Does the Volvo V40 fail the MOT on seat belts and airbags more than it should?
The Volvo V40 records 0.65 seat belts and airbags failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 0.64 expected for a car of the same age mix: about as expected for its class and age (the difference is within its interval or under 0.5 items per 100 tests) (+0.01, 95% interval −0.01 to +0.03). It ranks 271 of 627 models on seat belts and airbags (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on seat belts and airbags · check a Volvo V40 by registration
What exactly fails on seat belts and airbags?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Volvo V40 is “An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction”, recorded 2,184 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction | 2,184 | 0.39 |
| Seat belt buckle missing, damaged or not functioning as intended | 314 | 0.06 |
| A seat belt webbing or flexible stalk significantly stretched or weakened | 300 | 0.05 |
| The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired | 275 | 0.05 |
| A seat belt or flexible stalk damaged | 194 | 0.03 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 561,232 (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
If a Volvo V40 gets a seat belts and airbags advisory, how often does it fail next time?
7.9% of Volvo V40 MOTs with a seat belts and airbags advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12.1 months and 4,842 miles later (2,446 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 2,446 (advisories followed) · Method: the same vehicles followed to their next ordinary MOT · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Other pages for this model
Volvo V40 1998 · Volvo V40 1999 · Volvo V40 2000 · Volvo V40 2001 · 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 steering failures · Volvo V40 suspension failures · Volvo V40 tyres failures · Volvo V40 visibility failures