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1997 Volvo 440 — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1997 perform at MOT as they age

29 years
Current Age
41.2%
Latest Pass Rate
757
Total Tests (All Years)
91,502 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Compared to Average at Age 18

This car: 41.2%
Average: 54.3%

⚠️ 13.1% below average (8383 models compared)

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1997 Volvo 440 as it ages.

12 yrs42.9%
13 yrs38.6%
14 yrs44.8%
15 yrs31.6%
16 yrs35.8%
17 yrs32.6%
18 yrs41.2%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 12 to 18 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
12 yrs42.9%219
13 yrs38.6%171
14 yrs44.8%125
15 yrs31.6%95
16 yrs35.8%67
17 yrs32.6%46
18 yrs41.2%34

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1997 Volvo 440 pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows improving over 7 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2015 (18 yrs)41.2%34
2014 (17 yrs)32.6%46
2013 (16 yrs)35.8%67
2012 (15 yrs)31.6%95
2011 (14 yrs)44.8%125
2010 (13 yrs)38.6%171
2009 (12 yrs)42.9%219

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
42.9%
Age (yrs) 12Tests 219Avg Mileage 85,955Top Failure Brakes — 36.1%
2010High Fail Rate
38.6%
Age (yrs) 13Tests 171Avg Mileage 89,287Top Failure Brakes — 38.0%
2011High Fail Rate
44.8%
Age (yrs) 14Tests 125Avg Mileage 91,022Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 38.4%
2012High Fail Rate
31.6%
Age (yrs) 15Tests 95Avg Mileage 93,890Top Failure Suspension — 40.0%
2013High Fail Rate
35.8%
Age (yrs) 16Tests 67Avg Mileage 93,548Top Failure Brakes — 119.4%
2014High Fail Rate
32.6%
Age (yrs) 17Tests 46Avg Mileage 88,565Top Failure Brakes — 117.4%
2015High Fail Rate
41.2%
Age (yrs) 18Tests 34Avg Mileage 91,502Top Failure Suspension — 94.1%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1997 Volvo 440, with age trends.

Brakes
67.4%
↑ Increases with age
Suspension
58.5%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
46.5%
↑ Increases with age
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions
25.6%
↑ Increases with age
Steering
23.9%
— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Suspension25.6% (12 yrs)94.1% (18 yrs)
+68.5%
🔴 ↑
Brakes36.1% (12 yrs)94.1% (18 yrs)
+58.0%
🔴 ↑
Tyres18.3% (12 yrs)26.5% (18 yrs)
+8.2%
🔴 ↑
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment34.2% (12 yrs)41.2% (18 yrs)
+7.0%
🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Volvo 440 page →

About This Data

This page shows how Volvo 440 cars manufactured in 1997 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2015, covering 757 tests. Pass rates naturally decline with age as components wear.

Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.

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