2006 Volvo V50 — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2006 Volvo V50 passed 70.9% of its 21,654 recorded MOT tests. Small family cars of a similar age fail 27.5% of the time, so this is 1.7pp worse than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — suspension (16.0%) and lighting & signalling (13.2%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are joints, coil spring and pins and bushes — joints alone was recorded 1,208 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 11.7% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 31.8% once past 150k — 2.7× the risk.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 2.2pp more often than petrol ones (29.8% vs 27.7%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: suspension was flagged on 34.4% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 28.5% of tests failed in 2021 against 30.3% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 16.0% | 3,473 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 13.2% | 2,866 |
| 3 | Brakes | 9.3% | 2,011 |
| 4 | Tyres | 8.2% | 1,765 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 7.6% | 1,641 |
| 6 | Visibility | 4.0% | 865 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joints | 1,208 |
| 2 | Coil spring | 1,091 |
| 3 | Pins and bushes | 1,031 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 997 |
| 5 | Rbt (sp) | 970 |
| 6 | Position lamp | 920 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 34.4% | 7,443 |
| 2 | Tyres | 32.6% | 7,051 |
| 3 | Brakes | 27.0% | 5,843 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 15.4% | 3,335 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 15.0% | 3,256 |
| 6 | Other defects | 12.3% | 2,659 |
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 | 77 | 11.7% |
| 30-60k | 650 | 18.0% |
| 60-90k | 2,072 | 23.4% |
| 90-120k | 4,678 | 27.8% |
| 120-150k | 5,831 | 29.9% |
| 150k+ | 8,341 | 31.8% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 14,979 | 29.8% |
| Petrol | 6,675 | 27.7% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 5,548 | 28.5% |
| 2022 | 4,960 | 28.1% |
| 2023 | 4,394 | 29.4% |
| 2024 | 3,673 | 30.3% |
| 2025 | 3,079 | 30.3% |
What to check before buying a 2006 V50
On a 2006 V50, suspension is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 16.0% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Suspension (16.0% 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 (13.2% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (9.3% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 2006 Volvo V50s pass their MOT?
70.9% of the 21,654 2006 Volvo V50 MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 29.1% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2006 Volvo V50?
Suspension, recorded in 16.0% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (13.2%).
Does the 2006 V50 get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 11.7% in the 0-30k band to 31.8% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 21,654 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.