Is the Volvo XC90 reliable?

The Volvo XC90 scores 71/100 on Forecourt's MOT-based reliability measure, ahead of 19% of the cars we track. That is computed from 1,233,563 real DVSA MOT test results.

How much does a used Volvo XC90 cost?

A 2023 Volvo XC90 with around 32,511 miles is worth roughly £35,850 today (typical range £32,350–£39,300). Dealer forecourt prices sit higher and part-exchange offers lower; newer or lower-mileage examples cost more.

How quickly does the Volvo XC90 depreciate?

A new Volvo XC90 typically loses about 44% of its value over the first three years, then depreciates more slowly. Buying at three to five years old avoids the steepest part of the curve.

What insurance group is the Volvo XC90?

The Volvo XC90 sits in insurance group 30 of 50 — the middle of the scale. Exact premiums depend on the trim (some versions sit a few groups higher or lower), your age, postcode and no-claims history.

What goes wrong on a used Volvo XC90?

The most common age-related issues we track for the Volvo XC90 are: brakes (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£500 to put right); tyres & wheels (typically around over 100k miles, £80-£500 to put right); lighting & signalling (typically around over 100k miles, £15-£120 to put right). A full service history and a recent MOT with no advisories are the best protection.

What does the Volvo XC90 cost to run?

Expect around 35 mpg combined on the XC90 B5 Petrol mHEV AWD, £200 a year in road tax, about £290 for a standard annual service. The full cost-of-ownership table above breaks this down per year and per mile for the exact year and mileage you choose.

Is the Volvo XC90 ULEZ compliant?

Most petrol Volvo XC90s from 2006 and diesels from September 2015 meet the Euro standards for London ULEZ and other UK clean-air zones, so they are generally exempt from the daily charge. Pure-electric versions are always exempt.

How many Volvo XC90s are on UK roads?

About 93,553 Volvo XC90s are currently taxed and on the road in the UK, from DfT vehicle-licensing data.

Ranked #88 car in the UK · SUV · 7,820 units sold last year

Volvo XC90

The second-generation Volvo XC90 (2014 on, facelifted twice) is the seven-seat luxury SUV that made Volvo's modern reputation - airy, beautifully trimmed and genuinely seven-adult usable. UK cars are B5/B6 mild hybrids and the T8 Recharge plug-in hybrid. It trades German firmness for outright comfort and one of the most relaxing cabins at the price, and remains a strong, safe family flagship.

How these figures are sourced — the valuation is anchored to a researched used-market price for this model (AutoTrader median, 2023 at 30k miles). Reliability, mileage and variant data are real DVSA MOT records. Dimensions, tyre sizes and costs, servicing figures and the insurance group are segment-level estimates rather than sourced per car, and are being replaced model by model.

Body: SUV
Years: 2018–2026
Fuel: Mild Hybrid / Plug-in Hybrid
Economy: 35 mpg
Insurance: Group 30

The short version

34/100

Forecourt score

Value 36 · Reliability 32 · catalogue percentiles

The Volvo XC90 holds its value about averagely and is dearer to run than most. Its MOT-based reliability is good — an MOT score of 71/100, ahead of 19% of the cars we track. On three-year value retention it ranks better than 36% of models.

The Forecourt score blends how this car ranks against the catalogue on value retention, reliability and insurance cost (weighted 40/40/20) — the from-new ownership picture. Higher is better; running cost is not yet folded in.

Pick your version

Estimates are tuned to the version you choose.

Fuel

Mild Hybrid · 1969cc

Power

250 ps

Drivetrain

AWD

Cam drive

Dry belt

Quoted MPG

35 mpg

The volume XC90 (Mk2). 2.0 four-cylinder petrol with 48V mHEV, 250 PS AWD. ~35 mpg from a seven-seat 2.2-tonne car. Cambelt-driven (dry) - scheduled service item.

Tell us about the one you're looking at

Year of registration2023

20182026

Mileage on the clock32,511 mi

0Expected: 32,511180k

Conditiongood

PoorFairGoodExcellent

Tidy and well looked-after for its age — the typical car.

Region

Remembered as you browse other cars.

Know the registration?

Optional — fills in the exact year and ULEZ status for your specific car. The registration isn’t stored.

Estimated market value

£35,850

Range £30,600 – £41,400

medium confidence

When new (2023)circa £67,000Age-based value£37,386Mileage adjustment+£0Condition & region-£9Market calibration+£373Forecourt price£37,750Private sale£33,900Part-exchange£29,850

Holdthis 3-year-old

Fair value — the 7-year mark is the sweet spot.

At 32,511 miles it’s about the ~36,500 typical for a 3-year-old.

Seen one for sale?

A data-led guide from the depreciation curve, UK parc trend and reliability — not financial advice.

The depreciation curve

How a 2023-registration Volvo XC90 loses value over time.

Marker = your selection
Dashed = mileage either side

What it costs to own

Over

Based on the 2023 car with 32,511 miles you entered above — worth about £35,850 today — here is the cost of owning it for the next 5 years, at roughly 10,837 miles a year.

5-year total

£26,272

Per year

£5,254

All-in per mile

£0.48

Fuel per mile

21.4p

If a company carAround £956/mo Benefit-in-Kind tax at the 40% rate (£478/mo at 20%) — 37% band

Depreciation£6,768

Fuel / energy£11,584

Servicing£2,570

Road tax£1,000

Insurance£4,350

If you're a company-car driver

At 37% BIK, a 40% taxpayer would pay about £956/month in company-car tax (£478/month at 20%) — on top of the running costs above. Full BIK table below for context.

Best age to buy — around 2 years

A 2-year-old example loses roughly £6,450 a year — 75% less than the £25,300 a one-year-old sheds. The steepest drop is behind it.

Uses current UK pump and home-charging prices (DESNZ weekly), typical-driver insurance and manufacturer service intervals. "Fuel per mile" is just the energy input — so an EV at ~9p and a diesel at ~22p make running-cost comparison direct. A guide; your own costs will vary.

How it compares

Where this car ranks against the 340 vehicles in our index — higher is better.

Holds its valuebetter than 36%

Reliabilitybetter than 32%

Fuel economybetter than 15%

Percentile rank across our full index. A measure is shown only where the data spreads meaningfully across the index.

Petrol, diesel, hybrid or EV?

How the available versions compare on price, running cost, and the headaches each tends to develop.

B5 petrol (volume)

Quietest, most comfortable 7-seat premium SUV. Better cruiser than Land Rover Discovery or BMW X5. Showing its age vs newer rivals (Mk2 launched 2015) but the latest 2024 facelift improves cabin tech notably. EX90 is the EV future.

New price: circa £70,000
Annual fuel / energy: £2,400
3-yr depreciation: 47%

Watch for

·Google infotainment occasional freezes (post-2022)
·Sensus infotainment pre-2022 dated and slow
·12V battery drain when parked >2 weeks
·Transmission shudder on pre-2020 cars (campaign-fixed)

T8 PHEV

Best mainstream 7-seat PHEV — retains 3rd row unlike many PHEV SUVs. 8-12% BIK economically dominant for £85k car. Range trails newest competitors but the 7-seat practicality is the unique selling point in PHEV-land.

New price: circa £85,000
Annual fuel / energy: £2,050
3-yr depreciation: 49%

Watch for

·43mi WLTP modest vs newest rivals
·DC fast-charging not supported
·Pre-2022 PHEV electric range only 26mi

Fuel/energy costs based on this week’s UK averages (w/c 03/08/2026) · Petrol 159.9p/L, Diesel 179.2p/L, Electricity 27.0p/kWh · DESNZ

Estimated insurance

Group 30 of 50 (upper-mid — pricier to insure) · Comprehensive · 3 years NCB

Indicative annual comprehensive premiums for this car, by driver age band and risk profile. Pick the combination closest to your circumstances.

No-claims bonus3 years

0 yearsBaseline: 3 years15+

Risk profile:

Estimated annual premium · typical, age 33-39

£870/ year

Roughly £73 per month

Typical

Average UK driver — 3 years NCB, average postcode, no recent claims.

Age band	Lower risk	Typical	Higher risk
Age 17-25	£1,984	£2,480	£3,223
Age 26-32	£1,035	£1,218	£1,486
Age 33-39Selected	£766	£870	£1,027
Age 40-49	£650	£722	£838
Age 50+	£579	£644	£760

How we estimate this

Indicative annual comprehensive premium estimates. The 'Typical' figure represents an average UK driver in each age band; Lower and Higher risk show the realistic spread driven by factors UK insurers legitimately price on (postcode, occupation, claims history, NCB, voluntary excess, modifications). Based on 10,000 miles/yr, £250 voluntary excess, and the no-claims bonus selected above. Always get individual quotes before buying.

Expected annual costs

Adjust the annual mileage to match how you'll actually use the car. Insurance is what you selected above (age 33-39, typical risk, 3 yrs NCB).

Annual mileage10,837 mi/yr

2,000UK avg for this model: 10,83730,000

Routine service

£290

Annual main-dealer service

Major service

£280

Every 2 years, annualised

Road tax

£200

Standard rate, post year-one

Fuel

£975

35 mpg, £1.60/L

Insurance

£870

Age 33-39, group 30

Clean-air zones

✓ ULEZ compliant

Plug-in Hybrid, Mild Hybrid variants are compliant with London ULEZ and all UK clean-air zones.

Based on London ULEZ standards — Birmingham, Bath, Bristol, Sheffield, Glasgow and other UK clean-air zones generally follow the same rules.

Total expected£2,615 / year

Excludes depreciation and unscheduled repairs (see next section).

Unexpected costs

What out-of-warranty repairs typically run, by mileage band. Your selected mileage is highlighted.

0-30k miles

£120

per year · low risk

30-60k miles

£360

per year · low risk

60-100k miles

£780

per year · medium risk

100k+ miles

£1,350

per year · high risk

Tyres

215/65 R17 · 235/55 R18 · 235/50 R19

What a full set of four will cost you (including fit and balance), and which brand each tier of buyer should pick. A typical set lasts about 24,000 miles.

Budget

£400

set of 4, fitted · £85 per tyre

Mid-range

£580

set of 4, fitted · £130 per tyre

Premium

£840

set of 4, fitted · £195 per tyre

What to fit

Optional extras worth paying for

Factory options ranked by how much of their original cost they recover at resale. Anything above 70% return tends to make money back; below 40% is paying for your own enjoyment.

Option	New cost	Added used value	Return
Tow bar (factory-fit) Niche, but the buyers who want one will pay for it.	£650	£450	69%
Parking sensors & reversing camera Near-expected now — its absence costs more than its presence returns.	£500	£300	60%
Heated seats / cold-weather pack	£450	£200	44%
Adaptive / matrix LED headlights	£900	£400	44%
Metallic or premium paint Almost universal — an unusual colour is the bigger resale risk.	£600	£200	33%
Panoramic / opening roof	£1,100	£350	32%
Advanced driver-assistance pack	£1,500	£450	30%
Larger alloy wheels	£700	£200	29%
Premium sound system	£800	£200	25%

Parts most likely to fail

Drawn from owner reports and warranty data. Filtered for relevance to 32,511 miles.

Watch now

Failure typically happens around your current mileage.

Upcoming

A known weak point — but you haven't reached its usual mileage yet.

Already due

Past its usual failure mileage. Either already fixed, or about to.

BrakesUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £150-£500medium severityParts high

Recorded in 13.4% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 1,212,192 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

Tyres & wheelsUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £80-£500low severityParts high

Recorded in 5.4% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 1,212,192 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

Lighting & signallingUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £15-£120medium severityParts high

Recorded in 9.8% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 1,212,192 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

SuspensionUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £150-£450medium severityParts high

Recorded in 8.1% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 1,212,192 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

Driver's viewUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £60-£300low severityParts high

Recorded in 2.5% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 1,212,192 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

Identification & otherUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £20-£150low severityParts high

Recorded in 2.6% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 1,212,192 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

"Parts low/medium/high" indicates how easy the replacement part is to source — discontinued or specialist parts mean longer workshop time and bigger bills.

MOT outlook

How this model fares at its MOT as it ages — from 1,233,563 real DVSA test records.

MOT pass rate by age

85% at 3yr → 69.2% at 23yr

A 3-year-old XC90 passes its MOT 85% of the time; by 23 years that has slipped to 69.2%. The y-axis is zoomed to this model’s range so the trend is readable.

Longevity

91%of 8-year-old examples are still taxed and on the road — a useful read on how well the model lasts.

From 6,968 vehicles registered in 2018.

Survival by registration year

91% of 2018 cars still on the road

Each point is one registration cohort. Older cars on the left, newer on the right. A flatter line means the model holds up over time; a steep drop means cohorts disappear from UK roads faster.

What’s on the road

The fuel-type split of every XC90 with MOT history in the DVSA record. From 134,040 vehicles tested at least once - not the number on the road today, which is lower.

Diesel 54.0%
Hybrid 32.9%
Electric 6.5%
Petrol 6.3%

What fails at the first MOT

The defect categories a XC90 registered 2020–2023 fails on at its first MOT, from 23,293 first tests. Every car here is the same age and the same generation, so these are the faults that show up first - not the wear a high-mileage older example collects.

Tyres & wheels7.7%
Brakes1.3%
Driver's view0.7%
Lighting & signalling0.4%
Suspension0.2%
Seat belts & restraints0.2%

Share of first MOT tests recording at least one defect in that category. DVSA test-item categories, not parts: “Driver’s view” covers mirrors, wipers and glass.

Typical mileage by age

The average odometer reading for a XC90 at MOT, by age — measured from the same DVSA records, not assumed. A useful yardstick for whether a given car has done more or fewer miles than its age suggests.

3 yr36,500
4 yr47,128
5 yr57,557
6 yr68,244
7 yr78,620
8 yr88,628
9 yr98,097
10 yr106,984
11 yr115,231
12 yr122,430
13 yr129,349
14 yr135,537

Mean recorded mileage at MOT by vehicle age, from DVSA test records. Ages below three are not shown: the first MOT is due at three years, so the few cars tested earlier are a self-selected minority rather than a representative sample. Ages with at least 10 tests shown.

Reliability

71/ 100

Good

First-MOT pass rate and defect rate for cars registered 2020 onward (23,293 first tests), with cohort survival — high confidence.

MOT outlook · age 5 years

81%first-time pass rate

19th percentile — Among the worst — investigate carefully

Based on 108,401 MOT tests · ranked against 248 catalogue models with comparable data

Where this car sits in the catalogue

Pass-rate distribution across 248 catalogue models

Things owners say

01The T8 PHEV is rapid and low-BIK if charged; the mild-hybrid petrols are simpler for high, un-plugged mileage.
02All three rows seat adults - a real rarity - and the boot is still decent with seats up.
03Air suspension (optional) rides superbly but check it carefully on older cars; repairs aren't cheap.

Safety recalls

Manufacturers occasionally issue safety recalls to fix a fault free of charge. You can check whether the Volvo XC90, or your exact vehicle, has any outstanding recalls on the official DVSA service.

Check on GOV.UK

Opens the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency recall checker. Choose the make, model and year of manufacture — no registration needed.

Theft risk

A general indicator from UK 2025 theft data and this car’s characteristics — not a prediction for any one vehicle.

Whole-car theft

Higher

Desirable SUVs like this are relay-theft targets — keyless entry can be exploited from the driveway in under a minute.

Parts theft

Higher

Hybrid versions are a catalytic-converter target — a hybrid cat is rich in precious metals and can be cut out in about a minute.

Worth doing

Keep keys in a Faraday pouch and away from the front door to block relay attacks.
A catalytic-converter guard or forensic marking makes a hybrid far less appealing to cut.
A visible steering lock is a cheap, strong deterrent on a frequently-targeted car.

Clean-air zones

Whether driving a Volvo XC90 into a UK clean-air zone will cost you anything. Rules use the same Euro standard across most zones — petrol from 2006 and diesel from 2015 onwards are exempt; pure electric is always exempt.

Charging zones for cars

City	Area	Daily charge	Likely outcome
London	All of Greater London (within the M25)	£12.50	Likely exempt Hybrid petrol engines from 2006 meet Euro 4.
Birmingham	Inside the A4540 Middleway	£8.00	Likely exempt Hybrid petrol engines from 2006 meet Euro 4.
Bristol	City centre and part of the Portway	£9.00	Likely exempt Hybrid petrol engines from 2006 meet Euro 4.
Glasgow	City centre	—	Likely exempt Hybrid petrol engines from 2006 meet Euro 4.
Edinburgh	City centre	—	Likely exempt Hybrid petrol engines from 2006 meet Euro 4.
Aberdeen	City centre	—	Likely exempt Hybrid petrol engines from 2006 meet Euro 4.
Dundee	City centre	—	Likely exempt Hybrid petrol engines from 2006 meet Euro 4.

Zones that don't charge private cars

Bath — City centre (Private cars and motorbikes are not charged).
Bradford — Outer ring road and the Aire Valley (Private cars are not charged).
Sheffield — Inside the A61 inner ring road (Private cars are not charged).
Newcastle & Gateshead — City centres and the Tyne, Swing, High Level and Redheugh bridges (Private cars are not charged).
Portsmouth — Part of the city centre (Applies to taxis, PHVs, buses, coaches and HGVs only).

Model-level guidance only. To check a specific registration, use the official gov.uk clean-air zone checker. Zone charges and boundaries are set by local councils and change over time.

Company car tax

What HMRC's Benefit-in-Kind charge looks like if you ran this Volvo XC90 as a company car, by tax year and income-tax band. Calculated from a CO₂ of 186 g/km and a WLTP electric range of 48 miles, using £77,500 as the P11D value.

Tax year	BIK %	Tax @ 20%	Tax @ 40%	Monthly @ 20%	Monthly @ 40%
2025-26	37%	£5,735	£11,470	£478	£956
2026-27	37%	£5,735	£11,470	£478	£956
2027-28	38%	£5,890	£11,780	£491	£982
2028-29	39%	£6,045	£12,090	£504	£1,008
2029-30	39%	£6,045	£12,090	£504	£1,008

P11D value is approximated from the latest new price; the exact figure on your tax code will depend on options fitted. The 4% diesel surcharge applies only to non-RDE2 (pre-2021) diesels — we assume RDE2 compliance for current models. Bands and rates from HMRC's Autumn Budget 2024 confirmation through 2029/30.

Servicing & the dealer network

How well-supported Volvo is across the UK — a practical read on how easy servicing, parts and warranty work will be to find.

Franchised UK dealers

~95

Solid network

Premium mainstream

Network size relative to the UK's largest (Volvo is 2.1% of all franchised outlets)

A solid network — a franchised dealer is usually within reasonable reach, and independent garages are generally familiar with the brand.

For context, the UK has roughly 4,500 franchised car-dealer outlets in total, plus about 15,500 independent garages.

Approximate figures, curated from public UK industry sources (NFDA, Car Dealer Magazine). Franchised networks shrink year on year — these indicate network size, not an exact count.

Dimensions & weight

These are segment estimates, not manufacturer figures. 296 of 325 catalogued cars share one of 14 identical dimension sets, so they describe a class rather than this particular car. Sourced figures replace them model by model.

Length

4,600 mm

Width

1,880 mm

Height

1,650 mm

Kerb weight

1,750 kg

Boot

500–1,600 L

Fuel tank

60 L

How many are still out there

How the UK Volvo XC90 fleet splits: taxed and on the road, parked off the road on a SORN, and gone from the register where that figure is available.

Currently registered

100,602

Currently taxed & on road

93,553

93% of all registered

SORN (off road)

7,049

7% of all registered

Scrapped or exported

n/a

not in this DfT extract

UK fleet trend — 2014 to 2025

+4.3% vs 2024

49,61093,553

Source: DfT VEH0124 vehicle licensing statistics (year-end 2025) · Updated 29 Jul 2026

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Same underpinnings

Built on the Volvo SPA platform

Volvo's large-car platform introduced with the second-generation XC90 in 2014. Underpins the 60- and 90-series cars. Different badges, often substantially different residuals, but broadly the same mechanicals and repair cost profile.

Volvo Scalable Product Architecture · Volvo Cars

Common questions

Volvo XC90, answered from the data

Is the Volvo XC90 reliable?: The Volvo XC90 scores 71/100 on Forecourt's MOT-based reliability measure, ahead of 19% of the cars we track. That is computed from 1,233,563 real DVSA MOT test results.
How much does a used Volvo XC90 cost?: A 2023 Volvo XC90 with around 32,511 miles is worth roughly £35,850 today (typical range £32,350–£39,300). Dealer forecourt prices sit higher and part-exchange offers lower; newer or lower-mileage examples cost more.
How quickly does the Volvo XC90 depreciate?: A new Volvo XC90 typically loses about 44% of its value over the first three years, then depreciates more slowly. Buying at three to five years old avoids the steepest part of the curve.
What insurance group is the Volvo XC90?: The Volvo XC90 sits in insurance group 30 of 50 — the middle of the scale. Exact premiums depend on the trim (some versions sit a few groups higher or lower), your age, postcode and no-claims history.
What goes wrong on a used Volvo XC90?: The most common age-related issues we track for the Volvo XC90 are: brakes (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£500 to put right); tyres & wheels (typically around over 100k miles, £80-£500 to put right); lighting & signalling (typically around over 100k miles, £15-£120 to put right). A full service history and a recent MOT with no advisories are the best protection.
What does the Volvo XC90 cost to run?: Expect around 35 mpg combined on the XC90 B5 Petrol mHEV AWD, £200 a year in road tax, about £290 for a standard annual service. The full cost-of-ownership table above breaks this down per year and per mile for the exact year and mileage you choose.
Is the Volvo XC90 ULEZ compliant?: Most petrol Volvo XC90s from 2006 and diesels from September 2015 meet the Euro standards for London ULEZ and other UK clean-air zones, so they are generally exempt from the daily charge. Pure-electric versions are always exempt.
How many Volvo XC90s are on UK roads?: About 93,553 Volvo XC90s are currently taxed and on the road in the UK, from DfT vehicle-licensing data.

Answers are generated from this car's Forecourt data — DVSA MOT records, DfT licensing statistics and our valuation model — and update with the weekly data refresh.