Volvo
2,227 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Xc40 R Design T5 Recharge Autos pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 16.0 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
93.5%
Pass-after-fix
1.0%
Fail
5.1%
Avg miles
42,662
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Petrol cars first registered from January 2006 meet Euro 4 — compliant in London ULEZ, Birmingham CAZ, Bristol CAZ, and Glasgow LEZ.
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 2,227 tests
Pass rate is broadly flat across the cohorts — new and old Xc40 R Design T5 Recharge Auto examples track each other at the test bay.
Pass
93.3%
Fail
5.1%
PRS
1.2%
Avg mileage at test
48,569 mi
Pass
93.7%
Fail
5.2%
PRS
0.8%
Avg mileage at test
36,477 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 761 MOT tests, the Xc40 R-Design T5 Recharge Auto returns 90.5% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a seriously damaged tyre. Windscreen damage and wipers that don't clear the screen round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 36,165, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
ABI Insurance Group
Above average — worth comparing quotes before buying. 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 →
26–36
out of 50
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Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
56 occurrences · 2.5% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
31 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
Wiper blade defective
22 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
21 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
17 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
10 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
7 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
7 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
5 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
A suspension component fractured or likely to fail
4 occurrences · 0.2% 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
£140–£235
If every one of this Xc40 R Design T5 Recharge Auto'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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Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. Pass rates barely move across bands here, so the year you buy Volvo Xc40 R Design T5 Recharge Auto makes little measurable difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
93.7%
2021+ registration
the 2021-on band climbs to 93.7% — a 0.4-point improvement. Tests in this band average 36,477 miles — roughly 12K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, has a cut in excess of the… — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. Post-2020 examples are early in their MOT life and generally show the cleanest records.
Band to be cautious about
93.3%
2018–2020 registration
On the 2018–2020 band, the data shows a 93.3% pass rate against a fleet average of 93.7% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, has ply or cords exposed, and tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm. Average mileage on test for this band is 48,569 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2021+ (93.7% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2018-2020 (93.3% pass). That's a 0.4-point spread across 1,140 older tests and 1,087 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
Item 01 · Amazon UK
Bosch Aerotwin wiper blades
Cheap wipers fail the test on smear streaks. Bosch Aerotwins last a winter and clear a screen properly.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
Digital tyre-tread depth gauge
Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.
Search Amazon UK
My Motor World · affiliate
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Click Mechanic · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Mobile mechanic · UK-wide
Book a mechanic at your door.
Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.
Owner reports · Honest John
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
The Volvo XC40 is a premium compact SUV on the CMA platform, offering genuine Volvo quality at a more accessible price. The B4 and D4 engines are efficient and reliable. Google-based infotainment on newer variants.
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 a Xc40 R Design T5 Recharge Auto 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.
