Volvo
3,654 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Xc40 Rdesign Pro T5 Recharge As pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 13.2 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
90.7%
Pass-after-fix
1.6%
Fail
7.5%
Avg miles
35,965
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 · 3,654 tests
Pass rate drops 1.7 points across the cohorts — recent Xc40 Rdesign Pro T5 Recharge A examples are doing worse than the early cars at the same tested age.
Pass
91.8%
Fail
7.3%
PRS
0.6%
Avg mileage at test
42,060 mi
Pass
90.0%
Fail
7.7%
PRS
2.3%
Avg mileage at test
32,057 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 878 MOT tests, the Xc40 Rdesign Pro T5 Recharge A returns 88.6% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a seriously damaged tyre. Windscreen damage and tyre tread under the limit round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 31,947, 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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A tyre seriously damaged
92 occurrences · 2.5% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
44 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
38 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
33 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
Wiper blade defective
32 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
27 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
25 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated
16 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
13 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements
10 occurrences · 0.3% 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 Rdesign Pro T5 Recharge A'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. A 1.7-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy Volvo Xc40 Rdesign Pro T5 Recharge A makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
91.8%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 91.8% — a 1.7-point improvement. Failures here are mostly wear items: has a cut in excess of the…, tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band.
Band to be cautious about
90.0%
2021+ registration
On the 2021-on band, the data shows a 90.0% pass rate against a fleet average of 91.8% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: has a cut in excess of the…, damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, and has ply or cords exposed. Average mileage on test for this band is 32,057 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (91.8% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2021+ (90.0% pass). That's a 1.7-point spread across 2,223 older tests and 1,431 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
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
Item 02 · 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
My Motor World · affiliate
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Mobile mechanic · UK-wide
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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 Rdesign Pro T5 Recharge A 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.
