Volvo XC40, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
185,158 Volvo XC40s are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 90% of initial MOT tests, 17.7 points above the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific XC40? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Volvo XC40 at the MOT
90% of 88,848 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the XC40 40th of 575 models. Volvo XC40s aged 3 to 5 years passed 90.2% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 6 to 10 years that fell to 87%.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Pass rate by age at test
Volvo XC40 tests in 2025.
Where XC40s fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Volvo XC40 tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick (21.2%), condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (17.7%) and tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (10.7%).
The MOT page lists every common XC40 MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The XC40's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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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.39.3% of XC40 failure items
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Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing.27.7% of XC40 failure items
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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.10.7% of XC40 failure items
Volvo XC40s in the UK
185,158 were licensed at the end of June 2026, more than any other Volvo. The number licensed has grown 304% since the end of 2020.
- Change since 2020
- +304%from 45,800 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2022half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2022 or earlier
- First registered in 2025
- 30,427
- Declared off the road
- 1,2040.6% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Volvo XC40s since 2017
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2017 | 8 |
| End of 2018 | 6,632 |
| End of 2019 | 21,644 |
| End of 2020 | 45,800 |
| End of 2021 | 70,782 |
| End of 2022 | 87,341 |
| End of 2023 | 111,904 |
| End of 2024 | 139,605 |
| End of 2025 | 168,963 |
| End of June 2026 | 185,158 |
How old they are
Licensed Volvo XC40s by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
A further 7 were first used before 2018.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 29,206 | 30,427 |
| 2024 | 29,407 | 30,229 |
| 2023 | 25,519 | 26,294 |
| 2022 | 15,621 | 17,093 |
| 2021 | 23,812 | 25,238 |
| 2020 | 23,978 | 25,067 |
| 2019 | 14,874 | 15,444 |
| 2018 | 6,510 | 6,843 |
XC40 engines and fuel
1.5 litre engines made up 50% of Volvo XC40 MOT tests in 2025, followed by 2.0 litre at 45%. Hybrid electric accounts for 54% of licensed XC40s and petrol for 21%. Electric examples were 5.1% of tests.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 88,847 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed XC40s
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 39,519 | 21% |
| Diesel | 11,155 | 6% |
| Battery electric | 15,739 | 9% |
| Plug-in hybrid | 17,860 | 10% |
| Hybrid electric | 100,885 | 54% |
Volvo XC40 recalls
14 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the Volvo XC40. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every XC40 is affected.
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Jun 2025 R/2025/211
BCM2 SW - Safety Notice
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Affected vehicles may experience a temporary loss of braking functionality after coasting downhill with 'B' mode selected or when using One Pedal Drive. This could potentially lead to a collision.
- Remedy
- Install modified software via an Over the Air (OTA) update.
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Jan 2024 R/2024/012
Due to a software error the left rear indicator may stop working. Should this happen it will be an intermittent issue and a message will be shown in the driver display. By turning the indictor off and back on again the indicator should return to full functionality: if the warning message is no longer displayed the indicator has full functionality
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- Solution is to upgrade the software.
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Sep 2023 R/2023/263
During driving or idle the O-Ring may become twisted or break. Should this occur there could be an oil leak a message for low engine oil level displayed in the vehicle or an unusual smell in the cabin. In a worst case scenario this could cause a thermal event
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- Replace O-Ring
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Jan 2023 R/2023/025
There may be a potential software error in the brake control module
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- Update the brake control module software.
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Dec 2021 R/2021/429
The starter motor may engage incorrectly
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The starter motor may engage incorrectly and this may lead to a noise when starting the engine or even non-start.
- Remedy
- Download modified software.
-
Sep 2021 R/2021/331
Potentially insufficient or missing welding connection in the hydraulic unit of the brake system
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- There may be an insufficient or missing welding connection in the Hydraulic Unit of the Brake System.
- Remedy
- Replace the Hydraulic Unit.
-
Feb 2021 R/2021/060
High voltage contactors in the battery energy control module may open during driving
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- High voltage contactors may open during driving resulting in a risk that the high voltage system may be unintentionally disconnected causing a loss of propulsion.
- Remedy
- Software upgrade to be carried out.
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Jan 2021 R/2021/025
Two nuts on the brake booster have been assembled with insufficient torque
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- Replace the existing two nuts with two locks nuts assembled with the correct torque.
XC40 vs similar cars
Head-to-head comparisons on the same 2025 DVSA data.
Other Volvo models
The most-tested Volvo models in 2025, against the XC40's 90% MOT pass rate.
Volvo XC40 FAQs
How many Volvo XC40s are there in the UK?
185,158 Volvo XC40s were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 1,204 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Volvo XC40 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 a 90% first-time pass rate for the Volvo XC40 across 88,848 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Volvo XC40 had any recalls?
14 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the Volvo XC40. The most recent was published in June 2025. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.
What should I check before buying a used Volvo XC40?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: tyres, brakes and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.
How do I check a Volvo XC40'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.
Already found an XC40?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Across the 1,382 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Volvo history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Volvo VIN check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to July 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.