UK vehicle statistics / Volvo

How many Volvo S40 cars are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 13,268 licensed and 5,591 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Volvo S40 generic-model group.

Looking at a S40?

Population figures cannot tell you whether one particular car is taxed, MOT-valid or safe to buy.

Check its registration free for the official tax, MOT and mileage record. If the car is still worth pursuing, the optional £9.99 full history check adds outstanding-finance, stolen and insurance write-off checks.

Wondering whether one particular S40 is off the road? A free SORN check shows whether it is currently SORN, taxed or untaxed.

Is the S40 disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 60,470 in 2014 Q3 and stand at 13,268 in 2026 Q1, down 78%. That is down 54% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 5,591 are declared SORN — 1 in 3 of the 18,859 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

A falling population is worth knowing before you buy: it usually means fewer donor cars, fewer specialists and slower parts supply, and it is why a good example of a scarce model can hold its price while a neglected one is hard to sell at any price.

S40 MOT pass rate

In 2024, 57% of 16,704 Volvo S40 MOTs passed first time — below the 71.2% UK average. Pass rate moves with age: 59.1% of cars aged 10–14 years passed first time, against 56.2% aged 15–30 years.

  • Suspension Arms — 7% of tests. Worn arms or bushes. A common age-related repair that affects handling and tyre wear.
  • Anti-roll Bars — 6.3% of tests. Worn anti-roll bar links or bushes. Inexpensive but often recurring.
  • Position Lamps — 6.3% of tests. A side or tail light out. Usually a bulb.
  • Brake Performance — 6.3% of tests. The brakes underperformed on the rolling road. Expect brake work rather than an adjustment.

Full age bands and failure notes are on the Volvo S40 MOT pass rate page.

Before you buy

  • Suspension Arms — 7% of tests in 2024. Worn arms or bushes. A common age-related repair that affects handling and tyre wear.
  • Anti-roll Bars — 6.3% of tests in 2024. Worn anti-roll bar links or bushes. Inexpensive but often recurring.
  • Position Lamps — 6.3% of tests in 2024. A side or tail light out. Usually a bulb.
  • Brake Performance — 6.3% of tests in 2024. The brakes underperformed on the rolling road. Expect brake work rather than an adjustment.
  • Ask why it was off the road — Of the 18,859 S40 vehicles still on the DVLA record, 1 in 3 is SORN (5,591 at 2026 Q1). A car that has been laid up needs a closer look at brakes, tyres and the MOT history.
  • Budget for a shrinking fleet — Licensed numbers are down 78% from the 2014 Q3 peak of 60,470. Fewer cars on the road usually means fewer donor parts and fewer specialists.
  • Check the actual S40 — These figures describe the model group. Enter the registration for that vehicle's free MOT, tax and mileage record before you pay a deposit.

Quarterly licensed and SORN counts

Every quarter DfT has published for this model group, newest first.

QuarterLicensedSORN
2026 Q113,2685,591
2025 Q413,9945,542
2025 Q314,5745,527
2025 Q215,2295,500
2025 Q115,8975,485
2024 Q416,5915,545
2024 Q317,3295,594
2024 Q218,0585,580
2024 Q118,8005,531
2023 Q419,5415,466
2023 Q320,2915,371
2023 Q221,1245,335
2023 Q121,8665,273
2022 Q422,7115,218
2022 Q323,3995,186
2022 Q224,1905,193
2022 Q125,0475,224
2021 Q425,8605,210
2021 Q326,5835,157
2021 Q227,6395,142
2021 Q128,5585,220
2020 Q429,4935,146
2020 Q330,4505,014
2020 Q231,3025,059
2020 Q132,2125,024
2019 Q433,2684,783
2019 Q334,2834,634
2019 Q235,5094,491
2019 Q136,6514,384
2018 Q437,7674,341
2018 Q338,7674,191
2018 Q240,0564,070
2018 Q141,3764,067
2017 Q442,6904,023
2017 Q343,8393,903
2017 Q245,2613,872
2017 Q146,6953,756
2016 Q447,9943,651
2016 Q348,8873,452
2016 Q250,3493,279
2016 Q151,9033,219
2015 Q453,2122,958
2015 Q354,3432,724
2015 Q255,7982,590
2015 Q157,2782,459
2014 Q458,6272,345
2014 Q360,4702,179

Other Volvo models

See how many of every Volvo model are left

Common questions

How many Volvo S40 cars are left in the UK?

13,268 were licensed and 5,591 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many Volvo S40 cars are SORN?

5,591 are declared SORN — 1 in 3 of the 18,859 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the S40 disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 60,470 in 2014 Q3 and stand at 13,268 in 2026 Q1, down 78%. That is down 54% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 5,591 are declared SORN — 1 in 3 of the 18,859 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

What is the Volvo S40 MOT pass rate?

In 2024, 57% of 16,704 Volvo S40 MOTs passed first time — below the 71.2% UK average.

What does the S40 fail its MOT on?

The most common initial failure categories in 2024 are suspension arms (7% of tests), anti-roll bars (6.3% of tests), position lamps (6.3% of tests).

Does this say whether one S40 is a good buy?

No. These are population figures for the model group. Enter that vehicle's registration for its own free MOT, tax and mileage record.

Source and limitations

Source: Department for Transport and DVLA, df_VEH0120_UK. Released 2026-07-15 under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

DVLA make and model fields are administrative data and can contain omissions or inconsistencies. These statistics describe model groups, not an individual registration.

Confidential cells marked [c] represent between 1 and 4 vehicles and are treated as zero in aggregates, so totals can be slightly understated.