The MOT Files

Known faults, from the test record

Volvo S40 common problems

What fails on the Volvo S40 at MOT, which parts are behind it, and how each model year compares. From 15,238 DVSA test records.

Data updated

Quick answer

The Volvo S40's most common MOT problems are bulbs and lamps, suspension bushes, tyres, recorded in 37.9%, 34.0% and 28.2% of failed tests respectively. By model year, 2006 cars pass most often (60.3%) and 2011 cars least (57.0%), though most of that gap is age. Every figure here is what testers recorded, not what owners reported.

A “common problems” list is usually a forum thread: whoever had the worst day writes the longest post. This one is built the other way, from every Volvo S40 that took an MOT last year and what the tester wrote down. It cannot see breakdowns, electrical gremlins or a gearbox that hunts, because the test does not check those. What it can see, it sees across 15,238 cars.

By component

What wears out on a S40

Failure items grouped by the part behind them, with the share of failed Volvo S40 tests recording each. A part can carry several DVSA wordings; they are listed beneath. One failed test often lists several items, so shares do not sum to 100%.

  1. 1.Bulbs and lamps

    37.9% of failed tests

    Filament bulbs simply expire; the cheapest and most avoidable failure on the test, and one of the most recorded.

    • “A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained14.9%
    • “A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps” — explained7.1%
    • “Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements” — explained6.3%
    • “A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED” — explained5.3%

    Across all cars, bulbs and lamps failures climb 15-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long bulbs and lamps last

  2. 2.Suspension bushes

    34.0% of failed tests

    Rubber bushes in arms and links perish and split with age and load; the most recorded suspension item on the test.

    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained13.9%
    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained7.8%
    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained4.3%
    • “A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained4.0%

    Across all cars, suspension bushes failures climb 20-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long suspension bushes last

  3. 3.Tyres

    28.2% of failed tests

    Tread wears with every mile and sidewalls age and take kerb damage; the legal minimum is 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters.

    • “A tyre cords visible or damaged” — explained10.2%
    • “Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements” — explained9.6%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained4.7%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained3.7%

    Across all cars, tyres failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long tyres last

  4. 4.Coil springs

    17.9% of failed tests

    Springs fatigue and corrode where the coating chips, then snap, often at the bottom coil; potholes and salt accelerate it.

    • “A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened” — explained17.9%

    Across all cars, coil springs failures climb 20-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 12–14 years. How long coil springs last

  5. 5.Driveshaft gaiters

    15.5% of failed tests

    The rubber boot over each CV joint splits with age and flexing, then throws grease and lets grit destroy the joint.

    • “A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained15.5%

    Across all cars, driveshaft gaiters failures climb 21-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long driveshaft gaiters last

  6. 6.Parking brake

    14.1% of failed tests

    Cables stretch and seize, rear shoes and adjusters wear; efficiency is measured on the roller tester against the vehicle's weight.

    • “Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement” — explained7.6%
    • “Parking brake inoperative on one side” — explained4.5%
    • “Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value” — explained2.0%

  7. 7.Headlamp aim

    14.0% of failed tests

    Aim drifts with sagging suspension, a knocked lamp or a botched bulb change; adjustment, not a part.

    • “The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements” — explained6.0%
    • “The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements” — explained4.9%
    • “The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements” — explained3.1%

  8. 8.Wiper blades and washers

    12.0% of failed tests

    Rubber blades harden and split within a year or two; washer jets block and pumps fail.

    • “Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen” — explained5.0%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained3.6%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained3.4%

    Across all cars, wiper blades and washers failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long wiper blades and washers last

By registration year

S40 problems by year

MOT pass rate for Volvo S40 cars by the year they were first registered, from years with at least 1,000 tests. Every car in a row is the same age, so the rate is raw. Neighbouring years differ by a year of wear — a step of a point or two is age. No single step here is large enough to point at a generation change.

200557%
200660%+3.0
200759%−1.5
200858%−1.0
200958%−0.3
201059%+1.0
201157%−1.6
201260%+2.7

Last column: change on the previous year, in points. Years registered within the last three years have not yet been tested and are not shown.

Before it fails

What testers warn S40 owners about

Advisories are the same parts a year or two earlier. Share of all Volvo S40 tests carrying an advisory for each.

Go deeper

The rest of the S40 file

Common questions

What are the most common problems with a Volvo S40?
Going by what fails the MOT, bulbs and lamps (recorded in 37.9% of failed tests), suspension bushes (recorded in 34.0% of failed tests), and tyres (recorded in 28.2% of failed tests). These are the items testers actually record across 15,238 tests, not reports from owners, so they describe what goes wrong at the point where it has to be fixed.
Which Volvo S40 year is the most reliable?
By MOT pass rate, Volvo S40 cars registered in 2006 do best at 60.3% and 2011 cars do worst at 57.0%. Most of that ordering is simply age — newer cars pass more — so read the year table for steps larger than a couple of points between neighbouring years; those mark a change in the cars rather than the calendar.
Is the Volvo S40 reliable?
The Volvo S40 passes 57.7% of MOTs unadjusted; its fleet is too narrow in age or mileage for a fair national comparison. An MOT measures roadworthiness on the day rather than breakdowns or running costs, so this is a reliability measure in the narrow sense: how often the car meets the legal standard, and what stops it.
What should I check when buying a used Volvo S40?
Start with what fails most: bulbs and lamps, suspension bushes, tyres. Then read the car's own MOT history for advisories carried year to year without repair — the model tells you what to expect, the history tells you whether this owner dealt with it.

Analysis built from DVSA data of