Reliability report
Volvo 940 reliability and common faults
Based on 3,321 roadworthiness tests, led by the UK MOT. Each country is compared only with its own average for cars of the same age.
🇳🇱 Netherlands · APK
72.9%
with defects · average 68.4%
worse than average
2,451 APK inspections (RDW)
🇱🇹 Lithuania · inspection
42.8%
first-time pass · average 34.2%
much better than average
870 inspections
Testing regimes differ from country to country – don’t compare the figures between countries; compare each one only with its own average. MOT data: contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Weak spots
What goes wrong on the Volvo 940
How often each area fails compared with the average car of the same age (vertical line = average, 100%). Red – more often than average.
Exhaust and emissions
Body and structure
Steering
Brakes
Wheels
Lights and electrics
Tyres
Visibility
Seat belts and airbags
Plates and identification
Suspension
Most common test failures
- 1Excessive leakage of other fluids
- 2Exhaust system not gas-tight / unsafe exhaust gas discharge
- 3Steering or steering knuckle ball joint with wear of 1.0 mm or less
- 4Sidelight not working (properly)
- 5Number plate light doesn't work (properly) / missing
- 6Tyre(s) with tread depth of 1.6 to 2.5 mm
- 7Tyre pressure not at correct value
- 8Tyre insufficient tread
- 9Disc or drum brake doesn't run free
- 10Low beam incorrectly adjusted
- 11Steering knuckle (ball joint) too much play
- 12Tie rod end has too much play
Results by vehicle age
| Age | 🇬🇧 MOT fail rate | 🇳🇱 APK defects |
|---|---|---|
| 21+ years | — | 72.9% avg 68.4% |
🇱🇹 First-time pass rate in Lithuania – by year of manufacture
| Year | 940 | Average for year | Inspections |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 40.5% | 37.8% | 37 |
| 1997 | 41.7% | 36.9% | 60 |
| 1996 | 50.0% | 35.8% | 54 |
| 1995 | 47.3% | 34.8% | 110 |
| 1994 | 39.2% | 33.7% | 148 |
| 1993 | 43.1% | 33.4% | 144 |
| 1992 | 41.3% | 33.3% | 201 |
| 1991 | 40.8% | 33.5% | 98 |
Volvo 940 – FAQs
How reliable is the Volvo 940?+
In the Netherlands, inspectors found defects at 72.9% of APK inspections (average there 68.4%) – worse than average. In Lithuania 42.8% pass their roadworthiness test first time (average for those years there 34.2%) – much better than average.
What goes wrong most often on the Volvo 940?+
Compared with the average car of the same age, testers find faults more often in these areas: exhaust and emissions, body and structure, steering, brakes.
What should I check when buying a used Volvo 940?+
The most common inspection failures: Excessive leakage of other fluids; Exhaust system not gas-tight / unsafe exhaust gas discharge; Steering or steering knuckle ball joint with wear of 1.0 mm or less; Sidelight not working (properly); Number plate light doesn't work (properly) / missing. Before you buy, also check the free MOT history on GOV.UK and the car’s history by reg or VIN (mileage, damage, theft).
More Volvo models
Sources: anonymised MOT test results (DVSA) – contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0; APK inspection defects (RDW, open data); Lithuanian roadworthiness test results (data.gov.lt). Initial tests only; retests are not counted. Photo: Rudolf Stricker, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons (licence).