77,245 tests in 2025
Volvo Xc40 reliability and MOT pass rate
91.5% passed first time. The 8.5% fail rate is 14.1 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 5 years old with 36,444 miles.
Petrol, diesel and hybrid versions. The electric version has its own page: Volvo Xc40 Electric.
Pass rate
91.5%
22.6% of all cars failed; 8.5% of these did.
Fixed on the day
1.5%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
36,444 mi
5 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 56,762 | 7.6% |
| 6-9 years | 19,945 | 11.3% |
| 10-13 years | 1 | — |
| 14+ years | 0 | — |
What the Xc40 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.
- Tyres2,032 dangerous46%
- Brakes2,577 dangerous36.7%
- Suspension273 dangerous7.6%
- Visibility4 dangerous6.8%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment1 dangerous5%
- Noise, emissions and leaks1 dangerous4.4%
- Body, chassis, structure3 dangerous3.2%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems3.1%
Is the Xc40 getting worse?
The fail rate rose 1 point to 9% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 22,472 | 3 | 8% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 44,354 | — | 8.2% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 55,058 | — | 8.4% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 65,837 | — | 9% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Xc40 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 Xc40 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick2,093 tests
- 2Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords1,474 tests
- 3Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm853 tests
- 4Condition: has ply or cords exposed433 tests
- 5Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively326 tests
- 6Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction235 tests
- 7Linkage: fractured202 tests
- 8Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn175 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Xc40 collects 2.07 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 1.6mm9,875 tests
- 2Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick8,604 tests
- 3Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure4,360 tests
- 4Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened3,372 tests
- 5Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn3,166 tests
- 6Non-component advisories: Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt2,443 tests
- 7Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords2,044 tests
- 8Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre1,712 tests
Questions
What is the Volvo Xc40 MOT pass rate?
91.5% of the 77,245 Volvo Xc40 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 8.5% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 1.5% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Volvo Xc40 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick", recorded on 2,093 failed tests, followed by "Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" and "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm". By section, tyres appears in 46% of failures, brakes appears in 36.7% of failures, suspension appears in 7.6% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 7.6%; at 6-9 years it was 11.3%. The median Volvo Xc40 tested in 2025 was 5 years old with 36,444 miles.
Is the Volvo Xc40 getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 1 point to 9% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
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 Xc40 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 14 safety recalls naming the Volvo Xc40: Volvo Xc40 recalls.
Other Volvo models
Checking a particular Xc40?
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.