2025 MOT results
Volvo XC40 common problems
The most common reason a Volvo XC40 fails its MOT is worn brake pads, on 26.1% of its 8,849 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 2 faults stand out: worn brake pads at 26.1% of failures against 9.2% expected; a split joint boot at 2.4% of failures against 1.1% expected.
- Tests in 2025 88,640 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 10.0% 8,849 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 4.9% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 34.6% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Volvo XC40 MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Volvo XC40 tests with that defect. Where we can compare it with cars of the same registration years, the marker shows what an average car of those ages records (11 of the 12 items below).
Most common reasons for failure
A test can fail for more than one defect, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 26.1% |
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 20.3% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 11.2% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 7.0% |
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 6.4% |
| Headlamp aim: too high Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.3% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 3.4% |
| Linkage: fractured Suspension | 2.5% |
| Tyres: bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres | 2.5% |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Body, chassis, structure | 2.4% |
| Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn Brakes | 2.2% |
| Tyre pressure monitoring system: malfunctioning or obviously inoperative Tyres | 1.8% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Worn brake pads
26.1% of failures 9.2% expected 2.8 times as often
Friction material worn under 1.5mm, thinner than the point most manufacturers call the limit.
Look through the wheel spokes at the pad against the disc; wear indicators squeal before they get this far.
-
Cut tyre
20.3% of failures 13.8% expected 1.5 times as often
A cut in the tyre deep or long enough to reach the structure underneath, usually from a kerb or debris.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
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Tyre worn below the legal limit
11.2% of failures 11.0% expected about as expected
A tyre worn past the 1.6mm legal minimum across the middle three quarters of the tread.
A 20p coin in the main grooves: if the outer band of the coin is visible, the tyre is close to the limit.
-
Wiper blades that do not clear the screen
7.0% of failures 13.4% expected 2 times less often
Wiper blades that leave the windscreen smeared or streaked across the area the driver looks through.
Look for split or hardened rubber, and lift each blade to see whether it still sits flat.
-
Tyre worn through to the cords
6.4% of failures 7.8% expected somewhat less often
The tyre is worn or damaged far enough to expose the cords underneath, which is a dangerous defect.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
-
Headlamp aim set too high
4.3% of failures 4.4% expected about as expected
The dipped beam points higher than it should, which dazzles oncoming drivers.
Nothing to do at the roadside, but a garage resets the aim in minutes; a sagging suspension corner or a heavy boot load can throw it out.
Which parts of the car fail
Tyres is the area that most often fails a Volvo XC40, on 43.0% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is brakes, on 30.2% against 15.7% expected.
Failure categories
DVSA's own sections of the test. The marker is what cars of the same registration years record.
| Defect category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Tyres | 43.0% |
| Brakes | 30.2% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 11.9% |
| Visibility | 10.2% |
| Suspension | 6.2% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 4.1% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 3.1% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 2.6% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
34.6% of Volvo XC40 tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Volvo XC40s, these are the items to ask about on a car you are viewing, because they are what the last tester expected to go next.
Most common advisories
Share of all tests, passes included.
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 14.7% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 10.6% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 5.5% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 4.3% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 3.9% |
| Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt Non-component advisories | 3.2% |
| Tyres: cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 2.8% |
| Nail in tyre Non-component advisories | 2.2% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged Tyres | 0.8% |
| Items removed from driver's view prior to test Non-component advisories | 0.5% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 0.4% |
| Seat belts: webbing slightly damaged or frayed Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 0.3% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Volvo XC40 problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Volvo XC40?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick” is the most common: it appears on 26.1% of failed Volvo XC40 tests. Across categories, tyres is the area that most often fails one, on 43.0% of failed tests.
How often does a Volvo XC40 fail its MOT?
10.0% of Volvo XC40 tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 88,640 tests of cars aged three and over. Allowing for the age and mileage of the cars tested, that gives it a UK Motoring Reliability Score of 59 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Volvo XC40 than on other cars?
Yes. “Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick” appears on 26.1% of its failures against 9.2% for cars of the same age, and “Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt” appears on 2.4% of its failures against 1.1% for cars of the same age. Where an item is missing from the national figures for a year, we use the smallest share those figures show, so the comparison never overstates the difference.
Are these the same as breakdowns or known faults?
No. These are the items a tester recorded at the MOT, which covers condition and safety: lamps, brakes, tyres, suspension, corrosion and emissions. A gearbox that is unpleasant, an infotainment screen that has died, or a car that will not start on a cold morning are not part of the test, so they are not in these figures.
Where do the figures come from?
Every normal MOT test of a Volvo XC40 aged three and over in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT results. Retests are excluded, and the same fault on more than one wheel counts once.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT defects and advisories | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 88,640 MOT tests | 19 September 2026 |
- Shares for defects are of failed tests; shares for advisories are of all tests. A test can carry several defects, so shares add to more than 100%.
- The expected share is what an average car of the same registration years records, weighted by where this model’s failures fall. Where an item is outside the national figures for a year, the smallest share those figures show is used in its place, which is an upper bound, so the comparison never overstates a model’s problems. No expectation is published where less than 80% of the model’s failures can be compared.
- Great Britain only: DVSA does not run MOT testing in Northern Ireland. Cars under three years old are not tested.
- The descriptions of what each part does are general and the same on every model. Every figure comes from the MOT data.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.