Model Reports
8 min readUpdated 11 Sep 2026
DVSA open data · 1,084 tests analysed
Volvo S40 2005: reliability & common MOT faults
470 first-attempt MOT failures were recorded on the 2005 Volvo S40 in 2025. The items recorded most often on them were Rbt (sp) and Drive shafts — Joints (front). Figures are among first-attempt failed MOT tests, not among all tests.
Petrol S40 passed first time 5.2 pp more often than diesel ones (58.3% of 741 vs 53.1% of 343).
First-attempt pass
56.6%
of 1,084 first tests (2025)
First tests
1,084
test year 2025
Failed first attempts
470
failed first-attempt tests
Most common fail
15.1%
Rbt (sp)
MOT pass rates
First-attempt and official-style rates among class 4 first tests of the year.
First-attempt pass
56.6%
of 1,084 first tests (2025)
Official-style pass
63.2%
incl. same-day PRS fixes
First tests
1,084
class 4 · first MOT of the year
Typical age 20.0 yrs · median mileage 113,529 mi
vs 2024:
+2.7 pp first-attempt
Note:
Class 4 cars · first MOT of the year per vehicle · P/PRS/F outcomes (2025 data).
PRS (fixed at the station the same day) counts as a fail in the first-attempt rate.
Raw outcomes for this cohort — not adjusted for age, mileage, or peer mix.
MOT doesn't test engine or gearbox internals.
Advisories
Notes recorded at the test that appear more often than on similar cars.
Advisory notes recorded on failed first-attempt tests that appear more often than on similar cars.
Advisory pattern
Location
Notes
vs similar cars
Share
Confidence
Individual direction indicators (rear)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Direction indicators > Flashing type > Individual direction indicators
Rear
25
×3.8
5.3%
Elevated
Suspension arm (rear)
Suspension > Suspension arms > Suspension arm
Rear
32
×2.5
6.8%
Elevated
Note: Advisories are not a fail rate — they flag issues noted at the test, often before they become failures.
If you are buying one
What this year's MOT record means for the decision in front of you.
On this year, prefer the petrol. The diesel cars passed first time 5.2 pp less often, on 343 tests.
What to check on a 2005 S40
The items that failed 2005 S40 most
often, as a share of the year's failed first attempts. This is what goes
wrong, not what is unusual — the table further up the page covers that.
Rbt (sp) — recorded on 15.1% of failed first attempts
Drive shafts — Joints (front) — recorded on 11.7% of failed first attempts
Every figure here is a first-attempt MOT rate from DVSA open data for this
model line. MOTs do not test engine or gearbox internals, so this is a
pre-purchase checklist, not a full reliability score.
FAQs
Short answers about how to read this model-year guide.
Petrol S40 passed first time 5.2 pp more often than diesel ones (58.3% of 741 vs 53.1% of 343). In 2025, 56.6% of 1,084 first MOTs on the 2005 Volvo S40 passed first time (PRS — items fixed at the station the same day — counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 63.2%. Among 470 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), we highlight MOT failure patterns that show up more often than on cars o…
Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that failed 2005 Volvo S40s most often at the first attempt were Rbt (sp) (15.1%) and Drive shafts — Joints (front) (11.7%) — each as a share of the year's failed first attempts. That is what goes wrong on the car. It is a different question from which patterns are unusual for the class, which the common-faults table answers.
Advisories flag issues noted at the test and are not a fail rate. We show advisory patterns that appear more often than on similar cars among failed first-attempt tests, separate from common failure rows. Use them as early-warning checks, not as a pass/fail score.
This page highlights MOT failure patterns for the 2005 Volvo S40 (registration year) using UK DVSA open data for the selected test year. Patterns are compared with cars of a similar age and mileage. It is a buyer checklist from MOT defect statistics — not a full service history or manufacturer service-bulletin list.
No. MOT tests do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronic modules. Patterns here come from MOT defect statistics only and should not be read as engine or gearbox reliability scores.
About this data
How this page is built and what it can (and can't) say.
These figures come from UK MOT open data for this model year. We surface common failure patterns against similar cars — not a full reliability score, and not a pass/fail verdict on any individual vehicle.
20242025
What we include
UK Class 4 cars only. Normal MOT tests (not retests); first test per vehicle per calendar year; results pass, PRS, or fail.
Same-day repairs
PRS means the car failed items that were fixed at the test station and then passed the same day. We count PRS as a first-attempt fail in headline rates so same-day repairs do not hide problems.
How we compare
We compare this model year with other Class 4 cars of similar age and mileage in the same test year. This model family is left out of the peer group so the car is not measured against itself.
What this does not cover
MOTs do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronics — this is not a full reliability score.
Common faults come from MOT defect stats, not manufacturer TSBs or recalls.
Age and mileage matching reduces — but does not remove — differences in how cars were used and maintained.
We never invent pass rates, star scores, or ranks when those data marts are missing.