89.9%
Volvo C40 pass rate
Used Volvo C40 buying guide
In 2025, Volvo C40 cars passed 89.9% of 2,003 initial MOT tests, 17.6 points above the 72.3% UK average. Here is where it fails and what to check before you buy.
Looking at a specific C40? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Volvo C40 MOT record in brief
Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded.
72.3%
UK average, all cars
+17.6
percentage points above average
Ranked on pass rate the C40 sits 42nd of 575 models in the data. Volvo as a brand averaged 75.3%, so this model runs 14.6 points ahead of its own brand.
A pass rate is not a reliability score. The full Volvo C40 MOT record has the pass rate by age, every common failure and how the C40 compares with similar cars.
C40 fuel types
Most Volvo C40 cars tested in 2025 were electric. Electric cars need an MOT from three years old like any other car, and their tyres, brakes, suspension and lights are tested the same way.
Where the C40 fails its MOT
Where Volvo C40 cars that failed their 2025 MOT were marked down, as a share of all recorded failure items.
The specific items testers recorded most often were condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (24.2%), condition has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (16.8%) and condition has ply or cords exposed (13.7%). See every common C40 MOT failure.
These are DVSA failure records across every Volvo C40 that failed, not a claim that every C40 has these problems.
What should you check when buying a used C40?
The areas above, most common first, and what an MOT tester looks at in each.
1
Tyres
Check tread depth across the full width of every tyre (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear. 76.8% of C40 failure items.
2
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting. 10.5% of C40 failure items.
3
Visibility
Check the windscreen for chips or cracks in the driver's view, and that the wipers and washers clear it properly. 7.4% of C40 failure items.
4
Steering
Feel for play, knocking or stiffness in the steering, and check there is no steering warning light. 1.1% of C40 failure items.
5
Body, chassis, structure
Look underneath and along the sills for corrosion, and check for damaged or poorly repaired panels. 1.1% of C40 failure items.
None of this replaces the car's own record. Run a free MOT history check on the registration to see every test, advisory and recorded mileage for that car.
What the MOT record doesn't tell you
Knowing Volvo C40 failures cluster around tyres and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment tells you what to inspect. It tells you nothing about whether the car is safe to buy. An MOT does not show money still owed on the car, a write-off, a theft record or a clocked odometer.
Check the exact C40 you are looking at. One £15 report, instant results, backed by a £30,000 data guarantee. More on the Volvo history check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
Other used Volvo models
The most-tested Volvo models in 2025, with how their MOT pass rate compares with the C40.
Used Volvo C40 FAQs
Is the Volvo C40 reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is an 89.9% first-time pass rate for the Volvo C40 across 2,003 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
What should I check before buying a used Volvo C40?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: tyres, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and visibility. Then check the individual car's history: outstanding finance, insurance write-off records, stolen markers, mileage and previous keepers. None of these appear in the MOT record or on the V5C.
How do I check a Volvo C40's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability.