Volvo S40 MOT pass rate & common failures
139,228 MOT tests on the Volvo S40 (1996–2021) give it a 72.8% pass rate. That is 1.2 percentage points worse than small family cars of a similar age, which fail at 26.0%. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and brakes.
Best and worst S40 years
Ranked across S40 years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Build year matters more than the headline suggests: 2012 cars pass 75.2% of the time while 2003 cars manage 69.8%, a 5.4-point spread.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (14.6%) and suspension (13.7%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are position lamp, coil spring and headlamp aim — position lamp alone was recorded 7,783 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 14.0% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 30.5% once past 150k — 2.2× the risk.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 26.6% of the time against 27.9% for diesel.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 29.5% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
By model year
Every S40 model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 127 | 71.7% | 28.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1997 | 627 | 70.3% | 29.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1998 | 1,168 | 70.1% | 29.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 1,283 | 71.3% | 28.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 1,922 | 72.0% | 28.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 2,738 | 72.1% | 27.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 3,915 | 70.3% | 29.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 5,717 | 69.8% | 30.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 9,821 | 70.3% | 29.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 12,208 | 71.5% | 28.5% | Suspension |
| 2006 | 13,287 | 73.2% | 26.8% | Suspension |
| 2007 | 14,040 | 73.2% | 26.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 21,715 | 73.2% | 26.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 17,339 | 73.7% | 26.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 14,142 | 73.9% | 26.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 10,219 | 73.3% | 26.8% | Suspension |
| 2012 | 8,616 | 75.2% | 24.8% | Suspension |
| 2013 | 277 | 72.9% | 27.1% | Suspension |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 14.6% | 20,306 |
| 2 | Suspension | 13.7% | 19,037 |
| 3 | Brakes | 8.2% | 11,412 |
| 4 | Tyres | 6.5% | 9,070 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 5.5% | 7,709 |
| 6 | Visibility | 4.3% | 6,044 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 3.6% | 5,059 |
| 8 | Steering | 3.2% | 4,476 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Position lamp | 7,783 |
| 2 | Coil spring | 7,294 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 7,158 |
| 4 | Pins and bushes | 5,865 |
| 5 | Joints | 5,390 |
| 6 | Headlamp | 4,700 |
| 7 | Tread depth | 4,416 |
| 8 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 4,090 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 29.5% | 41,026 |
| 2 | Suspension | 28.8% | 40,058 |
| 3 | Brakes | 25.9% | 36,104 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 14.2% | 19,769 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 11.3% | 15,774 |
| 6 | Other defects | 11.0% | 15,299 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 1,878 | 14.0% |
| 30-60k | 14,083 | 20.4% |
| 60-90k | 32,913 | 25.2% |
| 90-120k | 41,173 | 28.4% |
| 120-150k | 28,708 | 29.6% |
| 150k+ | 20,411 | 30.5% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 72,786 | 26.6% |
| Diesel | 66,429 | 27.9% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 35,913 | 27.0% |
| 2022 | 31,598 | 26.8% |
| 2023 | 27,813 | 27.4% |
| 2024 | 23,895 | 27.7% |
| 2025 | 20,009 | 27.2% |
What to check before buying a Volvo S40
- Lighting & signalling (14.6% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (13.7% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Brakes (8.2% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Volvo S40?
72.8% of the 139,228 Volvo S40 MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 27.2% fail rate, across model years 1996–2021.
What does the Volvo S40 most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 14.6% of tests, then suspension (13.7%).
Which S40 years are best and worst for MOT results?
2012 has the best pass rate at 75.2% and 2003 the weakest at 69.8%, from 8,616 and 5,717 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect S40 MOT results?
Fail rates run at 14.0% for cars in the 0-30k band and 30.5% for 150k+, a 16.5-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel S40 more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 26.6% of the time against 27.9% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 139,228 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.