14,371 tests in 2025
Volvo S40 reliability and MOT pass rate
64.3% passed first time. The 35.7% fail rate is 13.1 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 17 years old with 108,387 miles.
Pass rate
64.3%
22.6% of all cars failed; 35.7% of these did.
Fixed on the day
6.7%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
108,387 mi
17 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 1 | — |
| 6-9 years | 0 | — |
| 10-13 years | 1,182 | 35.5% |
| 14+ years | 13,188 | 35.7% |
What the S40 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.
- Suspension414 dangerous51.1%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment7 dangerous38.8%
- Brakes596 dangerous28.1%
- Tyres1,391 dangerous23.5%
- Body, chassis, structure31 dangerous21.2%
- Visibility1 dangerous12.9%
- Steering44 dangerous12.5%
- Noise, emissions and leaks6 dangerous12.4%
Is the S40 getting worse?
The fail rate rose 0.4 points to 35.7% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 3.3 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 23,954 | 14 | 35.3% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 21,057 | 15 | 36% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 16,328 | 16 | 36.4% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 14,371 | 17 | 35.7% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical S40 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 S40 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Coil spring: fractured or broken823 tests
- 2Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt681 tests
- 3Position lamp: not working653 tests
- 4Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn505 tests
- 5Condition: has ply or cords exposed433 tests
- 6Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn422 tests
- 7Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements388 tests
- 8Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm380 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical S40 collects 3.12 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 1.6mm2,938 tests
- 2Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened1,755 tests
- 3Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn1,754 tests
- 4Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure1,396 tests
- 5Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine1,285 tests
- 6Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick1,279 tests
- 7Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened1,036 tests
- 8Sub-frame: corroded and seriously weakened767 tests
Questions
What is the Volvo S40 MOT pass rate?
64.3% of the 14,371 Volvo S40 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 35.7% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 6.7% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Volvo S40 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Coil spring: fractured or broken", recorded on 823 failed tests, followed by "Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" and "Position lamp: not working". By section, suspension appears in 51.1% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 38.8% of failures, brakes appears in 28.1% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 100%; at 14+ years it was 35.7%. The median Volvo S40 tested in 2025 was 17 years old with 108,387 miles.
Is the Volvo S40 getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 0.4 points to 35.7% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 3.3 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
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 S40 trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 32 safety recalls naming the Volvo S40: Volvo S40 recalls.
Other Volvo models
Checking a particular S40?
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.