1,824 tests in 2025
Volvo C40 reliability and MOT pass rate
91% passed first time. The 9% fail rate is 13.6 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 3 years old with 27,302 miles.
Pass rate
91%
22.6% of all cars failed; 9% of these did.
Fixed on the day
1.1%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
27,302 mi
3 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 1,707 | 9.3% |
| 6-9 years | 0 | — |
| 10-13 years | 0 | — |
| 14+ years | 0 | — |
What the C40 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.
- Tyres106 dangerous90.2%
- Visibility6.1%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment4.9%
- Road Wheels3 dangerous1.8%
- Body, chassis, structure1.2%
- Identification of the vehicle1.2%
- Steering1.2%
- Brakes0.6%
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a C40 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords56 tests
- 2Condition: has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure37 tests
- 3Condition: has ply or cords exposed26 tests
- 4Size/type: of different sizes are fitted on the same axle.11 tests
- 5Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure10 tests
- 6Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm10 tests
- 7Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively9 tests
- 8Condition: has a lump, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure7 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical C40 collects 1.83 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.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm248 tests
- 2Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords102 tests
- 3Non-component advisories: Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt65 tests
- 4Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure62 tests
- 5Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre60 tests
- 6Tread depth: tread pattern not visible over the whole tread area when minimum depth required is 1.0mm51 tests
- 7Condition: has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure43 tests
- 8Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened39 tests
Questions
What is the Volvo C40 MOT pass rate?
91% of the 1,824 Volvo C40 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 9% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 1.1% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Volvo C40 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords", recorded on 56 failed tests, followed by "Condition: has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure" and "Condition: has ply or cords exposed". By section, tyres appears in 90.2% of failures, visibility appears in 6.1% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 4.9% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 9.3%; at 3-5 years it was 9.3%. The median Volvo C40 tested in 2025 was 3 years old with 27,302 miles.
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 C40 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 C40?
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.