2011 Volvo V50 MOT pass rate: 61.7% (12,411 tests)

2011-registered Volvo V50s passed 61.7% of 12,411 MOT tests in 2023–2025 — 7.5 points worse than same-age cars (69.2%). This is one of the lower-scoring V50 years after correcting for vehicle age — inspect the individual car carefully.

61.7%Pass rate, 2011 cars

92.5Age-adjusted index (100 = average)

12,411Tests analysed

125,025 miMedian mileage at test

71.6% / 61.1%Petrol vs diesel pass rate

Is the 2011 V50 getting worse?

Pass rate of 2011-registered cars across recent test years:

Test year	Pass rate
2023	62.4% -7.7 vs same-age
2024	61.1% -7.8 vs same-age
2025	61.6% -6.9 vs same-age

The raw rate normally falls as cars age. The “vs same-age” figure compares this cohort with all UK cars registered in the same year, so normal ageing is not mistaken for a bad model year.

What fails on a 2011 V50

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Suspension	3,697	29.4%
2	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	2,540	20.2%
3	Tyres	1,790	14.2%
4	Body, chassis, structure	1,481	11.8%
5	Brakes	1,445	11.5%
6	Visibility	622	4.9%

All V50 years compared

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

Weighing up which year to buy? See the full ranking: Volvo V50 years to avoid.

Buying a 2011 V50? Two checks first

Free MOT history checkThe exact car’s failures, advisories and mileage trail — sellers can’t edit it
Topdon OBD2 scannersTopdon diagnostic scanners with full-system readouts
XTOOL diagnostic toolsXTOOL code readers for petrol and diesel cars
Autel UK testersAutel professional-grade diagnostic testers

FAQs

Is a 2011 Volvo V50 reliable?

2011-registered examples passed 61.7% of their MOT tests (12,411 tests, 2023–2025), -7.5 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 15 years old with a median 125,025 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.

What mileage is too high for a 2011 V50?

The median tested example shows 125,025 miles. Anything far beyond that isn't automatically bad — a motorway-mile car with consistent service records often beats a low-mileage school-run car — but price accordingly and scrutinise the mileage trail for gaps or drops.

Should I buy the petrol or diesel 2011 V50?

In this cohort petrols pass 71.6% of tests against 61.1% for diesels. Mileage and use can explain part of that gap, so treat it as a reason to inspect DPF and emissions history, not a fuel-type verdict.

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023–2025 extracts (96 million Class 4 initial tests; retests excluded). Only vehicles old enough for a routine first MOT are included. Age-adjusted figures compare the model-year cohort with all vehicles of the same registration year tested in the same calendar year. Contains public sector information licensed under OGL v3.0.