Does the Volvo S80 fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The Volvo S80 records 4.89 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 4.71 expected for a car of the same age mix: about as expected for its class and age (the difference is within its interval or under 0.5 items per 100 tests) (+0.18, 95% interval −0.01 to +0.36). It ranks 204 of 640 models on steering (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on steering · check a Volvo S80 by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Volvo S80 is “A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play”, recorded 1,255 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 1,255 | 2.28 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 587 | 1.06 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 468 | 0.85 |
| Power steering fluid leaking or system malfunctioning | 134 | 0.24 |
| A steering ball joint worn to the extent there is a serious risk of detachment | 61 | 0.11 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 55,163 (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 S80 gets a steering advisory, how often does it fail next time?
11.2% of Volvo S80 MOTs with a steering advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 6,191 miles later (1,345 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 1,345 (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 S80 1999 · Volvo S80 2000 · Volvo S80 2001 · Volvo S80 2002 · Volvo S80 2003 · Volvo S80 2004 · Volvo S80 2005 · Volvo S80 2006 · Volvo S80 2007 · Volvo S80 2008 · Volvo S80 2009 · Volvo S80 2010 · Volvo S80 2011 · Volvo S80 2012 · Volvo S80 2013 · Volvo S80 2014 · Volvo S80 2015 · Volvo S80 2016 · Volvo S80 in Norway · Volvo S80 in Finland · Volvo S80 in the Netherlands · Volvo S80 by postcode area · Volvo S80 body, chassis and structure failures · Volvo S80 brakes failures · Volvo S80 vehicle identification failures · Volvo S80 lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Volvo S80 noise, emissions and leaks failures · Volvo S80 road wheels failures · Volvo S80 seat belts and airbags failures · Volvo S80 suspension failures · Volvo S80 tyres failures · Volvo S80 visibility failures