Volvo S40: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Volvo S40 fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 13.5 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 18,245 individual Volvo S40 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 63.2% first-time pass rate means roughly 37 in every 100 Volvo S40s presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is worse than average, so budget for remedial work and treat a fresh 12-month MOT as a genuine selling point rather than a given. The average Volvo S40 tested had covered 109,375 miles and was built around 2007.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Volvo S40 sits 13.5 points below the national average, ranked 1,891 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, assume the mechanical side needs more than the visible accident damage, and pad your repair estimate accordingly.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific Volvo S40 rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see recorded closing bids for damaged Volvo S40s at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Volvo S40

1. Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, 2.6% of tests (4.39x the national rate for this defect)
2. Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 2.9% of tests (3.95x the national rate for this defect)
3. A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 5.2% of tests (3.38x the national rate for this defect)
4. A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps, 2.6% of tests (2.93x the national rate for this defect)
5. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 5.6% of tests (2.47x the national rate for this defect)
6. A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 5.5% of tests (2.45x the national rate for this defect)
7. Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 2.8% of tests (2.17x the national rate for this defect)
8. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 3.6% of tests (2.16x the national rate for this defect)
9. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 5% of tests (2.14x the national rate for this defect)
10. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 10.4% of tests (2.08x the national rate for this defect)

From 18,237 DVSA-tracked Volvo S40 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 5.34% of these flagged Volvo S40 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Volvo S40

An advisory doesn't fail the car - the tester flags it as worth watching, but it still passes. A different list from the failures above: what testers are noting on a Volvo S40 before it actually fails on it.

1. Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, 5.5% of tests (3.98x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
2. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 7.4% of tests (2.6x the national rate for this advisory)
3. A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded, 11.9% of tests (2.3x the national rate for this advisory)
4. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 5.9% of tests (2.21x the national rate for this advisory)
5. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 10% of tests (2.11x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
6. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 25.2% of tests (1.88x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
7. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 9.4% of tests (1.69x the national rate for this advisory)
8. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 16.2% of tests (1.32x the national rate for this advisory)
9. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 2.5% of tests (1.27x the national rate for this advisory)
10. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 33.5% of tests (1.26x the national rate for this advisory)

From 18,237 DVSA-tracked Volvo S40 tests, 2024.

Volvo S40 pass rate by model year

From its 2001 to its 2012 model year, the Volvo S40's first-time pass rate has risen 6.2 points, from 61.1% to 67.3%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each Volvo S40 year:

• 2000 Volvo S40 - 60.8% first-time pass, 209 tests
• 2001 Volvo S40 - 61.1% first-time pass, 311 tests
• 2002 Volvo S40 - 58.7% first-time pass, 443 tests
• 2003 Volvo S40 - 58.3% first-time pass, 655 tests
• 2004 Volvo S40 - 59.7% first-time pass, 1,145 tests
• 2005 Volvo S40 - 61.5% first-time pass, 1,437 tests
• 2006 Volvo S40 - 64.3% first-time pass, 1,684 tests
• 2007 Volvo S40 - 64.5% first-time pass, 1,831 tests
• 2008 Volvo S40 - 64.1% first-time pass, 2,893 tests
• 2009 Volvo S40 - 65.7% first-time pass, 2,397 tests
• 2010 Volvo S40 - 63.8% first-time pass, 1,985 tests
• 2011 Volvo S40 - 63.6% first-time pass, 1,466 tests
• 2012 Volvo S40 - 67.3% first-time pass, 1,284 tests

Volvo S40 by fuel type

The Volvo S40's two most-tested fuel types split by 2.1 points: petrol passes first time 64.6% of the time (9,606 tests) against 62.5% for diesel (8,500 tests).

• Petrol Volvo S40 - 64.6% first-time pass, 9,606 tests
• Diesel Volvo S40 - 62.5% first-time pass, 8,500 tests

Other Volvo models

• Volvo V40 - 76.1%
• Volvo Xc60 - 81.2%
• Volvo Xc90 - 75.2%
• Volvo Xc40 - 90.5%
• Volvo V70 - 69%
• Volvo V60 - 79%
• Volvo V50 - 60.4%
• Volvo C30 - 65.2%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Fiat Punto - 63.5%
• Daihatsu Hijet - 63.3%
• Volkswagen Beetle - 63.2%
• Peugeot 306 - 63.2%
• Isuzu Tf - 63.2%
• Suzuki Carry - 63.1%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences
• Do you need an HPI check on a car you know is a write-off?

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate