Does the Volvo 800 Series fail the MOT on body, chassis and structure more than it should?
The Volvo 800 Series records 20.43 body, chassis and structure failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 15.09 expected for a car of the same age mix: more than expected for its class and age (+5.34, 95% interval +4.37 to +6.31). It ranks 92 of 663 models on body, chassis and structure (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on body, chassis and structure · check a Volvo 800 Series by registration
What exactly fails on body, chassis and structure?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Volvo 800 Series is “A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated”, recorded 688 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated | 688 | 8.30 |
| A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 471 | 5.68 |
| Exhaust system leaking or insecure | 227 | 2.74 |
| A body panel or body component damaged or corroded and likely to cause injury when grazed or contacted, or insecure | 39 | 0.47 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 8,287 (initial tests) · Method: failure items (major and minor) grouped by DVSA's defect tree; wordings with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
If a Volvo 800 Series gets a body, chassis and structure advisory, how often does it fail next time?
22.7% of Volvo 800 Series MOTs with a body, chassis and structure advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 38 miles later (652 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 652 (advisories followed) · Method: the same vehicles followed to their next ordinary MOT · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Other pages for this model
Volvo 800 Series by postcode area · Volvo 800 Series brakes failures · Volvo 800 Series vehicle identification failures · Volvo 800 Series lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Volvo 800 Series noise, emissions and leaks failures · Volvo 800 Series seat belts and airbags failures · Volvo 800 Series steering failures · Volvo 800 Series suspension failures · Volvo 800 Series tyres failures · Volvo 800 Series visibility failures