Volvo XC40: which years to avoid
Based on 38,278 real MOT tests from DVSA records. Each year is compared against every other car first registered the same year — otherwise the numbers would only tell you that older cars fail more, which you knew.
A car needs its first MOT at three years old, so a recent model has a short record. The XC40 has 3 years of test data — enough to compare it against its contemporaries, not enough to show a trend.
The short answer
No model year stands out as one to avoid. Every year sits within 15% of the failure rate for cars of the same age. The 2018 is the strongest, failing 30% less often than average.
Found a Volvo XC40 you like?
Averages tell you what to expect. Its registration tells you what actually happened — every MOT, every advisory, and whether the mileage adds up.
Every XC40 model year
Shaded rows are the years that differ most from other cars of the same age — worse, better.
| Registered | MOT tests | Fail rate | vs same-age cars |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 6,613 | 8.4% |
30% better
|
| 2019 | 15,219 | 8.7% |
15% better
|
| 2020 | 16,446 | 8.1% |
about average
|
How this is worked out
Every MOT test recorded by DVSA in 2023 on a Volvo XC40, grouped by the year the car was first registered. Retests are excluded, so a car that failed and was fixed still counts as a failure. Each year's rate is then divided by the rate for all cars first registered that year — so 120 means 20% more failures than its contemporaries, not 20% more than a brand new car.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.