Used car guide

2018 Volvo V90 petrol: common problems and MOT failures

What MOT testers find on the petrol Volvo V90 first registered in 2018 (petrol cars only): we looked at the 1,448 MOTs these cars had during 2023–2025. Plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

1,448MOTs of 2018 petrol cars, done in 2023–2025
86%pass first time (all 2018 cars: 83%)
8,200typical miles a year
1.7×the usual rate for brake pads

What goes wrong more than usual on a 2018 Volvo V90 petrol?

Parts flagged at MOT more often on the 2018 Volvo V90 petrol than on all cars registered in 2018.

  • Brake pads1.7× usual
    Volvo V90
    18.4% All 2018 cars
    10.9%

    Failed outright at MOT: 3.9%, against 2% of all 2018 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £75–£175 (one axle) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for squealing or grinding when braking, and look through the wheel at how much pad is left.

  • Sidelights6× usual
    Volvo V90
    3.6% All 2018 cars
    0.6%

    Failed outright at MOT: 1.2%, against 0.5% of all 2018 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £10–£80 our estimate

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light while you work the switches: indicators, brake lights, fog lights and reversing lights.

Common 2018 Volvo V90 petrol MOT failures and advisories

The share of 2018 Volvo V90 petrol MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Tyres
    30% of testsRough price £70–£150

    At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

  • Brakes
    21% of testsRough price £150–£350

    At the viewing: Look for a lip on the disc edges and feel for judder or pulling when braking firmly from about 40mph.

  • Lights and electrics
    6% of testsRough price £10–£80

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light, including brake lights and indicators, while you operate them.

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    4% of testsRough price £15–£250

    At the viewing: Check for chips in the driver's view, and test the wipers and washers.

  • Suspension
    4% of testsRough price £120–£400

    At the viewing: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, and look behind each front wheel for a snapped coil spring.

  • Seats and seatbelts
    3% of testsRough price £80–£250

    At the viewing: Pull each seatbelt sharply. It should lock, and retract cleanly.

Questions to ask the seller before buying a 2018 Volvo V90 petrol

Ask before you travel to see it. A seller who knows the car will have answers, and receipts.

  1. Any recent work on the brake pads? (Flagged at MOT 1.7× as often on the 2018 Volvo V90 petrol as on other cars the same age.)
  2. Any recent work on the sidelights? (Flagged at MOT 6× as often on the 2018 Volvo V90 petrol as on other cars the same age.)
  3. Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?

Looking at a Volvo V90?

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Other years

Every year of the Volvo V90 compared

YearMOT testsMost flagged
2026–Too new for MOT data
2025–Too new for MOT data
2024–Too new for MOT data
2023–Too new for MOT data
20221,064Tyres 22%
20212,517Tyres 28%
20205,610Tyres 29%
201912,028Tyres 29%
20178,649Tyres 27%
20161,313Tyres 27%
1998128Suspension 42%
1997263Suspension 50%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test done in Great Britain during 2023–2025, counting the MOTs of Volvo V90 cars first registered in 2018. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score