Volvo 800 Series MOT pass rate: 68.7% (1,638 tests, 2025)

The Volvo 800 Series passed 68.7% of its 1,638 MOT tests in 2025 — 8.8 points below the UK average of 77.5%. The median tested example was 29 years old with 143,040 miles on the clock.

68.7%Pass rate (2025)

1,638MOT tests analysed

143,040 miMedian mileage at test

29 yrsMedian age at test

How the 800 Series compares

Volvo 800 Series

68.7%

UK average (all Class 4 vehicles)

77.5% across 33.1 million tests

Volvo average (all models)

79.0%

What fails most on the Volvo 800 Series

Across failed and rectified tests in 2025, these vehicle systems produced the most defects on the 800 Series:

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Brakes	389	23.4%
2	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	294	17.7%
3	Suspension	269	16.2%
4	Body, chassis, structure	200	12.0%
5	Noise, emissions and leaks	173	10.4%
6	Visibility	130	7.8%

Pre-MOT checklist for 800 Series owners

Based on the failure profile above, ten minutes with a torch before your test removes the most likely fail items:

Feel for a spongy pedal or pulling to one side; check pad wear through the wheel spokes if visible
Walk round with all lights on: one blown bulb is the most avoidable fail there is
Bounce each corner and listen for clonks over speed bumps — suspension is this model’s (and the UK’s) top failure system
Look underneath for corrosion around sills and subframes, especially on older cars
A blowing exhaust or visible smoke will fail; warm the engine fully before the test

Check the engine before the tester does

A stored fault code with the engine light on is an automatic Major defect. Scan and clear resolved faults before booking.

Topdon OBD2 scannersTopdon diagnostic scanners with full-system readouts
XTOOL diagnostic toolsXTOOL code readers for petrol and diesel cars
Autel UK testersAutel professional-grade diagnostic testers

Check a specific 800 Series before you buy

Pass rates describe the model; they can’t tell you about the one car you’re looking at. Run its plate through our free MOT history check to see its personal record of failures, advisories and mileage readings.

Other Volvo models

V4075.1% pass rate · 96,936 tests XC6080.4% pass rate · 89,014 tests XC9076.7% pass rate · 55,130 tests XC4090.1% pass rate · 51,844 tests V7070.3% pass rate · 37,950 tests V6078.6% pass rate · 31,553 tests V5061.0% pass rate · 26,122 tests C3065.2% pass rate · 20,590 tests

FAQs

What is the MOT pass rate for a Volvo 800 Series?

In 2025, 68.7% of 1,638 first MOT tests on the Volvo 800 Series were passes (UK average: 77.5%). Data: DVSA anonymised MOT results.

What does the 800 Series fail its MOT on most?

The biggest defect group is brakes (23.4% of its recorded defects), followed by lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment.

Is the Volvo 800 Series reliable?

MOT pass rate is one lens on durability: at 68.7% it performs below the national average at a median age of 29 years and 143,040 miles. Always check the individual car's history too.

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 extract (Class 4 initial tests only; retests excluded). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures rounded to one decimal place.