2003 Volvo V40 MOT pass rate: 55.7% (2,831 tests)

2003-registered Volvo V40s passed 55.7% of 2,831 MOT tests in 2023–2025 — 9.3 points worse than same-age cars (65.0%). This is one of the lower-scoring V40 years after correcting for vehicle age — inspect the individual car carefully.

55.7%Pass rate, 2003 cars

90.7Age-adjusted index (100 = average)

2,831Tests analysed

121,621 miMedian mileage at test

55.9% / 54.9%Petrol vs diesel pass rate

Is the 2003 V40 getting worse?

Pass rate of 2003-registered cars across recent test years:

Test year	Pass rate
2023	54.8% -9.6 vs same-age
2024	56.6% -8.2 vs same-age
2025	56.0% -10.2 vs same-age

The raw rate normally falls as cars age. The “vs same-age” figure compares this cohort with all UK cars registered in the same year, so normal ageing is not mistaken for a bad model year.

What fails on a 2003 V40

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Brakes	1,058	22.0%
2	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	1,034	21.5%
3	Suspension	982	20.4%
4	Steering	382	7.9%
5	Body, chassis, structure	380	7.9%
6	Tyres	270	5.6%

All V40 years compared

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

Weighing up which year to buy? See the full ranking: Volvo V40 years to avoid.

Buying a 2003 V40? Two checks first

Free MOT history checkThe exact car’s failures, advisories and mileage trail — sellers can’t edit it
Topdon OBD2 scannersTopdon diagnostic scanners with full-system readouts
XTOOL diagnostic toolsXTOOL code readers for petrol and diesel cars
Autel UK testersAutel professional-grade diagnostic testers

FAQs

Is a 2003 Volvo V40 reliable?

2003-registered examples passed 55.7% of their MOT tests (2,831 tests, 2023–2025), -9.3 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 23 years old with a median 121,621 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.

What mileage is too high for a 2003 V40?

The median tested example shows 121,621 miles. Anything far beyond that isn't automatically bad — a motorway-mile car with consistent service records often beats a low-mileage school-run car — but price accordingly and scrutinise the mileage trail for gaps or drops.

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023–2025 extracts (96 million Class 4 initial tests; retests excluded). Only vehicles old enough for a routine first MOT are included. Age-adjusted figures compare the model-year cohort with all vehicles of the same registration year tested in the same calendar year. Contains public sector information licensed under OGL v3.0.