2005 Volvo XC90 MOT pass rate: 62.8% (8,853 tests)

2005-registered Volvo XC90s passed 62.8% of 8,853 MOT tests in 2023–2025 — 1.7 points worse than same-age cars (64.5%). This is one of the lower-scoring XC90 years after correcting for vehicle age — inspect the individual car carefully.

62.8%Pass rate, 2005 cars

98.3Age-adjusted index (100 = average)

8,853Tests analysed

155,967 miMedian mileage at test

66.9% / 62.2%Petrol vs diesel pass rate

Is the 2005 XC90 getting worse?

Pass rate of 2005-registered cars across recent test years:

Test year	Pass rate
2023	61.7% -2.5 vs same-age
2024	63.2% -1.1 vs same-age
2025	64.0% -1.3 vs same-age

The raw rate normally falls as cars age. The “vs same-age” figure compares this cohort with all UK cars registered in the same year, so normal ageing is not mistaken for a bad model year.

What fails on a 2005 XC90

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	3,894	31.1%
2	Brakes	2,979	23.8%
3	Suspension	2,633	21.0%
4	Tyres	771	6.2%
5	Body, chassis, structure	625	5.0%
6	Steering	610	4.9%

All XC90 years compared

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage
2003	2,022	62.5%	-2.5 pts	150,468
2004	6,310	62.9%	-1.4 pts	159,556
2005 (this page)	8,853	62.8%	-1.7 pts	155,967
2006	7,074	64.6%	+0.2 pts	149,435
2007	7,298	64.6%	-0.5 pts	147,587
2008	4,681	66.7%	+1.6 pts	141,350
2009	9,694	69.6%	+3.2 pts	133,830
2010	17,426	70.9%	+3.6 pts	128,606
2011	12,528	72.2%	+3.1 pts	121,881
2012	8,660	75.6%	+4.4 pts	111,336
2013	7,181	75.9%	+2.6 pts	104,089
2014	6,806	76.7%	+0.8 pts	96,146
2015	8,040	80.7%	+1.9 pts	86,782
2016	15,514	81.5%	+0.1 pts	79,310
2017	16,314	85.0%	+1.0 pts	68,627
2018	18,492	86.8%	+0.4 pts	57,578
2019	14,886	87.4%	-1.0 pts	46,166
2020	1,928	88.3%	-1.7 pts	37,743

Weighing up which year to buy? See the full ranking: Volvo XC90 years to avoid.

Buying a 2005 XC90? Two checks first

Free MOT history checkThe exact car’s failures, advisories and mileage trail — sellers can’t edit it
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

FAQs

Is a 2005 Volvo XC90 reliable?

2005-registered examples passed 62.8% of their MOT tests (8,853 tests, 2023–2025), -1.7 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 21 years old with a median 155,967 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.

What mileage is too high for a 2005 XC90?

The median tested example shows 155,967 miles. Anything far beyond that isn't automatically bad — a motorway-mile car with consistent service records often beats a low-mileage school-run car — but price accordingly and scrutinise the mileage trail for gaps or drops.

Should I buy the petrol or diesel 2005 XC90?

In this cohort petrols pass 66.9% of tests against 62.2% for diesels. Mileage and use can explain part of that gap, so treat it as a reason to inspect DPF and emissions history, not a fuel-type verdict.

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023–2025 extracts (96 million Class 4 initial tests; retests excluded). Only vehicles old enough for a routine first MOT are included. Age-adjusted figures compare the model-year cohort with all vehicles of the same registration year tested in the same calendar year. Contains public sector information licensed under OGL v3.0.