MOT performance
Volvo V70 petrol: MOT pass rate and common failures
Of 26,808 MOT tests on petrol Volvo V70s in 2023–2024 (on average 20.1 years old at test, median 137,412 miles), 57.1% passed first time, against 66.0% of 59,767 diesel Volvo V70 tests. Allowing for age, mileage and fuel, petrol Volvo V70s failed about as often as comparable cars — 0.97× against 0.89× for the Volvo V70 as a whole.
26,808 MOT tests on 14,332 vehicles, 2023–2024 · Source: DVSA (Open Government Licence) · Analysis: 73 Auto
Check a specific car's MOT history and running costsAt a glance
| Figure | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| First-time pass rate | 57.1% | ±0.6 pts (95%), n = 26,808 |
| All Volvo V70s | 63.2% | n = 86,581 |
| Failures vs similar cars | 0.97× | same age, mileage and fuel = 1.00; Volvo V70 overall 0.89× |
| Tests with a dangerous defect | 10.6% | n = 26,808 |
| Average age at test | 20.1 years | n = 26,808 |
| Registration years covered | 1996–2021 | DVSA first-use date |
Petrol against the other Volvo V70 fuels
Official DVSA test results by fuel, with 73 Auto's adjusted ratio (failures against cars of the same age, mileage and fuel). The petrol cars were tested 6 years older on average than the diesel ones, so the raw pass rates partly reflect age; the adjusted column doesn't.
| Fuel | Tests | Average age | First-time pass | vs similar cars | Dangerous |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 59,767 | 14.1 yrs | 66.0% | -16% | 10.6% |
| Petrol | 26,808 | 20.1 yrs | 57.1% | -3% | 10.6% |
Where petrol Volvo V70s differ
- Body, chassis and structure: petrol Volvo V70s failed 61% more often than the Volvo V70 overall, relative to comparable cars (1.15× vs 0.71×).
- Brakes: petrol Volvo V70s failed 21% more often than the Volvo V70 overall, relative to comparable cars (1.06× vs 0.87×).
| Area | Petrol (vs similar) | All Volvo V70s (vs similar) |
|---|---|---|
| Lights, reflectors and electrical | 22.5% (+2%) | 18.0% (-8%) |
| Brakes | 14.8% (+6%) | 11.1% (-13%) |
| Suspension | 11.7% (-31%) | 9.9% (-41%) |
| Body, chassis and structure | 10.9% (+15%) | 5.8% (-29%) |
| Tyres | 7.5% (+12%) | 8.0% (+8%) |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 6.7% (-35%) | 3.6% (-43%) |
| Driver's view of the road | 5.6% (-25%) | 4.9% (-25%) |
| Steering | 4.7% (+12%) | 4.3% (+4%) |
| Seat belts and airbags | 1.8% (-43%) | 1.3% (-52%) |
| Registration plates and VIN | 0.7% (-11%) | 0.5% (-22%) |
| Road wheels | 0.4% (-24%) | 0.4% (-32%) |
Most common petrol Volvo V70 failure items
1 of these 5 items is not among the Volvo V70's ten most common failures overall.
| Item | Area | Share of tests |
|---|---|---|
| Position lamp: not working | Lights, reflectors and electrical | 7.48% |
| Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Body, chassis and structure | 5.55% |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect | Lights, reflectors and electrical | 4.77% |
| Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements | Brakes | 4.08% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction | Noise, emissions and leaks | 3.99% |
Pass rate by age, by fuel
| Age at test (years) | petrol pass rate (tests) | diesel pass rate (tests) |
|---|---|---|
| 5-6 | — | 87.8% (435) |
| 7-8 | — | 80.8% (5,568) |
| 9-10 | — | 76.0% (6,945) |
| 11-12 | 77.0% (378) | 70.7% (7,474) |
| 13-15 | 69.1% (1,716) | 64.9% (18,018) |
| 16+ | 55.8% (24,617) | 57.7% (21,327) |
Volvo V70 by registration year
Registration-year pages cover every fuel of that year.
- 1999 Volvo V70 · 61.1%
- 2000 Volvo V70 · 56.9%
- 2001 Volvo V70 · 52.7%
- 2002 Volvo V70 · 52.8%
- 2003 Volvo V70 · 53.6%
- 2004 Volvo V70 · 54.5%
- 2005 Volvo V70 · 57.9%
- 2006 Volvo V70 · 58.5%
- 2007 Volvo V70 · 61.0%
- 2008 Volvo V70 · 66.5%
- 2009 Volvo V70 · 63.1%
- 2010 Volvo V70 · 69.2%
- 2011 Volvo V70 · 70.5%
- 2012 Volvo V70 · 71.2%
- 2013 Volvo V70 · 73.6%
- 2014 Volvo V70 · 77.9%
- 2015 Volvo V70 · 80.5%
What this does and doesn't tell you
Fuel is DVSA's recorded fuel type; plug-in and self-charging hybrids are grouped as hybrid. A difference between fuels can come from the engines themselves, or from how the cars are used — diesels typically cover more miles, and the adjusted ratio allows for mileage band but not for every difference in use. For one car, its own MOT history is the better guide: see MOT check.
Check a specific petrol Volvo V70
Enter a UK registration to see that car's own MOT history and what it is likely to cost to own. Your first check is free and shows the vehicle summary and its headline ownership cost. The category-by-category breakdown is part of a paid check.
UK number plate or 17-character VIN
About this data. These are MOT test results, not a measure of mechanical reliability: a car's MOT outcome reflects its condition on the day, which depends on how it has been maintained and driven as well as how it was built. Figures cover class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans), normal tests only (retests excluded), outcomes pass, fail and pass after rectification at the station; vehicles at least 2.5 years old at test. Tests from 2023-01-01 to 2024-12-30. “Compared with similar cars” means compared with the national rate for cars of the same age, mileage band and fuel. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Makes and models are matched to 73 Auto's vehicle catalogue; tests that can't be matched are left out rather than guessed. See how the MOT figures are produced.