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Volvo S40 vs Volvo Saloon: reliability comparison

MOT pass rates, common faults and mileage compared from real UK MOT data.

Volvo S40
70%
MOT pass rate · 104,637 vehicles
Volvo Saloon
79%
MOT pass rate · 13 vehicles
Verdict: On MOT pass rate the Volvo S40 (70%) and Volvo Saloon (79%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Head to head

Measure Volvo S40 Volvo Saloon
MOT pass rate 70% 79% ✓
MOT failure rate 30% 21% ✓
Faults & advisories per test 2.1 1.2 ✓
Dangerous-fault share 1% 0% ✓
Average mileage 123,409 mi 116,196 mi
Sample size (vehicles) 104,637 13

Most common faults

Volvo S40

  1. Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  2. Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  3. Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  4. Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  5. Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)
  6. Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

Volvo Saloon

  1. Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  2. Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)
  3. Offside Front Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)
  4. Engine covers fitted obscuring some components in the engine bay
  5. Offside Front Direction indicator slightly discoloured (1.4.A.2f)
  6. Offside Front Steering rack gaiter split (2.2.D.2d)

Reliability FAQ

On MOT pass rate the Volvo S40 (70%) and Volvo Saloon (79%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Full Volvo S40 report Full Volvo Saloon report Most reliable cars

Pass rates are computed over completed (pass/fail) MOT tests. Reliability also depends on age, mileage and upkeep — see each model's page for the full picture.