What year Volvo 240 is most reliable?

Based on MOT first-test pass rates, the 1980 Volvo 240 has the highest pass rate at 70.8%, out of 244 vehicles tested.

What are the most common Volvo 240 MOT failures?

The most common Volvo 240 MOT failures vary by year. Check the individual year pages for detailed defect breakdowns — links in the table above.

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Volvo 240 — Reliability by Year

18,732 vehicles · MOT data 1980–1993 · first-test pass rates

This page shows MOT first-test pass rates for each year the Volvo 240 was manufactured — click any year to explore that cohort in detail. Trying to decide which year to buy? See the full buying guide →

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Best pass rate year

1980

70.8% pass rate · 244 vehicles

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Lowest pass rate year

1986

61.3% pass rate · 995 vehicles

Year	Pass rate	Avg mileage	Vehicles
1993	67.8%	140,088 mi	1,637
1992	68.3%	145,343 mi	1,755
1991	68.3%	143,509 mi	1,630
1990	67.2%	145,919 mi	2,745
1989	67.7%	143,889 mi	3,345
1988	67.3%	145,282 mi	2,270
1987	65.0%	142,644 mi	1,960
1986	61.3%	129,823 mi	995
1985	61.4%	122,001 mi	441
1984	67.1%	119,656 mi	718
1983	67.7%	112,451 mi	451
1982	67.6%	108,195 mi	306
1981	68.0%	111,018 mi	235
1980	70.8%	105,915 mi	244

Which year Volvo 240 is most reliable?

MOT pass rate by year of manufacture — averaged across each vehicle's lifetime of tests.

Tests range from an average of 105,915 miles (newest year) to 145,919 miles (oldest year). Older years naturally accumulate more tests at higher mileages — see the mileage-normalised breakdown →

Trying to decide which year to buy?

We've done the full analysis — which years to look for, which to avoid, and where to find the best value for reliability on a Volvo 240.

See the buying guide →

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