1,155 tests in 2025
Volvo 240 reliability and MOT pass rate
70.3% passed first time. The 29.7% fail rate is 7.1 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 35 years old with 140,844 miles.
Pass rate
70.3%
22.6% of all cars failed; 29.7% of these did.
Fixed on the day
4.4%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
140,844 mi
35 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 0 | — |
| 10-13 years | 0 | — |
| 14+ years | 1,155 | 29.7% |
What the 240 fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment10 dangerous50.7%
- Suspension9 dangerous37%
- Brakes43 dangerous36.4%
- Body, chassis, structure6 dangerous28.3%
- Noise, emissions and leaks22.2%
- Visibility22.2%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems12.8%
- Steering1 dangerous12.8%
Is the 240 getting worse?
The fail rate fell 2.5 points to 29.7% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (0 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1,522 | 32 | 32.2% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 1,404 | 33 | 30.6% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 1,206 | 34 | 31.9% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 1,155 | 35 | 29.7% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical 240 at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a 240 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength46 tests
- 2Position lamp: not working37 tests
- 3Prescribed areas: prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced35 tests
- 4Stop lamp: not working34 tests
- 5Washers: not working30 tests
- 6Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps29 tests
- 7Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn28 tests
- 8Service brake imbalance: across an axle28 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical 240 collects 3.6 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine182 tests
- 2Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases121 tests
- 3Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn102 tests
- 4Non-component advisories: Play in steering rack inner joint(s)97 tests
- 5Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm84 tests
- 6Wheel bearings: has excessive play84 tests
- 7Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure81 tests
- 8Flexible brake hoses: excessively deteriorated81 tests
Questions
What is the Volvo 240 MOT pass rate?
70.3% of the 1,155 Volvo 240 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 29.7% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 4.4% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Volvo 240 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength", recorded on 46 failed tests, followed by "Position lamp: not working" and "Prescribed areas: prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced". By section, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 50.7% of failures, suspension appears in 37% of failures, brakes appears in 36.4% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was n/a%; at 14+ years it was 29.7%. The median Volvo 240 tested in 2025 was 35 years old with 140,844 miles.
Is the Volvo 240 getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 2.5 points to 29.7% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (0 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every 240 trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
Other Volvo models
Checking a particular 240?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.