The MOT Files

Known faults, from the test record

Volvo V40 common problems

What fails on the Volvo V40 at MOT, which parts are behind it, and how each model year compares. From 97,266 DVSA test records.

Data updated

Quick answer

The Volvo V40's most common MOT problems are tyres, coil springs, bulbs and lamps, recorded in 39.5%, 28.9% and 13.0% of failed tests respectively. By model year, 2019 cars pass most often (80.6%) and 2012 cars least (61.9%), 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 V40 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 97,266 cars.

By component

What wears out on a V40

Failure items grouped by the part behind them, with the share of failed Volvo V40 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.Tyres

    39.5% 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.

    • “Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements” — explained12.6%
    • “A tyre cords visible or damaged” — explained12.2%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained8.0%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained3.1%

    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

  2. 2.Coil springs

    28.9% 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” — explained28.9%

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

  3. 3.Bulbs and lamps

    13.0% 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” — explained6.2%
    • “Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements” — explained2.7%
    • “A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED” — explained2.4%
    • “A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained1.6%

    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

  4. 4.Brake pads and shoes

    11.5% of failed tests

    Friction material wears with use; the MOT limit is 1.5 mm and a pad that thin is close to metal on metal.

    • “a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm” — explained11.5%

    Across all cars, brake pads and shoes 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 brake pads and shoes last

  5. 5.Suspension bushes

    10.7% 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” — explained3.2%
    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained3.1%
    • “A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained1.8%
    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained1.3%

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

  6. 6.Driveshaft gaiters

    10.0% 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” — explained10.0%

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

  7. 7.Brake and ABS warning lamps

    6.8% of failed tests

    A lit ABS or brake warning lamp fails; commonly a wheel speed sensor or a low fluid level.

    • “Warning device shows system malfunction” — explained6.8%

  8. 8.Headlamp aim

    6.7% 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” — explained3.3%
    • “The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements” — explained2.0%
    • “The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements” — explained1.4%

By registration year

V40 problems by year

MOT pass rate for Volvo V40 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. The step at 2016, up 5.6 points, is larger than wear explains and most likely marks a change in the cars themselves.

201262%
201366%+4.0
201467%+1.2
201568%+0.5
201673%+5.6
201778%+4.8
201879%+0.9
201981%+1.8

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 V40 owners about

Advisories are the same parts a year or two earlier. Share of all Volvo V40 tests carrying an advisory for each.

Go deeper

The rest of the V40 file

Common questions

What are the most common problems with a Volvo V40?
Going by what fails the MOT, tyres (recorded in 39.5% of failed tests), coil springs (recorded in 28.9% of failed tests), and bulbs and lamps (recorded in 13.0% of failed tests). These are the items testers actually record across 97,266 tests, not reports from owners, so they describe what goes wrong at the point where it has to be fixed.
Which Volvo V40 year is the most reliable?
By MOT pass rate, Volvo V40 cars registered in 2019 do best at 80.6% and 2012 cars do worst at 61.9%. 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. The largest such step is at 2016, up 5.6 points on 2015.
Is the Volvo V40 reliable?
Adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, the Volvo V40 passes 67.4% of MOTs against a national 72.3%. 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 V40?
Start with what fails most: tyres, coil springs, bulbs and lamps. 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