Verdict
The Volvo V50 passes its MOT first time on 56.3% of tests, 1.0 points lower than a typical car of the same age and mileage (57.3%). That puts it ahead of 46% of cars on UK roads once age and mileage are taken into account.
By year of first registration, the 2006 V50 does best (beats 58% of cars) and the 2012 worst (beats 34%).
Of its engines, the 2.0 Diesel does best (beats 50%) and the 1.6 Diesel worst (beats 37%).
Better than average on brakes, visibility, emissions & leaks.
Watch these weak spots
MOT pass rate by age
First-time pass rate at each MOT by the car’s age in years.
Best and worst years
By year of first registration, ranked against all cars on UK roads after adjusting for age and mileage. Green = better than half of cars.
Engines
All years, most common first. Grades compare each car with cars of the same age and mileage (A = best 20% of cars on UK roads, E = worst 20%), so an older or higher-mileage car can grade above one with a higher pass rate.
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0 Diesel | 55.6% | Beats 50% | C |
| 1.6 Diesel | 57.2% | Beats 37% | D |
| 1.8 Petrol | 54.1% | Beats 45% | C |
| 2.4 Diesel | 57.5% | Beats 58% | C |
| 2.4 Petrol | 56.5% | Beats 55% | C |
| 2.0 Petrol | 61.8% | Beats 59% | C |
| 1.6 Petrol | 60.0% | Beats 56% | C |
Where it fails
Each area compared with a typical car of the same age and mileage, in points of pass rate. Tap or hover an area to see what to check.
Every MOT area
Share of tests failing on each area, against a typical car of the same age and mileage (black line).
Buying one or MOT due? Check these
- Tyre damage & cracking 1.7× typical
Look for cuts, bulges and cracking on both sidewalls of every tyre. - Suspension arm bushes 1.9× typical
Listen for knocks over speed bumps and feel for wandering or vague steering. - Coil springs 1.5× typical
Look behind each wheel for a snapped coil (often the bottom one) and listen for clunks over bumps. - Sidelights
Walk around with the lights on: bulb failures are the easiest MOT fails to avoid. - Headlight aim
Park facing a wall at night: both dipped beams should sit level and dip to the left. - Headlight bulbs & units
Check dipped and main beam on both sides.
Pass rate by mileage
First-time pass rate by mileage at the test.
Most common MOT failures
| Item | This car | Typical | vs typical |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyre damage & cracking | 7.2% | 4.3% | 1.7× |
| Sidelights | 6.3% | 5.9% | 1.1× |
| Coil springs | 5.9% | 4.0% | 1.5× |
| Drive shaft (CV) joints | 5.4% | 2.6% | 2.1× |
| Headlight aim | 4.8% | 5.3% | 0.9× |
| Suspension arm bushes | 4.1% | 2.2% | 1.9× |
| Headlight bulbs & units | 3.5% | 3.8% | 0.9× |
| Tyre tread depth | 3.4% | 3.9% | 0.9× |
| Brake pads | 2.6% | 2.6% | 1.0× |
| Handbrake performance | 2.6% | 3.0% | 0.8× |
Specific defects found
Tester wording for the most frequent failure items, per 1,000 tests.
| Defect | per 1,000 |
|---|---|
| A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 74.1 |
| A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened | 59.0 |
| A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 55.2 |
| A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 53.0 |
| The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | 47.9 |
| A tyre cords visible or damaged | 40.8 |
| Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 34.2 |
| A tyre seriously damaged | 30.2 |
Pick a make and model to see its MOT pass rate, best and worst years and weak spots.
Every year and engine
Tap a year to see its engines. Grades compare each car with cars of the same age and mileage (A = best 20% of cars on UK roads, E = worst 20%), so an older or higher-mileage car can grade above one with a higher pass rate.
2012 Volvo V502 engines61.2% passD
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6 Diesel | 59.2% | Beats 27% | D |
| 2.0 Diesel | 70.3% | Beats 69% | B |
2011 Volvo V503 engines58.6% passD
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6 Diesel | 56.0% | Beats 27% | D |
| 2.0 Diesel | 62.9% | Beats 52% | C |
| 2.0 Petrol | 69.8% | Beats 66% | B |
2010 Volvo V503 engines58.7% passC
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6 Diesel | 57.3% | Beats 44% | C |
| 2.0 Diesel | 61.1% | Beats 56% | C |
| 2.0 Petrol | 66.3% | Beats 65% | B |
2009 Volvo V506 engines57.3% passC
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6 Diesel | 57.2% | Beats 50% | C |
| 2.0 Diesel | 56.4% | Beats 45% | C |
| 2.4 Diesel | 57.1% | Beats 50% | C |
| 1.8 Petrol | 59.3% | Beats 48% | C |
| 2.0 Petrol | 62.0% | Beats 57% | C |
| 1.6 Petrol | 64.1% | Beats 62% | B |
2008 Volvo V507 engines54.3% passC
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0 Diesel | 53.4% | Beats 44% | C |
| 1.8 Petrol | 54.0% | Beats 40% | D |
| 2.4 Diesel | 56.6% | Beats 56% | C |
| 1.6 Diesel | 54.5% | Beats 47% | C |
| 2.0 Petrol | 57.5% | Beats 52% | C |
| 1.6 Petrol | 57.0% | Beats 51% | C |
| 2.4 Petrol | 55.7% | Beats 41% | C |
2007 Volvo V506 engines55.2% passC
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0 Diesel | 53.6% | Beats 49% | C |
| 2.4 Diesel | 59.3% | Beats 64% | B |
| 1.8 Petrol | 54.5% | Beats 46% | C |
| 2.4 Petrol | 60.6% | Beats 62% | B |
| 2.0 Petrol | 58.4% | Beats 60% | B |
| 1.6 Diesel | 54.9% | Beats 50% | C |
2006 Volvo V505 engines55.5% passC
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0 Diesel | 54.4% | Beats 56% | C |
| 1.8 Petrol | 55.9% | Beats 57% | C |
| 2.4 Petrol | 61.1% | Beats 67% | B |
| 2.4 Diesel | 58.0% | Beats 64% | B |
| 2.0 Petrol | 55.0% | Beats 52% | C |
2005 Volvo V503 engines51.5% passC
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0 Diesel | 50.9% | Beats 48% | C |
| 1.8 Petrol | 51.5% | Beats 44% | C |
| 2.4 Petrol | 55.1% | Beats 53% | C |
2004 Volvo V503 engines50.3% passC
| Engine | Pass rate | Rank | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0 Diesel | 49.6% | Beats 47% | C |
| 2.4 Petrol | 51.2% | Beats 45% | C |
| 1.8 Petrol | 50.9% | Beats 45% | C |
FAQ
What is the Volvo V50 MOT pass rate?
56.3% of MOT tests on the Volvo V50 were passed first time, based on 306,600 tests between 2018 and 2026 of cars first registered 2004–2012. A typical car of the same age and mileage passes 57.3% of the time.
Is the Volvo V50 reliable?
On MOT results it rates C (average): it passes first time less often than a typical car of the same age and mileage and does better than 46% of cars on UK roads. MOT results cover safety and emissions items, not every kind of breakdown.
Which Volvo V50 year is best?
Among years with enough data, the 2006 V50 does best for its age and mileage: it beats 58% of cars on UK roads. The 2012 does worst: it beats 34%.
Which Volvo V50 engine is best?
Across all years, the 2.0 Diesel does best: it beats 50% of cars on UK roads. The 1.6 Diesel does worst: it beats 37%.
What are the most common MOT failures on the Volvo V50?
The most common failure items are tyre damage & cracking, sidelights, coil springs. Compared with similar cars, tyre damage & cracking comes up 1.7× as often.