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Volvo V40 2001: MOT failure rate for its age

50.1% of 5,411 MOT tests of the Volvo V40 first registered in 2001 failed at the first attempt (2019–2024; retests excluded). Against this model's own normal rate at the same ages the index is 94.8 (95% CI 91.2–98.4; 100 = normal for this model at that age): the 2001 Volvo V40 fails less often than other build years of the same model at the same age.

Volvo V40 built in 2001 at a glance
MeasureValueUnitCompared withYearsTests
Failed first time50.1%all ages tested2019–20245411
Index against this model at the same age (95% CI 91.2–98.4)94.8index100 = normal for this model at that age2019–20245411
Rank among this model's 15 build years4of 151 = fails least for its age2019–20245411
Tested in 2024503testsmedian 112,665 miles2024503
line · Volvo V40 built 2001 · first-time MOT failure share by age · built 2001 52.2% vs model normal 56.9% at age 18 · 2019–2024
Built 2001 against Volvo V40 normal for the age: first-time MOT failure share at each age, age 18: 52.2% vs 56.9%; age 19: 51.2% vs 53.1%; age 20: 48.2% vs 51.2%; age 21: 49.1% vs 50%; age 22: 46.3% vs 46.9%. Axis from 0% to 60%. DVSA MOT bulk data, 2019–2024.

Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · full dataset (v5).

How does the 2001 Volvo V40 fail at each age?

Cars built in 2001 were tested at ages 18 to 22 between 2019 and 2024. Each row compares their first-time failure share with what this model normally shows at that age, after allowing for the overall failure level of each test year.

Volvo V40 built 2001: first-time MOT failure by age, against the model's normal rate at that age (2019–2024)
AgeTestsFailed, %95% intervalNormal for this model at that age, %Index (100 = normal)
181,79252.249.9–54.556.991.7
191,27751.248.5–53.953.196.4
2096748.245.1–51.351.294.1
2176849.145.6–52.65098.1
2260746.342.4–50.346.998.8

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 5,411 (initial tests) · Method: normal rate = this model's first-time failure share at that age across its build years (cells of 400+ tests), adjusted for each test year's overall level; cells of 30+ tests, under 500 marked rough · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV

What fails most on the 2001 Volvo V40?

The most common failure group on cars built in 2001 is suspension: 49.1 items per 100 first tests, against 12.3 across all build years of the Volvo V40. These counts are not age-adjusted: cars built in 2001 were tested at ages 18 to 22.

Failure items per 100 first tests, Volvo V40 built 2001 against the Volvo V40 in all build years (2019–2024, not age-adjusted)
Failure groupBuilt 2001, per 100All build years, per 100Items
Suspension49.112.32,906
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment43.97.92,599
Brakes34.57.92,038
Body, chassis, structure16.52.9973
Visibility155.1886

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 5,914 (initial tests of this build year) · Method: failure items grouped by DVSA's top-level defect groups, per 100 initial tests; groups with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV

How does 2001 compare with the years around it?

Among the 15 published build years of the Volvo V40, 2001 ranks 4 (1 = fails least for its age). 2000: index 96.0. 2002: index 97.5.

Volvo V40 build years: index against the model at the same age (2019–2024)
Build yearIndex (100 = normal)95% intervalVerdictTests
1998109.099.2–118.9no different (rough estimate)812
1999103.596.8–110.1no different (rough estimate)1,685
200096.091.0–101.1no different (rough estimate)2,754
200194.891.2–98.4better5,411
200297.594.6–100.5no different8,082
200399.597.0–102.1no different10,688
200498.195.2–101.1no different8,110
2012101.798.8–104.7no different14,681
201399.998.5–101.3no different69,389
2014106.7105.5–108.0worse98,220
2015108.0106.7–109.4worse94,701
201698.497.1–99.8better93,137
201791.489.8–93.0better71,519
201893.791.8–95.7better52,113
201991.388.3–94.3better24,939

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 556,241 (initial tests) · Method: observed failures against those expected for the same model at the same ages, test-year level adjusted; verdict follows the printed one-decimal bound · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV

How to cite this page

MOT Risk Index (2026). Volvo V40 2001 MOT statistics (data release dvsa-2024-v2; full dataset motriskindex-families-2024-v5, DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22975051), updated 30 September 2026. motriskindex.co.uk/cars/volvo-v40/2001/

How every figure is calculated: methodology. Age, test year and build year are tied together (age = test year − build year), so the test-year level is taken as observed, not estimated.

Other pages for this model

Volvo V40 1998 · Volvo V40 1999 · Volvo V40 2000 · Volvo V40 2002 · Volvo V40 2003 · Volvo V40 2004 · Volvo V40 2012 · Volvo V40 2013 · Volvo V40 2014 · Volvo V40 2015 · Volvo V40 2016 · Volvo V40 2017 · Volvo V40 2018 · Volvo V40 2019 · Volvo V40 in Norway · Volvo V40 in Finland · Volvo V40 in the Netherlands · Volvo V40 by postcode area · Volvo V40 body, chassis and structure failures · Volvo V40 brakes failures · Volvo V40 vehicle identification failures · Volvo V40 lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Volvo V40 noise, emissions and leaks failures · Volvo V40 road wheels failures · Volvo V40 seat belts and airbags failures · Volvo V40 steering failures · Volvo V40 suspension failures · Volvo V40 tyres failures · Volvo V40 visibility failures