Volvo V90 Cross Country common problems and MOT failures
What goes wrong on a used Volvo V90 Cross Country, year by year: known faults from UK buying guides, the parts flagged at MOT more than on other cars (from 1,326 MOTs done during 2023–2025), and what to check before you buy one.
Pick the year
Most years have their own guide. The year is when the car was first registered (it’s on the logbook, or check the reg below).
What usually goes wrong with a Volvo V90 Cross Country?
We haven’t found widely reported faults for the Volvo V90 Cross Country in the UK buying guides we use yet. That doesn’t mean it has none, so check the car carefully and look at the MOT weak spots below.
Common Volvo V90 Cross Country MOT failures to check
Parts flagged at MOT well above the usual rate for cars the same age. From the DVSA’s results for every MOT done in Great Britain during 2023–2025.
Brake pads
up to 2.2× usualStands out on cars registered in 2019 and 2020.
Rough price £75–£175 (one axle) ClickMechanicAt the viewing: Listen for squealing or grinding when braking, and look through the wheel at how much pad is left.
Volvo V90 Cross Country MOT pass rate by year
Of the years since 2005 with plenty of MOT tests, the 2019 Volvo V90 Cross Country did best (88% passed first time, 3 points above all 2019 cars) and the 2020 did worst (87%, 0 points above all 2020 cars). Older cars fail more, so compare each year with all cars registered the same year.
Questions to ask the seller before buying a Volvo V90 Cross Country
Ask before you travel to see it. A seller who knows the car will have answers, and receipts.
- Any recent work on the brake pads? (Flagged at MOT 2.2× as often on the Volvo V90 Cross Country as on other cars the same age.)
- Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?
Looking at a Volvo V90 Cross Country?
Check the actual car: its own MOT history, whether it already shows these weak spots and what to ask the seller. Free, no sign-up.
Where this comes from: MOT figures are the DVSA’s anonymised results for every MOT test done in Great Britain during 2023–2025, grouped by the year each car was first registered. How many are on the road is from the Department for Transport’s vehicle licensing statistics. Known faults are from UK buying guides, in our own words, with links. How we score