Does the Volvo 800 Series fail the MOT on seat belts and airbags more than it should?
The Volvo 800 Series records 2.18 seat belts and airbags failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 3.33 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−1.15, 95% interval −1.54 to −0.75). It ranks 542 of 627 models on seat belts and airbags (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on seat belts and airbags · check a Volvo 800 Series by registration
What exactly fails on seat belts and airbags?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Volvo 800 Series is “The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired”, recorded 57 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired | 57 | 0.69 |
| Seat belt not functioning as intended or of an incorrect type | 41 | 0.49 |
| An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction | 38 | 0.46 |
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
Other pages for this model
Volvo 800 Series by postcode area · Volvo 800 Series body, chassis and structure failures · 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 steering failures · Volvo 800 Series suspension failures · Volvo 800 Series tyres failures · Volvo 800 Series visibility failures