Volvo
114,257 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where Xc90s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's in line with the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models.
Pass
77.4%
Pass-after-fix
4.1%
Fail
17.9%
Avg miles
106,460
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Trim variants
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 114,187 tests
Pass rate climbs 13.0 points across the cohorts — newer Xc90 examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
75.4%
Fail
19.4%
PRS
4.5%
Avg mileage at test
116,154 mi
Pass
88.4%
Fail
9.8%
PRS
1.5%
Avg mileage at test
53,236 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
Generations on file · 2
Volvo Xc90 · UK market
2002–2015
2015–now
Photos: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA / CC BY / public domain.
The picture
At 75.41% across 75,441 tests and an average of 102,296 miles, the XC90 performs modestly for a premium large SUV. Lamp failures dominate: inoperative light sources and headlamp lens defects take two of the three top failure reasons. T8 PHEV owners have reported electric-only range dropping to zero at 127,000 miles, with the engine simply starting regardless of battery state. A sealed Sport Key that developed a flat battery on a 2018 T8 at 22,000 miles cost £220 to replace — not covered under warranty. One pre-owned XC90 suffered brake failure at 60mph shortly after purchase due to an assembly error found on inspection. Check all exterior lights, test PHEV EV range realistically, and confirm brake system integrity before buying.
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 →
38–48
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A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
3,138 occurrences · 2.7% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
2,853 occurrences · 2.5% of tests
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
2,840 occurrences · 2.5% of tests
Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective
2,609 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
2,408 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
1,839 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
1,659 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
1,546 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
1,522 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement
1,454 occurrences · 1.3% 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
£78–£210
If every one of this Xc90'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 13.0-point gap between bands means the year you buy Volvo Xc90 has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
88.4%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 88.4% — a 13.0-point improvement. Tests in this band average 53,236 miles — roughly 63K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: less than 1.5 mm thick, damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view — 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
75.4%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 75.4% pass rate against a fleet average of 88.4% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: not working, inoperative in the case of multiple lamps…, and lens slightly defective. Average mileage on test for this band is 116,154 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme. Honest John records: "Report of numerous problems with 2015 Volvo XC90 T8. In three years it has had two complete software failures leading to no power."
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (88.4% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (75.4% pass). That's a 13.0-point spread across 96,733 older tests and 17,454 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
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
Headlight restoration kit
Yellowed lenses fail the light-output test. A restoration kit lifts the haze in an afternoon for £20.
Search Amazon UK
Item 03 · 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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Owner reports · Honest John
Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.
Where it falls short
Owner reports (8 entries) flag recurring problems with battery/electrical, electrical faults, brake discs.
Report of Key Tag (Sport Key) of 22k mile 2018 Volvo XC90 T8 failing, owner thinks because of a flat battery. But it is a sealed unit so the battery cannot be changed and not covered by warranty so owner must pay £220 for a coded replacement. IRS Cuts Millions in Tax Debt Before April 30th Deadline As the tax relief deadline nears, thousands of Americans are rushing to resolve their tax debts before the IRS imposes hefty penalties.Fresh Start Information Learn More Ask a Pro: "I'm 65 With $1.1M In An IRA. What's My Retirement Budget?"This quiz matches nearly 50,000 people each month with vetted financial advisors.SmartAsset Learn More Top 5 Mouse Repellents for 2026 Expert Product Review Learn More Why AI Brings Speech Clarity That Old Hearing Aids Just Can’t Match Understand speech in noise effortlessly AudioNova What Plumbers Won’t Tell You: The Cheap Hack for Clear Drains Trending Deal Journal Stop Wasting Groceries: The Fridge Mistake Most Households Make Consumer Check Sponsored IRS Forgives Millions in Tax Debt Before May 15 Apply Now As the tax relief deadline nears, thousands of Americans are rushing to resolve their tax debts before the IRS imposes hefty penalties.Fresh Start Information [![Image 37: Find Senior Women Who Bring The Spark [See Who's Online]](https://images.outbrainimg.com/transform/v3/eyJpdSI6IjIwN2QxY2ZhOGRlODY3YzNmZjc0N2Y0NDgxODc0MzJiMGE4MDEzODg0ZTZiMDIwY2MzZWQyYWNmMjViMDRjZTEiLCJ3Ijo0MDAsImgiOjMwMCwiZCI6MS4wLCJjaCI6MjAzNzE1NzAwNSwiY3MiOjAsImYiOjR9.webp)Sponsored Find Senior Women Who Bring The Spark [See Who's Online] Read more It all starts with a message.amorelation.com](https://amorelation.com/land/sp/17f2ebbb?utm_source=Outbrain&utm_medium=ua&utm_campaign=OBN_Amorelation_USA_All_Native_EU2_NewU_aOBX25_WL-exclude2_Creo-t_Text-t_mua_20Apr&campaign_id=004aea76c4e6e4694169bd0cc89a5ab731&utm_content=Find+Senior+Women+Who+Bring+The+Spark+%5BSee+Who%27s+Online%5D&partner=outbrain_datingsmatch&OutbrainClickId={{ob_click_id}}&subid={{ob_click_id}}&ad_id=00cb476e93938ef6545123d4a0ca2f0577&publisher_name={{publisher_name}}§ion_name={{section_name}}&publisher_id={{publisher_id}}&ad_name={{ad_name}}&obOrigUrl=true) Sponsored Trouble Sleeping? Why You Shouldn’t Take Melatonin!Health Report Sponsored Black Mold Spots On Bathroom Caulk? Try This $25 Fix Before Scrubbing Consumer World Sponsored Top 5 Binoculars for 2026 Expert Product Review Learn More * Terms and Conditions * Privacy * Cookies * Advertise on this site * Contact * Mobile) Website of the Year 2016, 2017 & 2018
Report of initial 20 miles fully charged EV range of Volvo T8 PHEV 'TwinPower' disappearing when first starting the car. Engine simply starts. Car has done 127k miles.
Report of brakes of Volvo XC90 failing on the motorway 200 miles after purchase. "No braking power between 60mph and 40mph no matter how hard I pressed the pedal." Volvo examined the car and found a part was not put in place during assembly.
Report of numerous problems with 2015 Volvo XC90 T8. In three years it has had two complete software failures leading to no power.
Complaint from owner that even when fully charged his Volvo XC90 T8 will not run for more than a few miles in EV mode without the petrol engine cutting in. A new 12v battery was tried in case there was a fault with the engine start/stop, but that made no difference.
Significant electrical/electronic problems reported with November 2016 Volvo XC90. Recurrent issues with low charge 12V battery which resulted in complete electrical failure within the first 4 months from purchase. Volvo UK had the car uplifted back to the Volvo dealer in April 2017 with the subsequent battery change and software upgrade seeming to have sorted the original problem.
Report of numerous annoying problems with leased Volvo XC90 T8. Within 24 hours of pick up it needed its main ECU replacing (gone for a week and half) and since then the heated seat on the drivers side doesn't work (2 visits, still no fix) and the nav / radio unit liked to reboot itself (2 visits, now fixed, fingers crossed). Since the last visit the driver's window started running slowly and the collision warning sensor likes to go off a lot more frequently than before.
Complaint of multiple software problems on Volvo XC90 "Like most other owners, I'm having lots of ongoing software problems with my car. Many of the functions for which I bought this car don't work at all, or work for a while after a software update and then fail again. Ongoing software issues are "resolved" by a latest software update which in most cases fixes the glitch temporarily but often has knock on effects to other software functions.
Source: honestjohn.co.uk · 8 reports indexed
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 Xc90 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.
