Volvo
11,426 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where S90s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 11.2 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
88.7%
Pass-after-fix
1.2%
Fail
9.7%
Avg miles
66,422
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Trim variants
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 11,410 tests
Pass rate climbs 3.4 points across the cohorts — newer S90 examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
86.9%
Fail
11.4%
PRS
1.3%
Avg mileage at test
75,895 mi
Pass
90.3%
Fail
8.3%
PRS
1.1%
Avg mileage at test
58,740 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 6,626 MOT tests, the S90 returns 88.6% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is brake pads worn below 1.5 mm. Tyre tread under the limit and windscreen damage round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 55,122, 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
A high-group car — insurance costs will be significantly above average. 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 →
36–46
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a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
278 occurrences · 2.4% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
190 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
160 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
129 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
119 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
71 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
Wiper blade defective
70 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
58 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play
54 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
54 occurrences · 0.5% 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
£200–£350
If every one of this S90'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.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 3.4-point gap between bands means the year you buy Volvo S90 has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
90.3%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 90.3% — a 3.4-point improvement. Tests in this band average 58,740 miles — roughly 17K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: less than 1.5 mm thick, tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. The stricter post-2018 MOT test rules meant manufacturers had to tighten up emissions and electrical checks, but this band still shows far fewer major failures on suspension and bodywork than the older fleet.
Band to be cautious about
86.9%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 86.9% pass rate against a fleet average of 90.3% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: less than 1.5 mm thick, damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, and tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm. Average mileage on test for this band is 75,895 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (90.3% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (86.9% pass). That's a 3.4-point spread across 5,160 older tests and 6,250 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
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
Brake pad measurement gauge
Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.
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
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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 S90 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.
