89.9%
Volvo C40
Volvo C40 MOT pass rate and common problems
The Volvo C40 passed 89.9% of its initial MOT tests in 2025, 17.6 percentage points above the 72.3% UK average. The item testers recorded most often was condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords.
Checking a specific car? Its own results, advisories and recorded mileages are in a free MOT history check.
How the C40 compares
Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded. A car that failed and was repaired at the test station counts as a fail.
75.3%
Volvo average
72.3%
UK average, all cars
The C40 runs 14.6 points ahead of the Volvo average. It is 2nd of the 18 Volvo models in the data. The average C40 arrived at its test 3 years old with 29,161 miles recorded.
A pass rate records whether cars met the roadworthiness standard on test day. It is not a reliability score, and part of any gap reflects how old the tested cars were.
C40 MOT pass rate by age
The same 2025 tests split by the car's age at test.
| Age at test | Tests | Pass rate | vs UK average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 to 5 years | 447 | 89.9% | 17.6 pts above |
Every Volvo C40 tested in 2025 was aged 3 to 5 years, so there is no other age group to compare with. The UK average of 72.3% covers cars of every age, so compare like with like.
Where C40 failures cluster
Every failure item recorded on Volvo C40 cars in 2025, grouped into the DVSA's test areas.
Tyres and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment together account for 87.4% of recorded failure items. These are recorded failures across the model, not faults every car has.
The 10 most common C40 MOT failures
Specific items recorded on Volvo C40 cars that failed their 2025 MOT, as a share of all recorded failure items.
Together these 10 items make up 84.9% of everything testers recorded against failed Volvo C40 cars. The rest is spread across many smaller items, and one failed test often records several at once.
What to look at on a C40
The recorded failures above, grouped by area, biggest first.
1
Tyres
Recorded most often: condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords, condition has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure, condition has ply or cords exposed, size/type of different sizes are fitted on the same axle., tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, condition has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure, condition has a lump, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure and tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative. 75.1% of failure items.
2
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Recorded most often: headlamp aim too high. 5.3% of failure items.
3
Visibility
Recorded most often: wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively. 4.6% of failure items.
The car's own MOT history matters more than any model average. A free MOT history check shows whether a specific C40 has failed on these items before, or had them noted as advisories. Buying one? See the used Volvo C40 buying guide.
Already found one?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Volvo C40 MOT FAQs
What is the Volvo C40 MOT pass rate?
89.9% of Volvo C40 cars passed their initial MOT first time in 2025, from 2,003 tests. That is 17.6 percentage points above the 72.3% average for all cars, and ranks 42nd of 575 models.
What does a Volvo C40 most commonly fail its MOT on?
The item testers recorded most often on Volvo C40 cars failing their 2025 MOT was condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords, on 24.2% of failure items. Next were condition has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure (16.8%) and condition has ply or cords exposed (13.7%).
Which area causes the most Volvo C40 MOT failures?
Across every recorded failure item, the largest area was tyres at 76.8%, followed by lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment at 10.5%.
Does this mean every Volvo C40 has these problems?
No. These are the items testers recorded across every Volvo C40 that failed in 2025. They show where the model most often needs attention, not the condition of any individual car.
How do I see a specific Volvo C40's MOT history?
Enter its registration on the free Carpeep MOT history check to see that car's own test results, failures, advisories and recorded mileages.
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025: class 4 initial tests, retests excluded, with failure items from failed tests (advisories and minor defects excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability.