Volvo

Which year Volvo V40 is most reliable?

Based on 169,956 vehicles (1996–2019) and millions of DVLA MOT records.

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Not just "newer is more reliable"
These rankings compare each year at the same mileage point — a 2003 V40 at 80,000 miles is judged against a 2014 V40 at 80,000 miles, not its full lifetime average. Verdicts are also relative to this model's own average, not a universal scale. That's the difference between "old cars wear out" and "this year is genuinely more or less reliable."
Years to look for
2012–2019
Above-average pass rate — these years consistently do better than other V40s
Below model average
1996
Lower pass rate than other V40s — worth checking the MOT history before buying
See common failures for 1996 →
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Dataset
169,956
vehicles · 1996–2019 · millions of MOT records
CarHunch sweet spot — 2003, 2012–2016
These years hit the reliability-to-value sweet spot: a 69.4–83.8% pass rate, well above this model's median, but old enough to have depreciated significantly from peak price. If budget matters alongside reliability, start your search here.

Pass rate by year

Year Pass rate Vehicles
2019
88.4%
8,113 Recommended
2018
86.8%
12,927 Recommended
2017
86.2%
13,774 Recommended
2016
83.8%
15,801 Recommended
2015
81.4%
16,273 Recommended
2014
80.9%
17,346 Recommended
2013
81.5%
12,628 Recommended
2012
80.4%
2,670 Recommended
2004
69.1%
3,933
2003
69.4%
7,040
2002
69.1%
8,292
2001
69.0%
9,075
2000
68.1%
9,290
1999
67.2%
10,679
1998
66.2%
9,901
1997
64.5%
9,598
1996
63.4%
2,616 Below avg

Click any year to see full MOT history, common faults and comparisons for those cars. Verdicts are relative to this model's own average — a good Land Rover year is judged differently from a good Toyota year.

How each year holds up at higher mileage

Each line is a different model year. The mileage ranges are divided into 5 equal groups based on how this model is actually driven in the real world — so you're comparing like-for-like, not arbitrary round numbers.

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At high mileage (110k–+), the 2019 models maintain a 79% pass rate — 20 points higher than 1996 models at the same mileage.

Only years with enough data across at least 3 mileage ranges are shown. Newer years appear in blue; older years in amber.

How is this measured?

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What "pass rate" means

The percentage of all MOT tests that resulted in a pass — counted across a car's whole life, not just its first test. Higher means fewer failures over time.

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Mileage groups built from real data

We split this model's real-world mileage history into 5 equal groups — so each slice contains the same number of cars, not an arbitrary round number like "0–30,000 miles."

Does age still matter?

Yes. A low-mileage 20-year-old car has still had 20 years of weather, perishing rubber, and ageing electrics. Comparing at the same mileage narrows the gap between old and new — but doesn't erase it entirely.

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Why this beats surveys

Our figures come from the DVLA's national MOT database — over 50 million real test results from accredited garages, with no opinions involved. Most reliability guides are based on owner surveys with a few hundred responses per model.

What next?
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