All generations and engines together · 5,476 MOT tests in the 2025 data
Not enough recent tests to rate this saloon or estate. Watch suspension and corrosion. Not enough recent MOT data to call this one yet.
Split by first-registration year. Cars registered in a changeover year can belong to either generation.
Owner folklore from forums and the motoring press, with how well each report stands up. Most of it never shows up in an MOT, which is why this section exists at all.
The 2.0D's EGR valve is a known weak point and a few cars have gone through wheel bearings early too, while the Ford-sourced 1.6 TDCi/HDi's turbo can wear out its bearings, sometimes shortly after 80-100k miles. On later cars the DPF struggles if the car only ever does short runs, throwing warning lights and needing a motorway blast or a forced regen to sort it. A new turbo runs to £1,200 or more in parts alone, and a blocked DPF replacement is a similar bill.
Owners and independent garages report the D5 five-cylinder diesel's timing belt tensioner can fail before the official interval, which is why the trade now advises changing the belt and tensioner at 4 years or 60,000 miles rather than waiting for the book figure. It's not officially flagged as a recall, just a case of the original interval looking optimistic in the real world. A snapped belt on this engine is bent-valve money, so it's worth paying for peace of mind even if the book says it's not due yet.
The dual-clutch Powershift box fitted from 2008 needs its transmission fluid and internal micro-filter changed on schedule, and cars that miss it can judder, hesitate or fail outright, one documented case failed at around 54,500 miles after the service had been skipped. It shows up as clunking or hesitant take-up from a standstill. A full repair or replacement clutch pack runs well into four figures, so service history on an automatic matters more than on the manual.
Older cars can jam the electronic key in the dash slot, and a failing steering column lock has been reported to stop the engine starting at all, an annoying fault rather than a safety recall as far as we've found. Separately, a duff boost pressure sensor in the Teves ABS unit can light up the ESP warning on cars in the 3-5 year bracket. None of these are huge money, but they're the kind of small electrical faults that chip away at confidence in an otherwise solid car.
Axles and suspension have long topped warranty claims data for the S40, and reviewers separately note the ride can feel unsettled over mid-corner bumps and rough surfaces even when new. The measured MOT data for this model backs that up directly, suspension is the standout signature fault in the numbers, not just an anecdotal gripe. Expect bushes, top mounts, anti-roll bar links and springs to be the parts actually wearing by 70-100k miles, £150-£400 a corner depending on what needs doing.
Some owners report the air conditioning condenser corrodes early because it traps leaves and road grit against the radiator pack, leading to a slow refrigerant leak and a warm blower. Others reckon it's just normal age-related wear that would happen on any car parked outdoors for a decade, so it's a genuine point of disagreement rather than a settled fault. A replacement condenser plus regas is typically £250-£450.
Ranked from this model’s own MOT record, then from what owners report.
Saveable checklistThe physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.
These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.
The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.
These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.
Drawn from the reports above rather than the MOT data. These are the model-specific ones.
Computed from DVSA MOT results, all of Great Britain, 2025. Nothing here is opinion.
Share of tests where each item was recorded. The dark tick is the class average across all tracked models; bars are scaled within each group.
The rows that judge the model rather than its keeper. 5,474 tests in this band.
Tyres, pads and stone chips say more about how the car was driven and maintained than about how it was built.
Same segment (Saloons & estates), best MOT record first. Compare before you shortlist.