Volvo S90
From 7,427 MOT tests. Above average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
Newer S90s fare better: 2019 models pass at 92% vs 88.5% for 2017.
Pass rate by fuel type
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, a tyre seriously damaged and tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements. The top issue, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, caused 169 failures in 2024. Checking tread depth (1.6mm legal minimum, 3mm recommended) before your test can save an unnecessary fail. You can check prices at Black Circles if you need replacements. If you need repairs before retesting, sites like BookMyGarage let you compare local prices.
| a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm | 169 |
| a tyre seriously damaged | 145 |
| tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 121 |
| a tyre cords visible or damaged | 76 |
| wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen | 34 |
| a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 32 |
| a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 31 |
| a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 28 |
| a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened | 27 |
| number plate does not conform to the specified requirements | 18 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. 66.1% of S90 failures are safety items (worn brakes, tyre damage, steering play). The car still drives, but you shouldn't. Only 8.5% are the kind that would actually strand you. When it does fail, the average repair bill is around £113.
Volvo S90 on UK roads
The fleet is shrinking: 139 scrapped or exported in the past year with only 17 newly registered, a net loss of 122. At this rate, roughly 62.2 years until none remain.
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 7,280 | 179 | +0 | -51 | -51 |
| 2025 Q2 | 7,356 | 154 | +1 | -53 | -52 |
| 2025 Q1 | 7,406 | 156 | +5 | -21 | -16 |
| 2024 Q4 | 7,433 | 145 | +11 | -14 | -3 |
| 2024 Q3 | 7,441 | 140 | +2 | -11 | -9 |
| 2024 Q2 | 7,444 | 146 | +12 | -10 | +2 |
| 2024 Q1 | 7,426 | 162 | +1 | -18 | -17 |
| 2023 Q4 | 7,444 | 161 | +36 | -0 | +57 |
20 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| S90 R-Design D4 Auto | Diesel | 1,622 | 25% |
| S90 Momentum D4 Auto | Diesel | 991 | 15% |
| S90 Inscription D4 Auto | Diesel | 852 | 13% |
| S90 Momentum + T4 Auto | Petrol | 700 | 11% |
| S90 Inscription D5 Pp Awd A | Diesel | 244 | 4% |
| S90 R-Design T8 Recharge Awd A | Plug-In Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 239 | 4% |
| S90 Momentum Pro D4 Auto | Diesel | 220 | 3% |
| S90 Inscription T8 Rchrg Awd A | Plug-In Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 199 | 3% |
| S90 Momentum + D4 Auto | Diesel | 194 | 3% |
| S90 R-Design D5 P-Pulse Awd A | Diesel | 184 | 3% |
| S90 R-Design Pro D4 Auto | Diesel | 178 | 3% |
| S90 R-Design T4 Auto | Petrol | 177 | 3% |
| S90 Momentum T4 Auto | Petrol | 167 | 3% |
| S90 Inscription Pro D4 Auto | Diesel | 138 | 2% |
| S90 R-Design + T4 Auto | Petrol | 104 | 2% |
| S90 + T8 Recharge Awd Auto | Plug-In Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 91 | 1% |
| S90 R-Design Pro T8 Phev Awd A | Plug-In Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 89 | 1% |
| S90 R-Design Pro D5 Pp Awd A | Diesel | 83 | 1% |
| S90 R-Design + D4 Auto | Diesel | 80 | 1% |
| S90 Ultimate T8 Recharge Awd A | Plug-In Hybrid Electric (Petrol) | 67 | 1% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 92% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2018 | 89.2% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2017 | 88.5% | a tyre seriously damaged, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
| 2016 | 85.9% | a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play |
1 earlier years
| 1997 | 76.4% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, body, cab or chassis excessively corroded at a mounting point |
Typical mileage
Half of all S90s tested had between 51,034 and 79,795 miles on the clock.
At 55,890 median miles, the S90 has 0.019 failures per 10,000 miles driven.
Other Volvo models
| Volvo Xc60 | 82.7% |
| Volvo V40 | 79% |
| Volvo Xc90 | 78% |
| Volvo Xc40 | 91.2% |
| Volvo V70 | 72% |
Common questions
What is the Volvo S90 MOT pass rate?
The Volvo S90 has a 89.4% MOT pass rate based on 7,427 real MOT tests. This is above the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Volvo S90?
The most common MOT failure on the Volvo S90 is a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, which caused 169 failures. Other common issues include a tyre seriously damaged.
How many Volvo S90s are on UK roads?
There are 7,280 Volvo S90s currently licensed on UK roads, with 179 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Volvo S90 at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Volvo S90 is 55,890 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 51,034 and 79,795 miles.
Buying a used S90?
Start with the free tools. Look up the specific vehicle's MOT history on GOV.UK The mileage at each test will show if it's been wound back, and the advisory history tells you what's wearing. Cross-reference that against the typical failures above to see if anything looks unusual for this model.
The free data won't tell you about outstanding finance, theft markers, or write-off history. For that, you need a vehicle history check This is especially important on a private sale where you have fewer legal protections.
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MOT data from DVSA anonymised test results, 2024 test year. Fleet data from DfT vehicle licensing statistics. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0. MOT pass rates are statistical summaries of test outcomes, not assessments of individual vehicle safety or condition. Always inspect a vehicle and check its full MOT history before purchasing. See terms of use.