No clear winner. Once age and mileage are allowed for, they pass the MOT first time less than 1.5 points apart. The best bets are XC60s registered from 2009 onwards, and XC90s registered from 2006 to 2020. No years of either stand out as ones to avoid.
| Volvo XC60 | Volvo XC90 | |
|---|---|---|
| Passed first time, cars registered 2014 to 2021 | 81.8% | 83.5% |
| Against the average car of the same age and mileage | +5.0 points | +5.0 points |
| Years to avoid | None stand out | None stand out |
| Best years | 2009 to 2022 | 2006 to 2020 |
| Fails most often, against the average car | No area stands out | Brakes: 1.3 times as often |
| Most common failure | Coil springs: fractured or broken | Sidelights and rear lights: not working |
| MOTs in 2025 | 118,802 | 72,495 |
How often cars from each registration year passed the MOT first time, against the average car of the same age and mileage. The figure is the difference in percentage points.
Each block is a registration year: the year the car was first used. Tap or hover over one for its figures. Blank means too few MOTs that year.
Points against the average car of the same age and mileage, with each year's most common failure. Less than 1.5 points apart counts as either.
| Registered | XC60 | XC90 | Better bet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Too few MOTs | +1.5Sidelights and rear lights (not working) | |
| 2006 | Too few MOTs | +3.3Sidelights and rear lights (not working) | |
| 2007 | Too few MOTs | +3.2Sidelights and rear lights (not working) | |
| 2008 | Too few MOTs | +4.0Sidelights and rear lights (not working) | |
| 2009 | +10.8Coil springs (fractured or broken) | +6.4Sidelights and rear lights (not working) | XC60 |
| 2010 | +10.1Coil springs (fractured or broken) | +7.0Sidelights and rear lights (not working) | XC60 |
| 2011 | +9.6Coil springs (fractured or broken) | +5.8Sidelights and rear lights (not working) | XC60 |
| 2012 | +9.7Coil springs (fractured or broken) | +9.1Sidelights and rear lights (not working) | Either |
| 2013 | +10.0Coil springs (fractured or broken) | +7.9Sidelights and rear lights (not working) | XC60 |
| 2014 | +6.3Coil springs (fractured or broken) | +3.8Sidelights and rear lights (not working) | XC60 |
| 2015 | +5.0Coil springs (fractured or broken) | +11.0Ball joint excessively worn | XC90 |
| 2016 | +3.9Coil springs (fractured or broken) | +7.8Track rod ends (ball joint has excessive play) | XC90 |
| 2017 | +3.9Coil springs (fractured or broken) | +7.1Brake pads (less than 1.5 mm thick) | XC90 |
| 2018 | +8.1Brake pads (less than 1.5 mm thick) | +5.9Brake pads (less than 1.5 mm thick) | XC60 |
| 2019 | +5.7Brake pads (less than 1.5 mm thick) | +4.4Brake pads (less than 1.5 mm thick) | Either |
| 2020 | +4.7Tyre damage (has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords) | +1.7Tyre damage (has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords) | XC60 |
| 2021 | +3.6Tyre damage (has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords) | +1.2Tyre damage (has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords) | XC60 |
| 2022 | +3.1Tyre damage (has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords) | +0.5Tyre damage (has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords) | XC60 |
How often each passed the MOT first time against the average car of the same age and mileage, in points. Over 120,000 miles: XC60s 6.0 points above the average car of the same age and mileage, XC90s 4.8 points above.
| XC60 | XC90 | Better bet | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 30k miles | +1.9 | −1.5 | XC60 |
| 30–60k miles | +5.0 | +2.8 | XC60 |
| 60–90k miles | +6.8 | +7.0 | Either |
| 90–120k miles | +7.3 | +8.2 | Either |
| 120k+ miles | +6.0 | +4.8 | Either |
| XC60 | XC90 | Better bet | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol | +5.8 | +3.5 | XC60 |
| Diesel | +6.3 | +6.1 | Either |
| Hybrid | +3.7 | +3.1 | Either |
Each fuel is compared with the average car of the same age and mileage, whatever its fuel. Rows with fewer than 500 MOTs for either car are left out.
How often each failed on every area of the test, against the average car of the same age and mileage. All registration years.
| Area | XC60: failed | Against average | XC90: failed | Against average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 6.0% | 0.8× | 4.5% | 0.5× |
| Steering | 1.5% | 0.9× | 2.1% | 1.0× |
| Brakes | 3.5% | 0.6× | 8.4% | 1.3× |
| Tyres | 5.3% | 0.8× | 6.7% | 1.0× |
| Lights & electrics | 5.5% | 0.6× | 8.2% | 0.7× |
| Visibility | 2.2% | 0.6× | 2.4% | 0.5× |
| Body & structure | 0.9% | 0.4× | 1.5% | 0.4× |
| Emissions & leaks | 1.3% | 0.5× | 1.0% | 0.3× |
The failures testers found most often on each, against the average car of the same age and mileage. Both charts use the same scale.
What testers most often noted as advisories on each: wear that passed but was close to failing. Figures in brackets are for the average car of the same age and mileage.
No clear winner
For cars registered 2014 to 2021, XC60s passed the MOT first time 5.0 points above the average car of the same age and mileage and XC90s 5.0 points above: less than 1.5 points apart. Choose by year, mileage and fuel instead.
+5.0points against the average car of the same age and mileage
+5.0points against the average car of the same age and mileage
There's no clear winner at the MOT. For cars registered 2014 to 2021, 81.8% of XC60s passed first time, 5.0 points above the average car of the same age and mileage, and 83.5% of XC90s, 5.0 points above.
None stand out: every registration year is within 1.5 points of the average car of the same age and mileage, or ahead of it.
None stand out: every registration year is within 1.5 points of the average car of the same age and mileage, or ahead of it.
Over 120,000 miles: XC60s 6.0 points above the average car of the same age and mileage, XC90s 4.8 points above. That's less than 1.5 points apart.
XC60: coil springs (fractured or broken), on 4.4% of MOTs against 2.2% for the average car of the same age and mileage. XC90: sidelights and rear lights (not working), on 3.5% of MOTs against 2.7% for the average car of the same age and mileage.
Data. Every car MOT in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT test data: 118,802 XC60 MOTs and 72,495 XC90 MOTs. Retests are left out.
Against the average car. Each model is compared with the average car of the same age and mileage, not with each other directly, so a newer or lower-mileage model doesn't win for that alone.
Which is more reliable. The answer uses cars registered 2014 to 2021, the same years for both, as the rivals table on each model page does. Less than 1.5 points apart counts as level.