Volvo V40: common problems, best years and what to check
Premium, safe family hatch; sporty looks. Covers 2012–2019 cars: every popular engine, its known faults with typical UK repair costs, and how each year has held up on Britain's roads.
Updated November 2026 · By the Carnod team · How we build this guide
Is the Volvo V40 a good used buy?
Best buy
2016+ D2 / D3 (Drive-E)
Avoid
early 1.6 D2 used for short trips
Who it suits: Buyers wanting a safe, premium hatch.
What's good
- Top safety rating
- Stylish
- Comfortable
- Frugal D2
What's not
- Small boot
- Poor rear visibility
- Tight rear seats
- Discontinued
By the numbers
- #94 most common model on UK roads, with about 92k licensed (DfT).
- The biggest surviving year is 2014: 15.4k cars still licensed.
- 2012 cars survive 5% better than comparable cars of that year.
- Drive-E uses a belt (150k / 10 yrs): budget £500–£800 if there's no invoice.
- The most expensive common fault: D3/D4 five-cylinder EGR faults (up to £1,200).
Volvo V40 common problems by generation and engine
Volvo V40 V40 (2012–2019) · hatch; Cross Country
How to spot it: 12 plate to 19 plate. Low hatch with a pedestrian airbag and floating centre console.
D2 / D3 / D4 diesel (D4162T / D5204T / D4204T, diesel, 2012–2019)
Frugal
- D3/D4 five-cylinder EGR faults£400–£1,20080k+
T2 / T3 / T5 petrol (B4164T / B4204T, petrol, 2012–2019)
Faults on any V40 (2012–2019) engine
- Water leaks into footwells£100–£400any
Costs are typical UK independent-garage prices including parts and labour. Main dealers usually charge more.
Best and worst Volvo V40 years
How many Volvo V40s from each year are still licensed today (DfT), coloured by how well that year survives compared with similar cars of the same age.
Years that outlast similar cars: 2012. No year falls off the road noticeably faster than similar cars.
Volvo V40 MOT pass rate and common failures
First-time pass rate (2025)
Average UK car of the same age
MOT tests analysed (2012+ cars)
Volvo V40s pass their MOT first time 2 points less often than the average UK car of the same age (72% vs 74%). Older cars fail more, so we compare like with like.
| First registered | Pass rate | Average UK car that age | Median mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 62% | 63% | 110k miles |
| 2013 | 66% | 66% | 104k miles |
| 2014 | 67% | 69% | 93k miles |
| 2015 | 68% | 72% | 83k miles |
| 2016 | 73% | 75% | 71k miles |
| 2017 | 78% | 78% | 61k miles |
| 2018 | 79% | 81% | 50k miles |
| 2019 | 81% | 84% | 42k miles |
Pass rate by fuel
Diesel
Petrol
Fuels differ in age and mileage mix, so treat this as a pattern rather than a like-for-like comparison.
Most common MOT failures
- Coil spring: fractured or broken7.21 per 100
- Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm3.29 per 100
- Tyres: has ply or cords exposed3.11 per 100
- Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick2.92 per 100
- Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt2.53 per 100
- Position lamp: not working2.23 per 100
- Tyres: has a cut2.02 per 100
- Anti-lock braking system: warning lamp indicates an ABS fault1.76 per 100
Most common advisories
- Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm27.69 per 100
- Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick13.11 per 100
- Tyres: has a tear12.61 per 100
- Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened10.78 per 100
- Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn9.64 per 100
- Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn3.65 per 100
- Tread depth: tread pattern not visible over the whole tread area when minimum depth required is 1.0mm3.45 per 100
- Coil spring: corroded3.37 per 100
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT results for 2025 (normal car tests). First-time pass counts faults fixed during the test as fails. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Does the Volvo V40 have a timing belt or chain?
| Engine | Type | When | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drive-E | belt | 150k / 10 yrs | £500–£800 |
| D2 1.6 | belt | 100k / 8 yrs | £400–£650 |
Volvo V40 running costs
Road tax (from April 2017)
Road tax (before April 2017)
Insurance groups
Real-world economy
Servicing (independent)
Tyres
Warranty when new
Is the Volvo V40 ULEZ compliant?
- Petrol and hybrid: compliant if Euro 4 — nearly all petrol cars from 2006, many from 2001.
- Diesel: compliant only if Euro 6 — generally cars first registered from September 2015; earlier diesels pay £12.50 a day in London's ULEZ.
- Same standards apply in Birmingham and Bristol Clean Air Zones (which charge private cars) and Scotland's LEZs in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee (which fine them). Check the exact car on TfL's vehicle checker.
Safety and practicality
Euro NCAP
Boot
Seats
Volvo V40 vs rivals
| Model | On UK roads | Insurance | Boot | Best buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volvo V40 | 92k | 14–30 | 335 l | 2016+ D2 / D3 (Drive-E) |
| Volkswagen Golf | 802k | 10–33 | 380 l | 2013–2020 Mk7/7.5 1.4/1.5 TSI or 2.0 TDI manual |
| Audi A3 | 434k | 14–33 | 380 l | 2012–2020 8V 1.4/1.5 TFSI or 2.0 TDI |
| BMW 1 Series | 396k | 16–33 | 360 l | 2015–2019 F20 118i (B38) or 118d (B47) |
| Mercedes-Benz A-Class | 364k | 16–34 | 370 l | 2018+ W177 A180/A200 petrol |
| Ford Focus | 779k | 4–22 | 375 l | 2018+ Mk4 1.0 EcoBoost/1.5 EcoBlue manual or Mk3 1.6 TDCi |
What to check when buying a used Volvo V40
- Check for water leaks
Volvo V40 FAQ
›Is the Volvo V40 reliable?
Generally, if you pick the right version. Best buy: 2016+ D2 / D3 (Drive-E). Avoid: early 1.6 D2 used for short trips.
›What is the Volvo V40 MOT pass rate?
72% of Volvo V40s passed their MOT first time in 2025 (84,365 tests), below the 74% average for cars of the same age. The most common failure: coil spring: fractured or broken.
›What are the most common Volvo V40 problems?
The costliest known faults are D3/D4 five-cylinder EGR faults. Each one is listed by engine with typical UK repair costs above.
›Does the Volvo V40 have a timing belt or chain?
Drive-E: belt; D2 1.6: belt.
›What is the best year Volvo V40 to buy?
By DfT survival data, 2012, 2016, 2018 cars have outlasted comparable cars best. Condition and history still matter more than the year.
›How much does a Volvo V40 cost to run?
Real-world economy: D2 58–65 mpg; D3/D4 50–58 mpg; T3 40–46 mpg. Insurance groups 14–30. A minor service is about £200–£280 at an independent garage.
›How much is road tax on a Volvo V40?
Cars registered from April 2017 pay £200 a year (more if the list price was over £40k). Older cars pay by CO2 band, from £20 to £790.
›Is the Volvo V40 ULEZ compliant?
Petrol and hybrid: compliant if Euro 4 — nearly all petrol cars from 2006, many from 2001. Diesel: compliant only if Euro 6 — generally cars first registered from September 2015; earlier diesels pay £12.50 a day in London's ULEZ.
How we build this guide
We combine official UK data with what independent garages see most often on this model.
- How many are still on the road: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, by year first used. The survival comparison is against cars of the same age.
- MOT pass rates, failures and mileage: DVSA anonymised MOT results — every normal car MOT in Great Britain for the year, compared with all cars of the same age.
- Road tax: GOV.UK rates from April 2026. ULEZ: TfL and Clean Air Zone emission standards.
- Faults and repair costs: known problems by engine code, priced at typical UK independent-garage rates including parts and labour.
- Insurance groups, mpg, servicing and tyres: typical ranges, not quotes. Your car's exact figures depend on the version and where you live.
This is a buying guide, not a mechanical inspection. A specific car's MOT history tells you far more than any model average — run a free check on it before you go and see it.
Sources: licensed counts and survival from DfT vehicle licensing statistics; road tax from GOV.UK (April 2026 rates). Faults, costs, mpg and insurance groups are typical ranges, not quotes. A guide, not a mechanical inspection.