Does the Volvo 900 fail the MOT on body, chassis and structure more than it should?
The Volvo 900 records 13.64 body, chassis and structure failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 15.50 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−1.86, 95% interval −2.50 to −1.22). It ranks 444 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 900 by registration
What exactly fails on body, chassis and structure?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Volvo 900 is “Exhaust system leaking or insecure”, recorded 895 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Exhaust system leaking or insecure | 895 | 6.19 |
| Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced | 322 | 2.23 |
| Body, cab or chassis excessively corroded at a mounting point | 135 | 0.93 |
| Fuel system leaking, or missing or ineffective filler cap | 81 | 0.56 |
| A driver's seat fore and aft adjustment mechanism not functioning as intended. | 59 | 0.41 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 14,448 (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 900 gets a body, chassis and structure advisory, how often does it fail next time?
14.4% of Volvo 900 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 1,812 miles later (1,820 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 1,820 (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 900 by postcode area · Volvo 900 brakes failures · Volvo 900 vehicle identification failures · Volvo 900 lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Volvo 900 noise, emissions and leaks failures · Volvo 900 seat belts and airbags failures · Volvo 900 steering failures · Volvo 900 suspension failures · Volvo 900 tyres failures · Volvo 900 visibility failures