Pass rate, every year
922 tests across 2 model years, 2021–2022.
+11.7 pts vs the national average
Pass rate, every year
922 tests across 2 model years, 2021–2022.
+11.7 pts vs the national average
Best year to buy
2022 94.2%
The strongest of the 2 years on record. See the 2022 page →
Worst year to buy
2021 91.9%
2.3 points below the 2022 peak. See the 2021 page →
The Volvo XC40 Inscription Exp MOT pass rate is 92.7%, +11.7 percentage points above the UK average. That is 922 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2021 and 2022. This page lists the most common Volvo XC40 Inscription Exp MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.
MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how Volvo XC40 Inscription Exp MOT pass rates does in your corner of the country.
The Volvo XC40 Inscription Exp passed on its first attempt in 92.2%, and its overall record sits +11.7 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Volvo XC40 Inscription Exp in the 2023–2025 data: 922 tests across 2 model years (2021–2022). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.
| Measure | This model |
|---|---|
| Tests analysed | 922 |
| Overall pass rate | 92.7% |
| Passed on first attempt | 92.2% |
| Average mileage at test | 41,310 mi |
| Model years covered | 2021–2022 (2 years) |
| Versus UK national average | +11.7 pts above |
Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.
Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Volvo XC40 Inscription Exp, the Tyres section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.
| Inspection section | Share of failures |
|---|---|
| Tyres | 50% |
| Visibility | 33% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 11% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 4% |
| Brakes | 1% |
Shares are over the Volvo XC40 Inscription Exp's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.
Around 50% of the recorded Volvo XC40 Inscription Exp failures fall in the Tyres section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" (2.5%), "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (1.8%), "Has ply or cords exposed" (0.7%) among the Volvo XC40 Inscription Exp's tyres faults.
Around 33% of the recorded Volvo XC40 Inscription Exp failures fall in the Visibility section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (2.4%), "Washers provides insufficient washer liquid" (0.4%), "Wipers blade defective" (0.4%) among the Volvo XC40 Inscription Exp's visibility faults.
Around 11% of the recorded Volvo XC40 Inscription Exp failures fall in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Headlamp aim too high" (0.6%), "Rear fog lamp lens defective which has no effect on emitted light" (0.2%), "Rear reflectors defective or damaged by up to 50% of the reflecting surface" (0.2%) among the Volvo XC40 Inscription Exp's lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment faults.
The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Volvo XC40 Inscription Exp, each with how many of the model's 922 tests it was noted on.
The strongest Volvo XC40 Inscription Exp model year on record is 2022 (94.2% across 327 tests), and the weakest is 2021 (91.9%). The gap between them is 2.3 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 XC40 Inscription Exp | 327 | 94.2% |
| 2021 XC40 Inscription Exp | 595 | 91.9% |
Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.
These checks follow this Volvo XC40 Inscription Exp's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Volvo XC40 Inscription Exp.
the tyre tread — “tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm”
Check all four tyres cold, including the inner shoulder where wear hides — 1.6mm across the central three-quarters is the legal limit, and most testers fail at 1.6mm without argument.
the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”
Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.
the lights — “headlamp aim too high”
Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.
Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Volvo XC40 Inscription Exp. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.
92.7% of the 922 recorded Volvo XC40 Inscription Exp MOT tests ended in a pass, +11.7 percentage points above the national average. 92.2% of those passed on the first attempt.
2022 is the strongest Volvo XC40 Inscription Exp year on record at 94.2%, while 2021 is the weakest at 91.9%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.
The most recorded Volvo XC40 Inscription Exp failures are "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" and "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" — together around 5% of tests, mostly in the Tyres section.