Volvo
S80
13,390 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where S80s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 2.6 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
74.9%
Pass-after-fix
5.9%
Fail
18.7%
Avg miles
124,387
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Some examples of this model are borderline — a small number of diesels were certified Euro 6 before September 2015. Check your registration on the government's ULEZ checker to be certain. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 · Bristol £9.00 .
The picture
S80: middle-of-the-pack on first-time pass
Across 9,515 MOT tests, the S80 returns 73.4% first-time pass — below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a number-plate lamp out. A lamp out and windscreen damage round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 123,453, 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 24–36
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 →
24–36
out of 50
Top ten reasons for rejection.
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- 01
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
660 occurrences · 4.9% of tests
- 02
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
350 occurrences · 2.6% of tests
- 03
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
293 occurrences · 2.2% of tests
- 04
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
276 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
- 05
A tyre cords visible or damaged
220 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
- 06
A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play
215 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
- 07
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
201 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
- 08
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
184 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
- 09
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
183 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
- 10
Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective
166 occurrences · 1.2% 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
£68–£130
If every one of this S80'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
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.
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
Also from January 2008, four-cylinder 2-litre turbodiesel with 136PS and 320Nm of torque and uses second-generation common rail technology, provides rapid throttle response and is fitted with a maintenance-free regenerating Diesel Particulate Filter as standard. SE of this version surprisingly pleasant to drive. Very high gearing of 37.5mph / 1,000rpm in 6th, but engine is strong enough and car is far from sluggish.
Where it falls short
S80 now from £24,995 for 2.5T and from £25,495 for 2.4D. 2.0-litre FlexiFuel bio-ethanol engine from January 2008. Called 2.0F produces 145PS and 185Nm of torque and offers combined fuel consumption of 34.9mpg in the S80.
Buying or keeping an S80?
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 an S80 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.