How reliable is the Volvo V70 compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Volvo V70, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages.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 63.8% across 37,984 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 do testers most often warn about on a Volvo V70?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 30.1% of all Volvo V70 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Volvo V70 usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 141,404 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 V70 get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 9 to 11 years old, 78.8% of Volvo V70 tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 59.9%. 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 V70 models petrol or diesel?

Of the Volvo V70 cars tested, 70% are diesel, 30% are petrol. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Volvo V70 MOT pass rate & common failures

From 37,984 recorded MOT tests of the Volvo V70, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 37,984 MOT tests, 63.8% of Volvo V70 tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Volvo V70 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 lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, which appears in 17.7% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 141,404 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

63.8%unadjusted, not comparable37,984 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the V70. 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 37,984 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Volvo V70 tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning17.7%
1,998 occurrencesLamp not working explained
2.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements12.2%
1,373 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
3.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn10.6%
1,193 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
4.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements9.8%
1,107 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
5.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc9.7%
1,096 occurrencesDriveshaft CV joint gaiter split or missing explained
6.A tyre cords visible or damaged9.7%
1,090 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
7.Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement8.6%
971 occurrencesParking brake efficiency too low explained
8.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm8.4%
942 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
9.A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play8.1%
914 occurrencesBall joint worn explained
10.A tyre seriously damaged6.7%
752 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Volvo V70 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 requirements30.1%
11,445 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened18.8%
7,142 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained
3.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn18.5%
7,028 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
4.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured14.7%
5,598 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
5.A tyre seriously damaged10.8%
4,103 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
6.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm10.2%
3,877 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 users7.6%
2,897 tests
8.Play in steering rack inner joint(s)7.5%
2,859 tests

How wear changes the picture

Pass rate by vehicle age

9–11 yrs79%

12–14 yrs71%

15+ yrs60%

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

What gets tested

The V70 fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 141,404
Fuel mix of tested cars: Diesel69.8%
Petrol30.1%

Trim names grouped into this model (5)

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

V70 AWD
V70 R
V70 SE SPORT
V70 T4
V70 T5

Check a specific Volvo V70

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 V50 — 55.2% unadjusted
All Volvo models

Common questions

How reliable is the Volvo V70 compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Volvo V70, 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 63.8% across 37,984 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 V70?: The item recorded most often is "A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning", which appears in 17.7% of failed Volvo V70 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 V70?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 30.1% of all Volvo V70 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Volvo V70 usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 141,404 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 V70 get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 9 to 11 years old, 78.8% of Volvo V70 tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 59.9%. 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 V70 models petrol or diesel?: Of the Volvo V70 cars tested, 70% are diesel, 30% 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.