Volvo
C70
16,807 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where C70s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 6.9 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
70.6%
Pass-after-fix
4.5%
Fail
24.3%
Avg miles
96,910
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
This model's production run straddles the January 2006 Euro 4 cutoff. Individual cars vary — check your registration plate on the government's ULEZ checker. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 .
The picture
Volvo C70: challenging MOT record across 11,540 tests
The Volvo C70 is a petrol-powered car sold in the UK market across multiple generations, covering a broad date range in the test population.
MOT data from 11,540 tests puts this car on a 68.8% first-time pass rate, well below the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 95,748 miles. The most common fail item is fractured or weakened suspension spring, followed by transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated.
Honest John owner records point to gearbox noise or CVT reliability as the recurring problems to check before buying used.
The C70's pass rate warrants caution in the used market. Factor in likely first-test remedial work on the common failure items and get a pre-purchase inspection that covers the specific items this car trips on most.
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
778 occurrences · 4.6% of tests
- 02
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
677 occurrences · 4.0% of tests
- 03
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
630 occurrences · 3.7% of tests
- 04
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
601 occurrences · 3.6% of tests
- 05
A tyre cords visible or damaged
469 occurrences · 2.8% of tests
- 06
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
386 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
- 07
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
366 occurrences · 2.2% of tests
- 08
Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement
340 occurrences · 2.0% of tests
- 09
A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
308 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
- 10
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
284 occurrences · 1.7% 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 3 failures
£148–£370
If every one of this C70'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
Digital tyre-tread depth gauge
Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.
Search Amazon UK
My Motor World · affiliate
Parts & supplies for this fix
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Hycote
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Autotek
Autotek Volvo Dark Grey 228 300ml
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Autotek Volvo Ice White 300ml
£14.29
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Click Mechanic · affiliate
Book a mobile mechanic
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Owner reports · Honest John
What owners actually report.
Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.
What's good
Refined open-top cruiser with a metal folding roof. Classy interior design. Sharper looks after 2010 facelift. Strong diesel engines including D5.
Where it falls short
Steering lacks feel. Firm ride. Boot space difficult to get to with the roof down.
Recent owner-reported faults
- 16 Nov 2016
Report of repeated failures of 235/40/18 Pirelli P
- 16 Sep 2012
Powershift dual clutch automatic transmission requires fresh fluid every 3 years at a cost of £250.
- 1 Jan 0001
See earlier Volvo C70 2006-2010.
Source: honestjohn.co.uk · 3 reports indexed
Buying or keeping a C70?
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 C70 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.