Volvo V40 MOT pass rate: 75.1% (96,936 tests, 2025)

Name: Volvo V40 MOT statistics 2025
Creator: OBDCode UK
License: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Last updated 24 August 2026 · OBDCode UK editorial

The Volvo V40 passed 75.1% of its 96,936 MOT tests in 2025 — 2.4 points below the UK average of 77.5%. The median tested example was 9 years old with 73,631 miles on the clock.

75.1%Pass rate (2025)

96,936MOT tests analysed

73,631 miMedian mileage at test

9 yrsMedian age at test

How the V40 compares

Volvo V40

75.1%

UK average (all Class 4 vehicles)

77.5% across 33.1 million tests

Volvo average (all models)

79.0%

What fails most on the Volvo V40

Across failed and rectified tests in 2025, these vehicle systems produced the most defects on the V40:

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Suspension	11,514	24.5%
2	Tyres	10,450	22.2%
3	Brakes	9,557	20.3%
4	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	6,449	13.7%
5	Body, chassis, structure	3,249	6.9%
6	Noise, emissions and leaks	2,971	6.3%

Pre-MOT checklist for V40 owners

Based on the failure profile above, ten minutes with a torch before your test removes the most likely fail items:

Bounce each corner and listen for clonks over speed bumps — suspension is this model’s (and the UK’s) top failure system
Check tread with the 20p test and inspect sidewalls for cracking — tyres close to the limit are the country’s most common advisory
Feel for a spongy pedal or pulling to one side; check pad wear through the wheel spokes if visible
Walk round with all lights on: one blown bulb is the most avoidable fail there is
Look underneath for corrosion around sills and subframes, especially on older cars

Engine management light on?

An illuminated engine management light is a Major MOT defect. Read the code, repair the cause, then confirm the light stays off — clearing a code alone is not a repair.

Understand the engine management light and MOT rules →

V40 pass rate by registration year

Lower age-adjusted outliers to inspect carefully: 2002, 2003, 2004. Strongest age-adjusted years: 2012, 2013. Full ranking and method: Volvo V40 years to avoid.

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage	Pass-rate bar
2002	1,960	59.0%	-6.6 pts	121,358	59.0% visual scale
2003	2,831	55.7%	-9.3 pts	121,621	55.7% visual scale
2004	2,364	54.7%	-9.6 pts	117,289	54.7% visual scale
2012	6,917	68.6%	-2.6 pts	103,694	68.6% visual scale
2013	33,378	72.1%	-1.2 pts	96,650	72.1% visual scale
2014	47,774	72.5%	-3.3 pts	85,106	72.5% visual scale
2015	46,089	73.5%	-5.2 pts	75,494	73.5% visual scale
2016	45,644	77.2%	-4.1 pts	63,168	77.2% visual scale
2017	40,059	80.5%	-3.5 pts	52,983	80.5% visual scale
2018	38,203	82.3%	-4.1 pts	42,448	82.3% visual scale
2019	24,301	85.1%	-3.3 pts	33,913	85.1% visual scale

Same-vehicle follow-up

The defect groups above are a single-year count. The prognosis registry follows the same vehicle_id into the next MOT year. The extracts do not record the repair, a turbo part number, or a gearbox type.

Suspension: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Tyres: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Brakes: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Body, chassis, structure: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Noise, emissions and leaks: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold

On this model, these certificate lines have a published follow-up (cohort at least 200 cars):

Shock absorbers has light misting of oil — 429 cars · 7.9% failed the same item the next year
Ball joint has slight play — 633 cars · 7.1% failed the same item the next year
Linkage ball joints ball joint has slight play — 280 cars · 6.8% failed the same item the next year
Exhaust system has a minor leak of exhaust gases — 245 cars · 6.5% failed the same item the next year
Brake pads wearing thin — 6,908 cars · 6.1% failed the same item the next year

Check a specific V40 before you buy

Pass rates describe the model; they can’t tell you about the one car you’re looking at. Run its plate through our free MOT history check to see its personal record of failures, advisories and mileage readings.

Other Volvo models

XC6080.4% pass rate · 89,014 tests XC9076.7% pass rate · 55,130 tests XC4090.1% pass rate · 51,844 tests V7070.3% pass rate · 37,950 tests V6078.6% pass rate · 31,553 tests V5061.0% pass rate · 26,122 tests C3065.2% pass rate · 20,590 tests S6075.5% pass rate · 16,665 tests

FAQs

What is the MOT pass rate for a Volvo V40?

In 2025, 75.1% of 96,936 first MOT tests on the Volvo V40 were passes (UK average: 77.5%). Data: DVSA anonymised MOT results.

What does the V40 fail its MOT on most?

The biggest defect group is suspension (24.5% of its recorded defects), followed by tyres.

Is the Volvo V40 reliable?

MOT pass rate is one lens on durability: at 75.1% it performs below the national average at a median age of 9 years and 73,631 miles. Always check the individual car's history too.

Before you agree to the work

A fault or an advisory is a quote waiting to happen. These pages set out what a garage has to tell you, what a comparable written quote should include, and what you can do if the bill is not what you agreed.

Estimates, quotes and extra work — what a price has to cover, and when a garage may charge more than it first said.
What a diagnostic test costs — what the fee should include, and when it should come off the repair.
Tools — when to buy and when to skip — how to choose a diagnostic tool, and when a garage visit is cheaper than owning one.
Choosing a garage you can check — what to verify before you hand over the keys.
Your rights after a car repair — what to do when the work is not right, and how to put it in writing.

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 extract (Class 4 initial tests only; retests excluded). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures rounded to one decimal place.