No clear winner. Once age and mileage are allowed for, they pass the MOT first time less than 1.5 points apart. The best bets are XC60s registered from 2009 onwards, and XC40s registered from 2018 onwards. No years of either stand out as ones to avoid.
| Volvo XC60 | Volvo XC40 | |
|---|---|---|
| Passed first time, cars registered 2014 to 2021 | 81.8% | 89.6% |
| Against the average car of the same age and mileage | +5.0 points | +4.1 points |
| Years to avoid | None stand out | None stand out |
| Best years | 2009 to 2022 | 2018 to 2022 |
| Fails most often, against the average car | No area stands out | Brakes: 1.3 times as often |
| Most common failure | Coil springs: fractured or broken | Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick |
| MOTs in 2025 | 118,802 | 88,016 |
How often cars from each registration year passed the MOT first time, against the average car of the same age and mileage. The figure is the difference in percentage points.
Each block is a registration year: the year the car was first used. Tap or hover over one for its figures. Blank means too few MOTs that year.
Points against the average car of the same age and mileage, with each year's most common failure. Less than 1.5 points apart counts as either.
| Registered | XC60 | XC40 | Better bet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | +10.8Coil springs (fractured or broken) | Too few MOTs | |
| 2010 | +10.1Coil springs (fractured or broken) | Too few MOTs | |
| 2011 | +9.6Coil springs (fractured or broken) | Too few MOTs | |
| 2012 | +9.7Coil springs (fractured or broken) | Too few MOTs | |
| 2013 | +10.0Coil springs (fractured or broken) | Too few MOTs | |
| 2014 | +6.3Coil springs (fractured or broken) | Too few MOTs | |
| 2015 | +5.0Coil springs (fractured or broken) | Too few MOTs | |
| 2016 | +3.9Coil springs (fractured or broken) | Too few MOTs | |
| 2017 | +3.9Coil springs (fractured or broken) | Too few MOTs | |
| 2018 | +8.1Brake pads (less than 1.5 mm thick) | +6.3Brake pads (less than 1.5 mm thick) | XC60 |
| 2019 | +5.7Brake pads (less than 1.5 mm thick) | +3.9Brake pads (less than 1.5 mm thick) | XC60 |
| 2020 | +4.7Tyre damage (has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords) | +4.0Brake pads (less than 1.5 mm thick) | Either |
| 2021 | +3.6Tyre damage (has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords) | +3.7Tyre damage (has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords) | Either |
| 2022 | +3.1Tyre damage (has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords) | +3.4Tyre damage (has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords) | Either |
How often each passed the MOT first time against the average car of the same age and mileage, in points. 90,000 to 120,000 miles: XC60s 7.3 points above the average car of the same age and mileage, XC40s 6.6 points above.
| XC60 | XC40 | Better bet | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 30k miles | +1.9 | +3.1 | Either |
| 30–60k miles | +5.0 | +4.1 | Either |
| 60–90k miles | +6.8 | +5.7 | Either |
| 90–120k miles | +7.3 | +6.6 | Either |
| XC60 | XC40 | Better bet | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol | +5.8 | +3.2 | XC60 |
| Diesel | +6.3 | +4.8 | XC60 |
| Hybrid | +3.7 | +5.2 | XC40 |
Each fuel is compared with the average car of the same age and mileage, whatever its fuel. Rows with fewer than 500 MOTs for either car are left out.
How often each failed on every area of the test, against the average car of the same age and mileage. All registration years.
| Area | XC60: failed | Against average | XC40: failed | Against average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 6.0% | 0.8× | 0.6% | 0.4× |
| Steering | 1.5% | 0.9× | 0.0% | 0.1× |
| Brakes | 3.5% | 0.6× | 3.0% | 1.3× |
| Tyres | 5.3% | 0.8× | 4.3% | 0.8× |
| Lights & electrics | 5.5% | 0.6× | 1.2% | 0.4× |
| Visibility | 2.2% | 0.6× | 1.0% | 0.3× |
| Body & structure | 0.9% | 0.4× | 0.3% | 0.7× |
| Emissions & leaks | 1.3% | 0.5× | 0.4% | 0.5× |
The failures testers found most often on each, against the average car of the same age and mileage. Both charts use the same scale.
What testers most often noted as advisories on each: wear that passed but was close to failing. Figures in brackets are for the average car of the same age and mileage.
No clear winner
For cars registered 2014 to 2021, XC60s passed the MOT first time 5.0 points above the average car of the same age and mileage and XC40s 4.1 points above: less than 1.5 points apart. Choose by year, mileage and fuel instead.
+5.0points against the average car of the same age and mileage
+4.1points against the average car of the same age and mileage
There's no clear winner at the MOT. For cars registered 2014 to 2021, 81.8% of XC60s passed first time, 5.0 points above the average car of the same age and mileage, and 89.6% of XC40s, 4.1 points above.
None stand out: every registration year is within 1.5 points of the average car of the same age and mileage, or ahead of it.
None stand out: every registration year is within 1.5 points of the average car of the same age and mileage, or ahead of it.
90,000 to 120,000 miles: XC60s 7.3 points above the average car of the same age and mileage, XC40s 6.6 points above. That's less than 1.5 points apart.
XC60: coil springs (fractured or broken), on 4.4% of MOTs against 2.2% for the average car of the same age and mileage. XC40: brake pads (less than 1.5 mm thick), on 2.6% of MOTs against 1.3% for the average car of the same age and mileage.
Data. Every car MOT in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT test data: 118,802 XC60 MOTs and 88,016 XC40 MOTs. Retests are left out.
Against the average car. Each model is compared with the average car of the same age and mileage, not with each other directly, so a newer or lower-mileage model doesn't win for that alone.
Which is more reliable. The answer uses cars registered 2014 to 2021, the same years for both, as the rivals table on each model page does. Less than 1.5 points apart counts as level.