2004 Volvo S40: MOT pass rate and reliability
59.7% of 2004 Volvo S40s pass the MOT first time, measured across 1,145 DVSA tests on that model year alone. The average one had covered 105,421 miles.
How the 2004 compares
- Against all Volvo S40s (63.6%, 18,113 tests): -3.9 points
- Against all 2004 cars (64%): -4.3 points
- National first-time pass rate, all cars and years: 77%
Every Volvo S40 model year
Pass rates fall as cars age, so the only fair comparison for a 2004 car is other cars of the same age. The full run for the Volvo S40:
| Year | Pass rate | Tests | Avg mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 60.8% | 209 | 94,189 |
| 2001 | 61.1% | 311 | 99,592 |
| 2002 | 58.7% | 443 | 102,015 |
| 2003 | 58.3% | 655 | 105,160 |
| 2004 | 59.7% | 1,145 | 105,421 |
| 2005 | 61.5% | 1,437 | 116,350 |
| 2006 | 64.3% | 1,684 | 117,539 |
| 2007 | 64.5% | 1,831 | 118,452 |
| 2008 | 64.1% | 2,893 | 114,170 |
| 2009 | 65.7% | 2,397 | 107,033 |
| 2010 | 63.8% | 1,985 | 108,658 |
| 2011 | 63.6% | 1,466 | 109,480 |
| 2012 | 67.3% | 1,284 | 102,728 |
What this means if you are buying a 2004 S40
The 2004 is a weaker year for this model, passing 3.9 points less often than the Volvo S40 average. Some of that is simply age, so compare it against the 2004 figure for all cars above rather than against newer examples. Check the exact car with the free MOT history checker before you buy, and run its VIN and mileage through our free VIN decoder and clocking check.
What a 22-year-old car fails on
A 2004 car is 22 years old now, and age drives the failure mix more than the badge does. Across all cars tested, these are the categories that actually cause failures:
- Lights and electrical: 10.36% of all cars tested
- Suspension: 8.65% of all cars tested
- Tyres: 6.23% of all cars tested
- Brakes: 6.1% of all cars tested
- Visibility: wipers, washers, glass: 4.65% of all cars tested
- Body, chassis and structure: 3.18% of all cars tested
That is above average and into the range where cambelts and water pumps are due if they have not already been done, so ask for the service history rather than take the mileage on trust. On a 2004 Volvo S40 the average at test was 105,421 miles, so treat anything far above that as a car that has worked harder than its peers, and anything far below as one worth checking for the faults that come from standing still.
The strongest year for this model is 2012 at 67.3%, and the weakest in our data is 2003 at 58.3%. That 9.0 point spread across the model's life is why comparing a 2004 car against a newer one tells you very little.
Nearby model years
- 2001 Volvo S40 - 61.1%
- 2002 Volvo S40 - 58.7%
- 2003 Volvo S40 - 58.3%
- 2005 Volvo S40 - 61.5%
- 2006 Volvo S40 - 64.3%
- 2007 Volvo S40 - 64.5%