Volvo 700 Series
Registered from 1990 to 1991.
About this model
The Volvo 700 series is a range of executive cars produced by the Swedish manufacturer Volvo Cars from 1982 to 1992. The 700 series was introduced in 1982 with the premium 760 models, followed two years later by the more basic 740s, which benefited from the 760's prestige, while sharing the same bodywork. The 700 series was then gradually replaced, beginning in 1990, by the 900 series. The 700, designed by Jan Wilsgaard, was originally to have been a replacement for the 200 series, but production of that model continued until the early nineties. The expensive 780, a Bertone-designed coupé version, entered production in 1986 and departed without a direct successor only four years later.
From the Wikipedia article Volvo 700 Series, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
What fails its inspection
Great Britain's MOT record for the 1990 2.0 petrol. 39 of 140 tests failed, 28%.
Better than 15% of 1990 cars. The typical one fails 21%, across 86 models with enough tests behind them to say.
| Where | Share of failures | Failed tests |
|---|---|---|
| Brakes | 36% | 14 |
| Suspension | 33% | 13 |
| Lights and electrics | 31% | 12 |
| Body and structure | 28% | 11 |
| Visibility | 28% | 11 |
| Steering | 23% | 9 |
The defects inspectors cite
- Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake
- Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen
- A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
- Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
- Emissions levels exceed default limits
- A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
Where it stands out against its peers
- Steering: failed more often than 91% of 1990 cars — 23% of its 39 failed tests, where an ordinary 1990 car has 8%.
Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.
NHTSA's investigations are American; no European regulator publishes an equivalent record, so this section has nothing to draw on for a European car. There is no European equivalent of the service-bulletin register either.
Before you buy one
Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.
- Brakes — 36% of its failures
- Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake
- A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
- Suspension — 33% of its failures
- Steering — 23% of its failures
- Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
- Lights and electrics — 31% of its failures
- A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
- Body and structure — 28% of its failures
- Visibility — 28% of its failures
- Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen
- Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen