Volvo
S40
34,758 MOT tests analysed. runs below the UK fleet average — here's where S40s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 10.4 points below the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — buyers should expect more first-time fails than the typical UK car.
Pass
67.1%
Pass-after-fix
5.2%
Fail
27.0%
Avg miles
111,534
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
This model's production run straddles the January 2006 Euro 4 cutoff. Individual cars vary — check your registration plate on the government's ULEZ checker. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 .
Generations on file · 2
Volvo S40 · UK market
1995–2012
–now
Photos: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA / CC BY / public domain.
The picture
Volvo S40: challenging MOT record across 28,007 tests
The Volvo S40 is a petrol-powered car sold in the UK market across multiple generations, covering a broad date range in the test population.
MOT data from 28,007 tests puts this car on a 66.7% first-time pass rate, well below the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 108,523 miles. The most common fail item is failed number plate light, followed by fractured or weakened suspension spring.
Honest John owner records point to electrical faults in the infotainment system as the recurring problems to check before buying used.
The S40's pass rate warrants caution in the used market. Factor in likely first-test remedial work on the common failure items and get a pre-purchase inspection that covers the specific items this car trips on most.
ABI Insurance Group
Group 16–26
Around the UK fleet average for insurance cost. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.
Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →
16–26
out of 50
Top ten reasons for rejection.
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- 01
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
1,776 occurrences · 5.1% of tests
- 02
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
1,516 occurrences · 4.4% of tests
- 03
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
1,160 occurrences · 3.3% of tests
- 04
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
1,137 occurrences · 3.3% of tests
- 05
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
1,092 occurrences · 3.1% of tests
- 06
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
1,071 occurrences · 3.1% of tests
- 07
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
1,010 occurrences · 2.9% of tests
- 08
A tyre cords visible or damaged
716 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
- 09
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
700 occurrences · 2.0% of tests
- 10
Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement
586 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 3 failures
£168–£515
If every one of this S40's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
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Tools that pre-empt a retest.
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Parts & supplies for this fix
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Owner reports · Honest John
What owners actually report.
Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.
What's good
Comfortable, safe and enjoyable. Good looks, backed up by a decent drive.
Where it falls short
Distracting reflections from dashboard and instruments. Floating dash panel doesn't suit everyone. Expensive problems with diesel more than three years old.
Recent owner-reported faults
- 4 Mar 2011
Volvo says, "Regarding the D2 diesel engine, the software has been improved so that particle filter regeneration is facilitated. As for all modern diesel engines with particle filter, it is still recommended to do some driving at a bit higher loads once in awhile, to ensure cleaning of the particle filter. However, our experience is that the D2 in V50 is really easy to regerarate, so it should work fine also for mostly city-driving. There is one second point concerning the D2: starting from late 2010 in V50, we do a hardware change from an additive particle filter to a cataly
- 1 Jan 0001
Special plastic electronic 'key' can get stuck in dashboard and in January 2006 Volvo was quoting until May 2006 to supply a replacement, offering custmers courtesy cars for that period. Timing belt tensioners of D5s have been failing, so advisable to change belts and tensioners at 4 years or 60k miles whichever comes first. Problems with 2.0 diesels include: wheel bearing failure, EGR valve failure, aircon issues, software problems and electrical gremlins. End of plastic dipstick of 1.6 diesel engine can break and drop into sump requiring removal of sump to retrieve it. ESP warning light can indicate Fault Code "Boost Pressure Sensor G201". This is embedded inside Teves Mk 60 ABS systems and requires replacement of ABS control unit/pump. Seems to be age-related, occurring mainly in 3 - 5 year old cars. Does not necessarily lead to an MoT failure. If car has been Volvo maintained, Volvo will usually meet 70% to 100% of replacement cost. Bosch ABS systems do not have the problem. Only affects cars up to 2007 model year. Does not affect S40s fitted with Bosch ABS units.
- 1 Jan 0001
Dodgy dealers and unscrupulous private vendors are now unplugging the ECU as no warning then shows on the dash. Replace the plug and the light 'ECU off' appears permanently whether you switch it on or off. Volvo dealers quote £1,000 for a new Diesel Particulate Filter for the 2.0 diesel.
Source: honestjohn.co.uk · 3 reports indexed
Buying or keeping an S40?
Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own an S40 and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.