Common problems

Volvo V40 (before 2012) exhaust and emissions problems

How often MOT testers find exhaust, emissions and leaks faults on the Volvo V40 (before 2012) at each age, against all cars of the same age, and which items come up most. From 15,100 DVSA MOT tests taken 2022 to 2025. These figures cover cars first used before 2012. Later cars sold under the same name are not included; see Volvo V40 cars first used 2012 or later.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 21 years, the most tested age

Exhaust, emissions and leaks fails per 100 MOTs (n=3,179)6.4

All cars at 21 years (n=1,321,417)7.1

Exhaust, emissions and leaks advisories and minor defects per 100 MOTs (n=3,179)12.9

All cars, same age (n=1,321,417)16.4

What stands out

At 21 years, 6.4 of every 100 MOTs of the Volvo V40 (before 2012) found a exhaust, emissions and leaks fail (n=3,179), against 7.1 for all cars of that age (n=1,321,417).
It is above the all-car rate at 3 of the 7 ages with at least 1,000 tests.
The gap is widest at 24 years: 10.8 per 100 MOTs against 7.0 for all cars.
The exhaust, emissions and leaks fail item recorded most often at 21 years: malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction, on 2.3 per 100 MOTs.
The most common exhaust, emissions and leaks advisory or minor defect: engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive, on 11.6 per 100 MOTs.

Exhaust, emissions and leaks fails by age

Solid line: this model. Dashed line: all cars at the same age.

Volvo V40 (before 2012): exhaust, emissions and leaks fails and advisories per 100 MOTs, by age, against all cars. Ages with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Age	Tests (n)	Fails	All cars	Advisories	All cars
18 years	1,192	5.0	6.8	13.8	14.1
19 years	2,485	6.4	7.0	12.9	14.7
20 years	3,059	6.2	7.0	13.3	15.6
21 years	3,179	6.4	7.1	12.9	16.4
22 years	2,453	8.2	7.0	12.1	16.8
23 years	1,694	8.0	6.9	12.8	17.0
24 years	1,038	10.8	7.0	11.0	16.8

Exhaust, emissions and leaks fail items at 21 years

Exhaust, emissions and leaks fail items on the Volvo V40 (before 2012) at 21 years (n=3,179), per 100 MOTs, with all cars at the same age (n=1,321,417).
Item	Per 100 MOTs	All cars	Typical repair (estimate)
Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction	2.3	2.4	diagnosis from £39 (rough guide)
Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits	1.6	1.7

Exhaust, emissions and leaks advisories and minor defects at 21 years

Advisories and minor defects are recorded, but the car still passes. Across all cars, a part with an advisory or minor defect failed at the next MOT 5.5 times in 100 (n=88,666,940 pairs of consecutive MOTs), against 0.3 times in 100 when the same part had none (n=12,936,860,350).

Exhaust, emissions and leaks advisories and minor defects on the Volvo V40 (before 2012) at 21 years (n=3,179), per 100 MOTs, with all cars at the same age (n=1,321,417).
Item	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive	11.6	14.8

Repair estimates are a guide for an independent garage: labour at the national median local garage rate (median £78 an hour from 65 garages, ONS price quotes) times estimated labour hours, plus a parts band. Labour hours and most parts bands are estimates, not quotes, and prices vary by model, engine and region. A warning light fault shows the cost of the diagnosis only.

What to check on a viewing

On the Volvo V40 (before 2012), the exhaust, emissions and leaks items testers fail most are malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction; catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits.

Start the engine from cold if you can and watch the exhaust for blue or black smoke.
Check that the engine warning light goes out after starting and stays out on the test drive.
Look under the car and around the engine for oil or fluid leaks, and listen for a blowing exhaust.

Ask for the car's MOT history: a exhaust, emissions and leaks advisory that repeats from year to year has not been fixed. GOV.UK MOT history.

Questions

What are the common exhaust and emissions problems on the Volvo V40 (before 2012)?

At 21 years (3,179 MOTs), the exhaust, emissions and leaks fail items testers record most often are malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction (2.3 per 100 MOTs), catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (1.6 per 100 MOTs). The most common exhaust, emissions and leaks advisories or minor defects are engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive (11.6).

Does the Volvo V40 (before 2012) have more exhaust and emissions problems than other cars?

At 21 years it has 6.4 exhaust, emissions and leaks fails per 100 MOTs against 7.1 for all cars of the same age (about the same). It is above the all-car rate at 3 of the 7 ages with enough tests.

What does a exhaust, emissions and leaks repair cost on the Volvo V40 (before 2012)?

For malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction, an independent garage estimate is diagnosis from £39 (rough guide). This is a guide built from the national median garage labour rate and estimated labour hours, not a quote.

Exhaust and emissions problems on other Volvo models

Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.

The all cars figures cover all class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans) tested at the same age.

Looking at a Volvo V40 (before 2012)?

These figures describe the model, not the car in front of you. Found one you might buy? See what the VetTheCar Buying Report covers, or use the tools that work without a registration.

See a sample report Car tools · MOT fail rates by model · Compare models by MOT record

Repair estimates: ONS consumer price quotes for local garage labour (09/2025 to 08/2026), the MOT inspection manual for defect wording, and estimated labour hours and parts bands. Not affiliated with or endorsed by ONS.

Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources