The picture
Xc40: a strong MOT record by UK norms
Across 42,006 MOT tests, the Xc40 returns 90.3% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is brake pads worn below 1.5 mm. A seriously damaged tyre and windscreen damage round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 30,551, 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.
Top ten reasons for rejection.
- 01
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
1,628 occurrences · 3.9% of tests
- 02
A tyre seriously damaged
822 occurrences · 2.0% of tests
- 03
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
650 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
- 04
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
543 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
- 05
Wiper blade defective
469 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
- 06
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
245 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
- 07
A tyre cords visible or damaged
234 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
- 08
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
122 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
- 09
Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn
112 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
- 10
A tyre seriously damaged
81 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
£160–£300
If every one of this Xc40'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 →
Try the calculator
Build your own retest budget.
Tools that pre-empt a retest.
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
Brake pad measurement gauge
Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.
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
Item 03 · 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
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
It’s a thoroughly pleasant car to drive, with Volvo concentrating on ride comfort and safety, rather than sharp handling. It's a fairly cosseting thing to roll along in, although undulating roads can cause the body to bounce up and down a wee bit. And while dynamic handling certainly isn't the focus here, it gets around corners in a thoroughly stable and safe way. If you seek out an R-Design model on the used car market, it'll come with a sports chassis, but it’s still far from sporty.
Buying or keeping a Xc40?
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 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.