Volvo V50 MOT pass rate & common failures
The Volvo V50 appears in 223,908 MOT tests spanning model years 2002–2021, and 71.7% of them passed. Small family cars of a similar age fail 25.2% of the time, so this is 3.0pp worse than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are suspension, lighting & signalling and tyres.
Best and worst V50 years
Ranked across V50 years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Not every year is equal — 74.0% of 2012 examples pass against 68.9% of 2005 ones.
No single area dominates — suspension (14.5%) and lighting & signalling (13.6%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are position lamp, coil spring and joints — position lamp alone was recorded 12,788 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 13.4% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 31.1% once past 150k — 2.3× the risk.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 27.8% of the time against 28.4% for diesel.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 31.9% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
By model year
Every V50 model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 7,235 | 69.1% | 30.9% | Suspension |
| 2005 | 16,980 | 68.9% | 31.1% | Suspension |
| 2006 | 21,654 | 70.9% | 29.1% | Suspension |
| 2007 | 21,638 | 71.3% | 28.7% | Suspension |
| 2008 | 39,621 | 70.8% | 29.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 33,328 | 72.4% | 27.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 32,926 | 73.0% | 27.0% | Suspension |
| 2011 | 29,325 | 72.5% | 27.5% | Suspension |
| 2012 | 21,073 | 74.0% | 26.0% | Suspension |
| 2013 | 43 | 69.8% | 30.2% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 14.5% | 32,462 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 13.6% | 30,393 |
| 3 | Tyres | 7.9% | 17,756 |
| 4 | Brakes | 7.3% | 16,421 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 6.6% | 14,825 |
| 6 | Visibility | 4.0% | 9,029 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 3.5% | 7,775 |
| 8 | Steering | 2.9% | 6,533 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Position lamp | 12,788 |
| 2 | Coil spring | 12,452 |
| 3 | Joints | 12,088 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 10,952 |
| 5 | Pins and bushes | 10,567 |
| 6 | Tread depth | 7,744 |
| 7 | Headlamp | 7,001 |
| 8 | Ball joint | 5,923 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 31.9% | 71,498 |
| 2 | Suspension | 29.0% | 64,847 |
| 3 | Brakes | 23.6% | 52,747 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 15.8% | 35,439 |
| 5 | Other defects | 11.7% | 26,075 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 11.3% | 25,386 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 1,239 | 13.4% |
| 30-60k | 10,200 | 19.2% |
| 60-90k | 31,014 | 24.0% |
| 90-120k | 56,617 | 27.7% |
| 120-150k | 61,160 | 29.8% |
| 150k+ | 63,618 | 31.1% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 180,463 | 28.4% |
| Petrol | 43,445 | 27.8% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 52,943 | 27.5% |
| 2022 | 49,390 | 27.6% |
| 2023 | 45,733 | 28.6% |
| 2024 | 40,534 | 29.0% |
| 2025 | 35,308 | 29.0% |
What to check before buying a Volvo V50
- Suspension (14.5% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Lighting & signalling (13.6% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (7.9% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Volvo V50?
71.7% of the 223,908 Volvo V50 MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 28.3% fail rate, across model years 2002–2021.
What does the Volvo V50 most often fail its MOT on?
Suspension, recorded in 14.5% of tests, then lighting & signalling (13.6%).
Which V50 years are best and worst for MOT results?
2012 has the best pass rate at 74.0% and 2005 the weakest at 68.9%, from 21,073 and 16,980 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect V50 MOT results?
Fail rates run at 13.4% for cars in the 0-30k band and 31.1% for 150k+, a 17.7-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel V50 more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 27.8% of the time against 28.4% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 223,908 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.