyres last

  2. 2.Brake pads and shoes

    34.2% of failed tests

    Friction material wears with use; the MOT limit is 1.5 mm and a pad that thin is close to metal on metal.

    • “a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm” — explained32.2%
    • “Brake lining or pad worn down to wear indicator” — explained1.9%

    Across all cars, brake pads and shoes failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long brake pads and shoes last

  3. 3.Coil springs

    9.3% of failed tests

    Springs fatigue and corrode where the coating chips, then snap, often at the bottom coil; potholes and salt accelerate it.

    • “A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened” — explained9.3%

    Across all cars, coil springs failures climb 20-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 12–14 years. How long coil springs last

  4. 4.Ball joints

    6.4% of failed tests

    Steering and suspension ball joints wear internally and their dust covers split; excessive play fails.

    • “A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play” — explained6.4%

    Across all cars, ball joints failures climb 28-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 12–14 years. How long ball joints last

  5. 5.Suspension bushes

    5.6% of failed tests

    Rubber bushes in arms and links perish and split with age and load; the most recorded suspension item on the test.

    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained2.9%
    • “A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained1.6%
    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained1.1%

    Across all cars, suspension bushes failures climb 20-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long suspension bushes last

  6. 6.Wiper blades and washers

    5.3% of failed tests

    Rubber blades harden and split within a year or two; washer jets block and pumps fail.

    • “Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen” — explained3.4%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained1.3%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained0.5%

    Across all cars, wiper blades and washers failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long wiper blades and washers last

  7. 7.Driveshaft gaiters

    4.3% of failed tests

    The rubber boot over each CV joint splits with age and flexing, then throws grease and lets grit destroy the joint.

    • “A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained4.3%

    Across all cars, driveshaft gaiters failures climb 21-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long driveshaft gaiters last

  8. 8.Bulbs and lamps

    3.7% of failed tests

    Filament bulbs simply expire; the cheapest and most avoidable failure on the test, and one of the most recorded.

    • “A headlamp cleaning device inoperative in the case of LED or gas discharge systems (HID)” — explained1.7%
    • “A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained0.8%
    • “An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained0.6%
    • “An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained0.5%

    Across all cars, bulbs and lamps failures climb 15-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long bulbs and lamps last

By registration year

S90 problems by year

MOT pass rate for Volvo S90 cars by the year they were first registered, from years with at least 1,000 tests. Every car in a row is the same age, so the rate is raw. Neighbouring years differ by a year of wear — a step of a point or two is age. The step at 2018, up 4.3 points, is larger than wear explains and most likely marks a change in the cars themselves.

201783%
201888%+4.3
201988%+0.2
202088%+0.5

Last column: change on the previous year, in points. Years registered within the last three years have not yet been tested and are not shown.

Before it fails

What testers warn S90 owners about

Advisories are the same parts a year or two earlier. Share of all Volvo S90 tests carrying an advisory for each.

Go deeper

The rest of the S90 file

Common questions

What are the most common problems with a Volvo S90?
Going by what fails the MOT, tyres (recorded in 57.1% of failed tests), brake pads and shoes (recorded in 34.2% of failed tests), and coil springs (recorded in 9.3% of failed tests). These are the items testers actually record across 7,809 tests, not reports from owners, so they describe what goes wrong at the point where it has to be fixed.
Which Volvo S90 year is the most reliable?
By MOT pass rate, Volvo S90 cars registered in 2020 do best at 88.3% and 2017 cars do worst at 83.3%. Most of that ordering is simply age — newer cars pass more — so read the year table for steps larger than a couple of points between neighbouring years; those mark a change in the cars rather than the calendar. The largest such step is at 2018, up 4.3 points on 2017.
Is the Volvo S90 reliable?
The Volvo S90 passes 86.8% of MOTs unadjusted; its fleet is too narrow in age or mileage for a fair national comparison. An MOT measures roadworthiness on the day rather than breakdowns or running costs, so this is a reliability measure in the narrow sense: how often the car meets the legal standard, and what stops it.
What should I check when buying a used Volvo S90?
Start with what fails most: tyres, brake pads and shoes, coil springs. Then read the car's own MOT history for advisories carried year to year without repair — the model tells you what to expect, the history tells you whether this owner dealt with it.

Analysis built from DVSA data of