MOT cost .
Volvo S80
MOT 2023
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Volvo

S80

9,515 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where S80s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 2.3 points below the UK fleet average across our 1,988 tracked models — buyers should expect more first-time fails than the typical UK car.

Pass

73.4%

Pass-after-fix

6.2%

Fail

19.7%

Avg miles

123,453

Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%

The picture

S80: middle-of-the-pack on first-time pass

Across 9,515 MOT tests, the S80 returns 73.4% first-time pass — below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a number-plate lamp out. A lamp out and windscreen damage round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 123,453, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.

Top ten reasons for rejection.

  1. 01

    A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources

    499 occurrences · 5.2% of tests

  2. 02

    A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning

    326 occurrences · 3.4% of tests

  3. 03

    Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

    290 occurrences · 3.0% of tests

  4. 04

    A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated

    258 occurrences · 2.7% of tests

  5. 05

    Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

    211 occurrences · 2.2% of tests

  6. 06

    A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

    185 occurrences · 1.9% of tests

  7. 07

    a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

    181 occurrences · 1.9% of tests

  8. 08

    A tyre cords visible or damaged

    175 occurrences · 1.8% of tests

  9. 09

    A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play

    158 occurrences · 1.7% of tests

  10. 10

    A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc

    144 occurrences · 1.5% of tests

Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.

Worst-case fix budget · top 2 failures

£68–£130

If every one of this S80's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →

Try the calculator

Build your own retest budget.

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.

Item 01 · Amazon UK

H7 / W21W bulb pack

A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.

Search Amazon UK

Item 02 · Amazon UK

Digital tyre-tread depth gauge

Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.

Search Amazon UK

Buying or keeping a S80?

Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.

If you own a S80 and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.