Volvo S40 MOT pass rates & common failures

Every completed first-attempt MOT on a Volvo S40 in Great Britain in 2025 — 15,238 tests. Figures cover every S40 first-tested in 2025, all trims grouped. How the S40 ages, what it fails on, and what mileage is normal, computed directly from the official DVSA record of every test.

Pass rate 2025
57.7%
14.6 points below the class-4 average (72.3%); unadjusted for age — the age-matched comparison is below
Tests analysed
15,238
first tests, 2025
Arrived with a dangerous fault
12.5%
of S40 first tests; national 7.3%

How many Volvo S40 cars are still on the road?

At the end of 2025, DVLA's register held 19,527 Volvo S40 cars that were taxed or on SORN: 13,993 taxed and 5,534 on SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification — kept, but declared off the road by the keeper). The MOT figures above count tests; these count cars, across the whole United Kingdom, cars only. Volvo S40 vans, where they exist, are counted by DVLA as goods vehicles and are not in these figures.

Still taxed, end of 2025
13,993
71.7% of the 19,527 S40 cars taxed or on SORN; 179 model variants grouped
On SORN, end of 2025
5,534
declared off the road by their keepers — 28.3% of that total

How the numbers are moving

The number of taxed S40 cars peaked at 58,586 at the end of 2014 and has since fallen by 44,593 (76.1%) to 13,993 at the end of 2025. Cars on SORN went from 2,338 at the end of 2014 to 5,534 at the end of 2025, up 136.7%. A car leaves the taxed count when it is scrapped, exported or declared off the road; the year-end counts do not say which.

Taxed S40 cars, year by year

Cars of this model taxed and on the road at the end of each year, 2014–2025.

020k40k60k2014201620182020202220242025Year (count at the end of the year)Taxed S40 cars, year 2014: 59kTaxed S40 cars, year 2015: 53kTaxed S40 cars, year 2016: 48kTaxed S40 cars, year 2017: 43kTaxed S40 cars, year 2018: 38kTaxed S40 cars, year 2019: 33kTaxed S40 cars, year 2020: 29kTaxed S40 cars, year 2021: 26kTaxed S40 cars, year 2022: 23kTaxed S40 cars, year 2023: 20kTaxed S40 cars, year 2024: 17kTaxed S40 cars, year 2025: 14k14k
View this chart as a table
YearTaxed S40 cars
201458,586
201553,184
201647,969
201742,670
201837,751
201933,256
202029,483
202125,854
202222,707
202319,537
202416,590
202513,993

S40 cars on SORN, year by year

Cars of this model declared off the road at the end of each year, 2014–2025. Its own scale — SORN counts are a fraction of the taxed count.

02k4k6k2014201620182020202220242025Year (count at the end of the year)S40 cars on SORN, year 2014: 2kS40 cars on SORN, year 2015: 3kS40 cars on SORN, year 2016: 4kS40 cars on SORN, year 2017: 4kS40 cars on SORN, year 2018: 4kS40 cars on SORN, year 2019: 5kS40 cars on SORN, year 2020: 5kS40 cars on SORN, year 2021: 5kS40 cars on SORN, year 2022: 5kS40 cars on SORN, year 2023: 5kS40 cars on SORN, year 2024: 6kS40 cars on SORN, year 2025: 6k6k
View this chart as a table
YearS40 cars on SORN
20142,338
20152,953
20163,645
20174,019
20184,334
20194,775
20205,137
20215,201
20225,209
20235,457
20245,537
20255,534

Which model years survive

Taxed S40 cars at the end of 2025 by year of manufacture, and each year's share of the 13,993 taxed in all. Every build year holding at least 1% has its own row; the rest share one. A build year's count depends on how many were sold that year as well as how many have lasted.

Year of manufacture Taxed, end of 2025Share of taxed S40 cars
20121,2018.6%
20111,2779.1%
20101,63911.7%
20091,94013.9%
20082,27216.2%
20071,3559.7%
20061,1928.5%
20059837.0%
20047745.5%
20034593.3%
20022862.0%
20012161.5%
All other build years (seven years, each under 1%)3992.9%

Population source: Department for Transport / DVLA vehicle licensing statistics, table VEH0124, updated 15 July 2026; counts of the cars on DVLA's register that were taxed or on SORN at the end of each year shown, United Kingdom, cars only, excluding cars recorded with no model name. SortedCars groups DVLA's model name S40 under this model. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. SortedCars is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, DVLA or the Department for Transport.

How the S40 ages

First-time pass rate by vehicle age, S40 vs all cars, 2025.

Volvo S40All cars
50%60%70%80%90%100%3579111315171920Vehicle age (years)Volvo S40, vehicle age 13: 59.7%Volvo S40, vehicle age 14: 57%Volvo S40, vehicle age 15: 58.6%Volvo S40, vehicle age 16: 57.6%Volvo S40, vehicle age 17: 57.9%Volvo S40, vehicle age 18: 58.9%Volvo S40, vehicle age 19: 60.3%Volvo S40, vehicle age 20: 57.4%All cars, vehicle age 3: 88.5%All cars, vehicle age 4: 87.2%All cars, vehicle age 5: 86%All cars, vehicle age 6: 83.5%All cars, vehicle age 7: 80.9%All cars, vehicle age 8: 78.2%All cars, vehicle age 9: 74.9%All cars, vehicle age 10: 71.9%All cars, vehicle age 11: 68.6%All cars, vehicle age 12: 65.8%All cars, vehicle age 13: 63.5%All cars, vehicle age 14: 61.2%All cars, vehicle age 15: 59.3%All cars, vehicle age 16: 58.3%All cars, vehicle age 17: 57.2%All cars, vehicle age 18: 57.4%All cars, vehicle age 19: 57%All cars, vehicle age 20: 57.6%All cars 57.6%Volvo S40 57.4%
View this chart as a table
Age (years)S40 testsS40 pass rateAll cars
131,21959.7%63.5%
141,33457.0%61.2%
151,68858.6%59.3%
162,09657.6%58.3%
172,44357.9%57.2%
181,49658.9%57.4%
191,33460.3%57.0%
201,13657.4%57.6%

Better or worse than the average car?

The S40's pass rate minus the all-cars pass rate at each age, in percentage points. Bars above zero: the S40 beats the average car of that age. Below zero: it trails.

S40 aheadS40 behind
-6-3+0+3+6Age 13: -3.8 points vs the average car13Age 14: -4.2 points vs the average carAge 15: -0.7 points vs the average car15Age 16: -0.7 points vs the average carAge 17: +0.7 points vs the average car17Age 18: +1.5 points vs the average carAge 19: +3.3 points vs the average car19Age 20: -0.2 points vs the average car20Vehicle age (years)
View this chart as a table
Age (years)Gap (points)
13-3.8
14-4.2
15-0.7
16-0.7
17+0.7
18+1.5
19+3.3
20-0.2

The S40 fleet on the road, by age

How many took a first MOT in 2025 at each age — the shape of the S40 fleet still in use.

07501k2k3kAge 13: 1k13Age 14: 1kAge 15: 1k15Age 16: 2kAge 17: 2k17Age 18: 1kAge 19: 1k19Age 20: 1k20Vehicle age (years)
View this chart as a table
Age (years)First tests
131,219
141,334
151,688
162,096
172,443
181,496
191,334
201,136

What an S40 fails on

Where the failure items land when an S40 fails or needs a fix at test, 2025. Use it as a pre-purchase checklist: these are the areas to look at first.

Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment25.1%
Suspension24.2%
Brakes14.4%
Tyres10.1%
Body, chassis, structure8.1%
Visibility5.7%
Noise, emissions and leaks5.2%
Steering4.8%

Share of all failure items, 2025 — the 8 biggest categories shown (97.6% of the items); smaller categories are not listed.

The advisories to watch

Where testers most often write "keep an eye on this" for a S40, 2025 — the faults in the post.

Suspension: 29.8% of advisories29.8%Tyres: 23.8% of advisories23.8%Brakes: 22.4% of advisories22.4%Noise, emissions and leaks: 5.5% of advisoriesBody, chassis, structure: 5.1% of advisoriesLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment: 3.6% of advisories
SuspensionTyresBrakesNoise, emissions and leaksBody, chassis, structureLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
View this chart as a table
CategoryShare of advisories
Suspension29.8%
Tyres23.8%
Brakes22.4%
Noise, emissions and leaks5.5%
Body, chassis, structure5.1%
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment3.6%

Petrol, diesel or hybrid S40?

First-time pass rate for the two most-tested S40 fuel types, 2025, against the all-cars average. Fleet ages differ by fuel — newer fleets help the electrified bars.

50%60%70%80%90%100%all cars 72.3%Petrol: 59.3% of 8,199 tests59.3%Petrol8,199 testsDiesel: 55.8% of 7,033 tests55.8%Diesel7,033 tests
View this chart as a table
FuelTestsPass rate
Petrol8,19959.3%
Diesel7,03355.8%

What mileage is normal for an S40?

Mileage recorded at test by vehicle age, 2025. The line is the typical (median) S40; the shaded band holds the middle half. A car far outside the band, in either direction, is worth questions the recorded history can answer.

Typical S40 (median)
0k25k50k75k100k125k150k1315171920Vehicle age (years)Age 13: typical 103,750 miles (middle half 73,750–128,750)Age 14: typical 108,750 miles (middle half 83,750–136,250)Age 15: typical 106,250 miles (middle half 81,250–133,750)Age 16: typical 106,250 miles (middle half 78,750–133,750)Age 17: typical 111,250 miles (middle half 88,750–138,750)Age 18: typical 116,250 miles (middle half 88,750–143,750)Age 19: typical 111,250 miles (middle half 86,250–146,250)Age 20: typical 113,750 miles (middle half 83,750–141,250)113k mi

Mileage values are midpoints of 2,500-mile bands.

View this chart as a table
Age (years)Lower quarterTypical (median)Upper quarter
1373,750103,750128,750
1483,750108,750136,250
1581,250106,250133,750
1678,750106,250133,750
1788,750111,250138,750
1888,750116,250143,750
1986,250111,250146,250
2083,750113,750141,250

What fails at each age

The S40's failure mix by age band, 2025 — each band's top categories at their true share of that band's failure items; the pale remainder is everything else. How the mix shifts with age is the point of the chart.

SuspensionTyresLamps, reflectors and electrical equipmentBrakesBody, chassis, structureEverything else
View this chart as a table
Age bandCategoryShare of the band's failure items
10-13 yrsSuspension34.6%
10-13 yrsTyres15.7%
10-13 yrsLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment15.4%
10-13 yrsBrakes12.2%
10-13 yrsBody, chassis, structure10.7%
10-13 yrsEverything else11.4%
14+ yrsSuspension25.7%
14+ yrsLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment21.9%
14+ yrsBrakes15.8%
14+ yrsTyres10.3%
14+ yrsBody, chassis, structure8.5%
14+ yrsEverything else17.8%

More vehicles we've checked

How these figures are computed. Every number on this page is calculated by SortedCars from the DVSA anonymised MOT results dataset (every MOT test in Great Britain — 2025 for single-year figures; trend figures state their span, currently 2023–2025). Where a figure comes from a sample or uses banded values (mileage is banded to 2,500 miles), the page says so beside the figure. Test class 4 only, first tests only — retests are excluded. Class 4 is the car MOT class and also covers car-derived vans, pickups and motorhomes tested to the same standard; where this page says "cars" it means class 4. Pass rate = passes ÷ (passes + failures + pass-after-rectification): a vehicle that failed and was fixed during the visit counts as a fail. Pass rates describe fleets, not individual machines: they reflect how cars were driven, maintained and used as well as how they were built, and beyond recorded mileage none of that is in the data. A well-kept example of a model with a weak average can still pass; a neglected example of a strong one can still fail. No figure is shown for any group with fewer than 500 tests. Alias spellings of a make in the DVSA file are counted under one make name, and all trims and variants of a model are grouped under one model name, using SortedCars' grouping tables. The taxed and SORN counts on this page are the one exception: they are not computed from MOT records but taken from the Department for Transport's vehicle licensing statistics (DfT/DVLA table VEH0124, updated 15 July 2026, Open Government Licence v3.0), which count the cars on DVLA's register that were taxed or on SORN at the end of each year shown, UK-wide, cars only. They describe a model as a whole, grouped under SortedCars' model names, and say nothing about any one car. “Dangerous” is DVSA's statutory defect category (in force since May 2018): a defect posing an immediate risk to road safety — driving the vehicle before repair is an offence. What these figures are for. These statistics are general information about groups of vehicles. They are not advice, a valuation or a recommendation to buy, avoid or price any particular vehicle, and no decision about one car should rest on them alone — check the car itself and its own records. We take care over the calculations, but we cannot guarantee they are complete, current or free of error, and we accept no liability for loss arising from reliance on them. This does not limit any liability that cannot lawfully be limited — see our Terms & Conditions. If you believe any figure on this page is inaccurate, contact us. SortedCars is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the DVSA or DVLA. DVSA publishes the raw test records; the statistics on this page are SortedCars' own calculations from them. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.