Diesel Volvo V40: MOT pass rate

74.7% of diesel Volvo V40s pass the MOT first time, measured across 62,542 DVSA tests on that fuel type alone. Average mileage at test was 85,207.

Diesel against the other Volvo V40 versions

Why the fuel type changes the number

Diesels carry DPFs, EGR valves and stricter smoke limits, so emissions and exhaust faults account for failures petrol cars never see.

On the Volvo V40 specifically, petrol is the strongest at 79.4%, and this diesel version sits 1.7 points below the 76.4% model average.

What it means if you are buying one

The diesel Volvo V40 fails more often than the model average, so budget for the items that catch this fuel type and treat a fresh MOT as worth paying for. Buying a damaged one? run it through the analyzer, check the exact car, decode the VIN and check the mileage before you bid.

Mileage is part of the answer

The average diesel Volvo V40 had covered 85,207 miles at test, against 52,704 for the petrol. That is above average, the point where suspension bushes, drop links and exhaust corrosion start showing up as advisories before they become failures.

Fuel type and mileage are tangled together: diesels are usually bought by higher-mileage drivers, so some of any gap between fuels is the miles rather than the engine. The per-year figures on the Volvo V40 page separate age from fuel if you want to isolate one.

Most common MOT failures on a diesel Volvo V40

1. Smoke opacity levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limit, 1.6% of tests (6.08x the national rate for this defect)
2. Warning device shows system malfunction, 1.5% of tests (3.62x the national rate for this defect)
3. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 6.4% of tests (2.81x the national rate for this defect)
4. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 3.3% of tests (1.98x the national rate for this defect)
5. Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, 0.9% of tests (1.55x the national rate for this defect)
6. A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 2.1% of tests (1.35x the national rate for this defect)
7. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 2.9% of tests (1.33x the national rate for this defect)
8. A tyre seriously damaged, 3.3% of tests (1.18x the national rate for this defect)
9. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 3.7% of tests (1.17x the national rate for this defect)
10. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 1.9% of tests

From 62,806 DVSA-tracked diesel Volvo V40 tests, 2024, split out from the Volvo V40's other fuel types. DVSA testers marked 7.83% of these flagged defects as "dangerous", against 5.11% nationally. See which fuel type fails on the most dangerous defects nationally for how that compares across the whole fleet.

Most common MOT advisories on a diesel Volvo V40

Flagged but doesn't fail the car, a different list from the failures above.

1. A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting, 2.2% of tests (2.01x the national rate for this defect)
2. Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, 2.4% of tests (1.79x the national rate for this defect), also fails
3. Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution., 1.5% of tests (1.75x the national rate for this defect)
4. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 12.9% of tests (1.38x the national rate for this defect), also fails
5. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 34.5% of tests (1.29x the national rate for this defect), also fails
6. A tyre seriously damaged, 13.7% of tests, also fails
7. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 11.2% of tests, also fails
8. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 10.6% of tests
9. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 3.5% of tests, also fails
10. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 3.4% of tests

From 62,806 DVSA-tracked diesel Volvo V40 tests, 2024.

Other Volvo V40 fuel types

• Petrol Volvo V40 - 79.4%

All Volvo V40 MOT data · Every model