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Volvo V40 steering problems

DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 61,301 MOT tests · Updated

At 8 years, 0.2 in 100 MOT tests of the Volvo V40 failed on steering, against 1.2 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 61,301 MOT tests) [1].

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  • Against all class 4 vehicles the same age: fails less often than all class 4 vehicles the same age (0.2× (0.16–0.23×)) (all test years), 142 MOT tests with a fail
  • By age: seen at 11 ages from 3 to 13 years, 384,615 MOT tests
  • MOT tests at 8 years: 61,301 for the Volvo V40

Figures are for the model as a whole, not for one car.

What the MOT tests show

What we know

0.2 fails per 100 MOT tests at 8 years, against 1.2 for all class 4 vehicles tested at 8 (all test years). The Volvo V40 fails less often here.

Why it matters

A steering fail stops the car passing until it is fixed.

What to check

With the engine running, turn the wheel lock to lock: listen for knocks or groans and feel for play at the straight-ahead position. On the drive the car should not wander.

Volvo V40 steering fails by age

Volvo V40 steering fails per 100 MOT tests by ageSolid line: the Volvo V40. Dashed line: all cars the same age. The table below lists every value.01233 years: 0.0 per 100 (all cars 0.1), 8,437 MOT tests34 years: 0.1 per 100 (all cars 0.2), 21,537 MOT tests45 years: 0.1 per 100 (all cars 0.3), 35,008 MOT tests56 years: 0.1 per 100 (all cars 0.5), 50,386 MOT tests67 years: 0.1 per 100 (all cars 0.8), 57,938 MOT tests78 years: 0.2 per 100 (all cars 1.2), 61,301 MOT tests89 years: 0.3 per 100 (all cars 1.8), 59,038 MOT tests910 years: 0.3 per 100 (all cars 2.1), 45,585 MOT tests1011 years: 0.5 per 100 (all cars 2.5), 29,652 MOT tests1112 years: 0.5 per 100 (all cars 2.8), 13,467 MOT tests1213 years: 0.8 per 100 (all cars 2.9), 2,266 MOT tests13
Fails per 100 MOT tests by age, all first-use years pooled. Volvo V40 All class 4 vehicles the same age
AgeMOT testsFails per 100All class 4 vehicles the same age
38,4370.00.1
421,5370.10.2
535,0080.10.3
650,3860.10.5
757,9380.10.8
861,3010.21.2
959,0380.31.8
1045,5850.32.1
1129,6520.52.5
1213,4670.52.8
132,2660.82.9

All first-use years of the Volvo V40 pooled at each age, against all class 4 vehicles at that age over all 2022–2025 test years.

What fails in the steering at 8 years

Advisories (not fails)

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By engine and fuel

  • 2.0 diesel: 0.3 per 100 at 8 years, about average for diesel class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 27,052 MOT tests)
  • 1.6 diesel: 0.2 per 100 at 8 years, about average for diesel class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 17,419 MOT tests)
  • 2.0 petrol: 0.2 per 100 at 8 years, about average for petrol class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 10,519 MOT tests)

How to check on a test drive

With the engine running, turn the wheel lock to lock: listen for knocks or groans and feel for play at the straight-ahead position. On the drive the car should not wander.

The most common advisory here in MOT records: Play in steering rack inner joint(s).

Check one Volvo V40, not the average

The figures here describe Volvo V40 cars as a group. These free tools answer for one car. Each line says what the tool reads.

Other Volvo V40 problems

Steering on rival models

Questions people ask

Does the Volvo V40 have more steering problems than other cars?

0.16 to 0.23 times the steering fail rate of all class 4 vehicles the same age at 8 years (all test years), from 61,301 MOT tests. The interval is clear of 0.8 in the same direction at 4 of the 11 ages seen (ages up to 18 with at least 100 MOT tests with a fail).

How common are Volvo V40 steering problems?

0.2 in 100 MOT tests at 8 years failed on steering, against 1.2 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 61,301 MOT tests).

Sources

  1. Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 384,615 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.

Parts: against all class 4 vehicles at the same age, all 2022–2025 test years pooled, not adjusted for mileage. Breakdowns and non-MOT faults are not in this data. How we compare