Volvo
800 Series
5,802 MOT tests analysed. runs below the UK fleet average — here's where 800 Seriess pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 7.6 points below the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — buyers should expect more first-time fails than the typical UK car.
Pass
69.9%
Pass-after-fix
4.4%
Fail
24.9%
Avg miles
144,368
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Petrol cars registered before January 2006 are typically pre-Euro 4 — subject to daily charges in London ULEZ, Birmingham CAZ, and Glasgow LEZ. Bristol CAZ does not charge petrol cars. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 .
The picture
800 Series: a below-average pass rate worth digging into
Across 2,449 MOT tests, the 800 Series returns 69.4% first-time pass — well below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a split CV-joint boot. A missing CV-joint boot and windscreen damage round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 144,496, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
ABI Insurance Group
Group 22–44
Above average — worth comparing quotes before buying. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.
Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →
22–44
out of 50
Top ten reasons for rejection.
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- 01
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
377 occurrences · 6.5% of tests
- 02
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
213 occurrences · 3.7% of tests
- 03
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
201 occurrences · 3.5% of tests
- 04
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
181 occurrences · 3.1% of tests
- 05
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
171 occurrences · 2.9% of tests
- 06
Warning device shows system malfunction
142 occurrences · 2.4% of tests
- 07
Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement
141 occurrences · 2.4% of tests
- 08
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
129 occurrences · 2.2% of tests
- 09
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
125 occurrences · 2.2% of tests
- 10
A battery insecure but not likely to fall from carrier
122 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 2 failures
£28–£80
If every one of this 800 Series's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
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Build your own retest budget.
Tools that pre-empt a retest.
Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
Item 01 · Amazon UK
H7 / W21W bulb pack
A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
Bosch Aerotwin wiper blades
Cheap wipers fail the test on smear streaks. Bosch Aerotwins last a winter and clear a screen properly.
Search Amazon UK
My Motor World · affiliate
Parts & supplies for this fix
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Hycote
Hycote Volvo Black Stone Double Acrylic Spray Paint 150ml
£6.59
View at My Motor World →
Hycote
Hycote Volvo Ice White Double Acrylic Spray Paint 150ml
£6.59
View at My Motor World →
Autotek
Autotek Volvo Dark Grey 228 300ml
£14.29
View at My Motor World →
Autotek
Autotek Volvo Ice White 300ml
£14.29
View at My Motor World →
Click Mechanic · affiliate
Book a mobile mechanic
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Mobile mechanic · UK-wide
Book a mechanic at your door.
Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.
Buying or keeping a 800 Series?
Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own a 800 Series and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.