How reliable is the Volvo XC70 compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Volvo XC70, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages.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 69.4% across 16,656 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 XC70?

The item recorded most often is "A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened", which appears in 17.9% of failed Volvo XC70 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 XC70?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 26.0% of all Volvo XC70 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Volvo XC70 usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 129,194 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.

Which Volvo XC70 years are the most reliable?

Going by MOT pass rate, Volvo XC70 cars first registered 2014–2016 do best at 78.7%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 63.0%. But that ordering is mostly age, not build year: almost every model passes less often as it wears, so the newest cars top this list whatever they are. A specific year looking strong here means little on its own; the failure items above, and the individual car's own MOT history, tell you far more.

Does a Volvo XC70 get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 9 to 11 years old, 78.7% of Volvo XC70 tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 63.0%. 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 XC70 models petrol or diesel?

Of the Volvo XC70 cars tested, 95% are diesel, 5% are petrol. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Volvo XC70 MOT pass rate & common failures

From 16,656 recorded MOT tests of the Volvo XC70, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 16,656 MOT tests, 69.4% of Volvo XC70 tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Volvo XC70 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 17.9% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 129,194 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

69.4%unadjusted, not comparable16,656 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the XC70. 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 16,656 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Volvo XC70 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 weakened17.9%
763 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
2.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning13.6%
581 occurrencesLamp not working explained
3.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn10.9%
467 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
4.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements10.2%
433 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
5.A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play9.5%
405 occurrencesBall joint worn explained
6.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm9.4%
402 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
7.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements8.1%
345 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
8.A tyre cords visible or damaged7.8%
332 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
9.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc6.9%
293 occurrencesDriveshaft CV joint gaiter split or missing explained
10.A tyre seriously damaged6.5%
278 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Volvo XC70 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 requirements26.0%
4,334 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn16.2%
2,702 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
3.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured15.1%
2,508 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
4.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm9.5%
1,580 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
5.A tyre seriously damaged9.4%
1,560 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
6.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened8.6%
1,429 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 users5.6%
939 tests
8.A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage5.4%
895 testsShock absorber defective explained

The rest of the record

Everything else recorded on the Volvo XC70

The 16 other defects testers recorded on this model, beyond the most common listed above. Each links to what it means and what it takes to put right.

Known faults

Volvo XC70 common problems, by part and by year

The same failure record read the way a buyer asks the question: which parts wear out on a XC70, when they start, and how each registration year compares — including the steps that mark a generation change.

XC70 common problems and results by year

How wear changes the picture

XC70 pass rate by age and registration year

How often the Volvo XC70 passes at each age, with the years those cars were first registered. Tests are from 2025, so a car aged 9 to 11 was first used in 2014–2016.

9–11 yrsreg. 2014–201679%

12–14 yrsreg. 2011–201371%

15+ yrsreg. 2010 and earlier63%

Read this as an age curve rather than a verdict on particular model years. Nearly every car passes less often as it gets older, so a newer XC70 outscoring an older one says more about wear than about how that year’s cars were built. Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The XC70 fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 129,194
Fuel mix of tested cars: Diesel95.4%
Petrol4.6%

Check a specific Volvo XC70

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 XC70 compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Volvo XC70, 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 69.4% across 16,656 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 XC70?: The item recorded most often is "A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened", which appears in 17.9% of failed Volvo XC70 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 XC70?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 26.0% of all Volvo XC70 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Volvo XC70 usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 129,194 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.
Which Volvo XC70 years are the most reliable?: Going by MOT pass rate, Volvo XC70 cars first registered 2014–2016 do best at 78.7%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 63.0%. But that ordering is mostly age, not build year: almost every model passes less often as it wears, so the newest cars top this list whatever they are. A specific year looking strong here means little on its own; the failure items above, and the individual car's own MOT history, tell you far more.
Does a Volvo XC70 get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 9 to 11 years old, 78.7% of Volvo XC70 tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 63.0%. 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 XC70 models petrol or diesel?: Of the Volvo XC70 cars tested, 95% are diesel, 5% 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.