2015 Volvo V40 — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2015 Volvo V40 passed 79.6% of its 96,884 recorded MOT tests. That is 4.8 percentage points worse than small family cars of a similar age, which fail at 15.6%. Failures cluster in suspension, tyres and lighting & signalling.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — suspension (8.3%) and tyres (6.5%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are coil spring, tread depth and headlamp aim — coil spring alone was recorded 7,523 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 24.5% versus 13.5%.
The petrol cars hold up better: 18.9% fail against 20.6% for diesel, a 1.7-point gap across 96,884 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 26.9% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 18.8% of tests failed in 2021 against 22.3% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 8.3% | 8,080 |
| 2 | Tyres | 6.5% | 6,314 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 6.0% | 5,786 |
| 4 | Brakes | 4.3% | 4,164 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 3.3% | 3,201 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.3% | 2,234 |
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 | 7,523 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 3,120 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 2,983 |
| 4 | Brake pads | 2,337 |
| 5 | Position lamp | 2,307 |
| 6 | Joints | 1,909 |
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 | 26.9% | 26,047 |
| 2 | Brakes | 18.0% | 17,417 |
| 3 | Suspension | 8.3% | 8,084 |
| 4 | Other defects | 7.1% | 6,841 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.9% | 2,841 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 2.7% | 2,584 |
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 | 5,479 | 13.5% |
| 30-60k | 32,280 | 18.1% |
| 60-90k | 35,135 | 21.3% |
| 90-120k | 17,058 | 23.3% |
| 120-150k | 5,273 | 24.2% |
| 150k+ | 1,582 | 24.5% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 81,578 | 20.6% |
| Petrol | 15,306 | 18.9% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 19,364 | 18.8% |
| 2022 | 19,307 | 19.2% |
| 2023 | 19,452 | 20.7% |
| 2024 | 19,344 | 20.8% |
| 2025 | 19,417 | 22.3% |
What to check before buying a 2015 V40
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 8.3% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (8.3% 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.
- Tyres (6.5% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
- Lighting & signalling (6.0% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
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 2015 Volvo V40s pass their MOT?
79.6% of the 96,884 2015 Volvo V40 MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 20.4% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2015 Volvo V40?
Suspension, recorded in 8.3% of tests, followed by tyres (6.5%).
Does the 2015 V40 get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 13.5% in the 0-30k band to 24.5% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 96,884 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.