2011 VOLVO XC902.4L DIESEL

This Volvo XC90 has just passed an MOT on 27 May 2026 at 148,215 miles, but only days earlier it failed with a serious shock absorber leak, an excessively worn anti-roll bar joint, and a severely binding rear brake. The quick turnaround means repairs were done, yet the pattern of advisories shows several items are reaching the end of their service life. The failure sheet is revealing. The nearside front shock had a serious fluid leak – a new and significant defect not seen in previous years. That was addressed to secure the pass, but the offside front shock is now misting oil, so both front dampers are on borrowed time. The anti-roll bar wear has progressed: in 2025 the offside joint was worn enough to fail, and now the nearside one has done the same. Suspension arm bushes have been worn for three consecutive tests without becoming an MOT fail, but they aren’t improving. Brake binding appeared for the first time on this year’s failure; the offside rear was excessively tight, and after repair the nearside rear still binds lightly. That points to caliper or handbrake mechanism issues that may need further attention. The trend is clearly worsening.