Volvo V50 MOT pass rate: 61.0% (26,122 tests, 2025)

Name: Volvo V50 MOT statistics 2025
Creator: OBDCode UK
License: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Last updated 24 August 2026 · OBDCode UK editorial

The Volvo V50 passed 61.0% of its 26,122 MOT tests in 2025 — 16.5 points below the UK average of 77.5%. The median tested example was 16 years old with 131,751 miles on the clock.

61.0%Pass rate (2025)

26,122MOT tests analysed

131,751 miMedian mileage at test

16 yrsMedian age at test

How the V50 compares

Volvo V50

61.0%

UK average (all Class 4 vehicles)

77.5% across 33.1 million tests

Volvo average (all models)

79.0%

What fails most on the Volvo V50

Across failed and rectified tests in 2025, these vehicle systems produced the most defects on the V50:

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Suspension	8,252	27.9%
2	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	5,693	19.2%
3	Brakes	4,169	14.1%
4	Tyres	3,859	13.0%
5	Body, chassis, structure	3,174	10.7%
6	Noise, emissions and leaks	1,606	5.4%

Pre-MOT checklist for V50 owners

Based on the failure profile above, ten minutes with a torch before your test removes the most likely fail items:

Bounce each corner and listen for clonks over speed bumps — suspension is this model’s (and the UK’s) top failure system
Walk round with all lights on: one blown bulb is the most avoidable fail there is
Feel for a spongy pedal or pulling to one side; check pad wear through the wheel spokes if visible
Check tread with the 20p test and inspect sidewalls for cracking — tyres close to the limit are the country’s most common advisory
Look underneath for corrosion around sills and subframes, especially on older cars

Engine management light on?

An illuminated engine management light is a Major MOT defect. Read the code, repair the cause, then confirm the light stays off — clearing a code alone is not a repair.

Understand the engine management light and MOT rules →

V50 pass rate by registration year

Lower age-adjusted outliers to inspect carefully: 2011. Strongest age-adjusted years: 2007, 2010. Full ranking and method: Volvo V50 years to avoid.

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage	Pass-rate bar
2004	2,479	58.9%	-5.4 pts	129,464	58.9% visual scale
2005	5,846	57.5%	-6.9 pts	137,445	57.5% visual scale
2006	8,162	59.5%	-4.9 pts	138,022	59.5% visual scale
2007	8,306	60.7%	-4.4 pts	138,582	60.7% visual scale
2008	15,479	59.3%	-5.8 pts	133,202	59.3% visual scale
2009	13,505	61.8%	-4.6 pts	126,158	61.8% visual scale
2010	13,632	62.8%	-4.6 pts	125,042	62.8% visual scale
2011	12,411	61.7%	-7.5 pts	125,025	61.7% visual scale
2012	9,243	64.1%	-7.2 pts	114,190	64.1% visual scale

Same-vehicle follow-up

The defect groups above are a single-year count. The prognosis registry follows the same vehicle_id into the next MOT year. The extracts do not record the repair, a turbo part number, or a gearbox type.

Suspension: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Brakes: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Tyres: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Body, chassis, structure: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Noise, emissions and leaks: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold

On this model, these certificate lines have a published follow-up (cohort at least 200 cars):

Ball joint has slight play — 497 cars · 9.9% failed the same item the next year
Pins and bushes pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement — 2,049 cars · 8.6% failed the same item the next year
Track rod end ball joint has slight play — 279 cars · 7.2% failed the same item the next year
Individual direction indicators slightly discoloured — 437 cars · 6.4% failed the same item the next year
Exhaust system has a minor leak of exhaust gases — 549 cars · 5.8% failed the same item the next year

Check a specific V50 before you buy

Pass rates describe the model; they can’t tell you about the one car you’re looking at. Run its plate through our free MOT history check to see its personal record of failures, advisories and mileage readings.

Other Volvo models

V4075.1% pass rate · 96,936 tests XC6080.4% pass rate · 89,014 tests XC9076.7% pass rate · 55,130 tests XC4090.1% pass rate · 51,844 tests V7070.3% pass rate · 37,950 tests V6078.6% pass rate · 31,553 tests C3065.2% pass rate · 20,590 tests S6075.5% pass rate · 16,665 tests

FAQs

What is the MOT pass rate for a Volvo V50?

In 2025, 61.0% of 26,122 first MOT tests on the Volvo V50 were passes (UK average: 77.5%). Data: DVSA anonymised MOT results.

What does the V50 fail its MOT on most?

The biggest defect group is suspension (27.9% of its recorded defects), followed by lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment.

Is the Volvo V50 reliable?

MOT pass rate is one lens on durability: at 61.0% it performs below the national average at a median age of 16 years and 131,751 miles. Always check the individual car's history too.

Before you agree to the work

A fault or an advisory is a quote waiting to happen. These pages set out what a garage has to tell you, what a comparable written quote should include, and what you can do if the bill is not what you agreed.

Estimates, quotes and extra work — what a price has to cover, and when a garage may charge more than it first said.
What a diagnostic test costs — what the fee should include, and when it should come off the repair.
Tools — when to buy and when to skip — how to choose a diagnostic tool, and when a garage visit is cheaper than owning one.
Choosing a garage you can check — what to verify before you hand over the keys.
Your rights after a car repair — what to do when the work is not right, and how to put it in writing.

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 extract (Class 4 initial tests only; retests excluded). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures rounded to one decimal place.