2012 Volvo S40: MOT pass rate and reliability
67.3% of 2012 Volvo S40s pass the MOT first time, measured across 1,284 DVSA tests on that model year alone. The average one had covered 102,728 miles.
How the 2012 compares
- Against all Volvo S40s (63.6%, 18,113 tests): +3.7 points
- Against all 2012 cars (70.8%): -3.5 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 2012 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 2012 S40
The 2012 is one of the stronger years for this model, passing 3.7 points more often than the Volvo S40 average. That is a point in its favour, though condition and service history still matter more than the model year. 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 14-year-old car fails on
A 2012 car is 14 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 2012 Volvo S40 the average at test was 102,728 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.
2012 is the strongest year on record for this model at 67.3%, ahead of every other year we hold data for.
Nearby model years
- 2009 Volvo S40 - 65.7%
- 2010 Volvo S40 - 63.8%
- 2011 Volvo S40 - 63.6%