Does the Volvo 400 Series fail the MOT on noise, emissions and leaks more than it should?
The Volvo 400 Series records 11.28 noise, emissions and leaks failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 7.33 expected for a car of the same age mix: more than expected for its class and age (+3.95, 95% interval +2.46 to +5.45). It ranks 52 of 678 models on noise, emissions and leaks (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on noise, emissions and leaks · check a Volvo 400 Series by registration
What exactly fails on noise, emissions and leaks?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Volvo 400 Series is “Emissions levels exceed default limits”, recorded 53 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Emissions levels exceed default limits | 53 | 2.73 |
| Emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits | 47 | 2.42 |
| Emissions test unable to be completed | 40 | 2.06 |
| Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer | 39 | 2.01 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 1,941 (initial tests) · Method: failure items (major and minor) grouped by DVSA's defect tree; wordings with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Other pages for this model
Volvo 400 Series body, chassis and structure failures · Volvo 400 Series brakes failures · Volvo 400 Series lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Volvo 400 Series seat belts and airbags failures · Volvo 400 Series steering failures · Volvo 400 Series suspension failures · Volvo 400 Series tyres failures · Volvo 400 Series visibility failures