2012 Volvo S40 — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2012 Volvo S40 passed 75.2% of its 8,616 recorded MOT tests. Small family cars of a similar age fail 21.2% of the time, so this is 3.6pp worse than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and body, structure & corrosion.
What the MOT record shows
One area stands out: suspension, recorded in 13.4% of tests against 9.2% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are coil spring, joints and pins and bushes — coil spring alone was recorded 626 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 28.8% versus 10.1%.
The petrol cars hold up better: 19.4% fail against 26.3% for diesel, a 6.9-point gap across 8,610 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 28.1% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 23.6% of tests failed in 2021 against 26.7% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 13.4% | 1,156 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 9.2% | 796 |
| 3 | Body, structure & corrosion | 6.3% | 540 |
| 4 | Tyres | 6.2% | 532 |
| 5 | Brakes | 5.4% | 463 |
| 6 | Visibility | 3.6% | 310 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coil spring | 626 |
| 2 | Joints | 523 |
| 3 | Pins and bushes | 453 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 340 |
| 5 | Tread depth | 242 |
| 6 | Individual direction indicators | 207 |
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 | 28.1% | 2,423 |
| 2 | Suspension | 20.3% | 1,745 |
| 3 | Brakes | 19.5% | 1,677 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 9.9% | 850 |
| 5 | Other defects | 8.1% | 698 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 6.5% | 556 |
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 | 217 | 10.1% |
| 30-60k | 1,417 | 18.8% |
| 60-90k | 2,441 | 24.0% |
| 90-120k | 2,416 | 27.6% |
| 120-150k | 1,257 | 27.4% |
| 150k+ | 868 | 28.8% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 6,667 | 26.3% |
| Petrol | 1,943 | 19.4% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,817 | 23.6% |
| 2022 | 1,752 | 23.9% |
| 2023 | 1,752 | 24.9% |
| 2024 | 1,679 | 25.0% |
| 2025 | 1,616 | 26.7% |
What to check before buying a 2012 S40
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 13.4% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (13.4% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (9.2% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Body, structure & corrosion (6.3% of tests): The one to take seriously on older cars — corrosion to structural areas can be costly and is an MOT failure. Typical repair: £200–£1,500+.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 2012 Volvo S40s pass their MOT?
75.2% of the 8,616 2012 Volvo S40 MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 24.8% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2012 Volvo S40?
Suspension, recorded in 13.4% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (9.2%).
Does the 2012 S40 get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 10.1% in the 0-30k band to 28.8% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 8,616 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.