Does the Volvo XC90 fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The Volvo XC90 records 3.18 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 2.91 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) (+0.27, 95% interval +0.21 to +0.32). It ranks 197 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 XC90 by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Volvo XC90 is “A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play”, recorded 6,103 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 6,103 | 1.61 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 1,778 | 0.47 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 1,161 | 0.31 |
| Power steering fluid leaking or system malfunctioning | 962 | 0.25 |
| Free play in the steering, measured at the rim of the steering wheel is excessive | 591 | 0.16 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 378,809 (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 XC90 gets a steering advisory, how often does it fail next time?
10.3% of Volvo XC90 MOTs with a steering advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 7,990 miles later (7,894 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 7,894 (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 XC90 2003 · Volvo XC90 2004 · Volvo XC90 2005 · Volvo XC90 2006 · Volvo XC90 2007 · Volvo XC90 2008 · Volvo XC90 2009 · Volvo XC90 2010 · Volvo XC90 2011 · Volvo XC90 2012 · Volvo XC90 2013 · Volvo XC90 2014 · Volvo XC90 2015 · Volvo XC90 2016 · Volvo XC90 2017 · Volvo XC90 2018 · Volvo XC90 2019 · Volvo XC90 2020 · Volvo XC90 in Norway · Volvo XC90 in Finland · Volvo XC90 in the Netherlands · Volvo XC90 by postcode area · Volvo XC90 body, chassis and structure failures · Volvo XC90 brakes failures · Volvo XC90 vehicle identification failures · Volvo XC90 lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Volvo XC90 noise, emissions and leaks failures · Volvo XC90 road wheels failures · Volvo XC90 seat belts and airbags failures · Volvo XC90 suspension failures · Volvo XC90 tyres failures · Volvo XC90 visibility failures