MOT fail rates by first-use year

2004 Volvo V50 MOT fail rate and common faults

How Volvo V50 cars first used in 2004 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2023, against all cars of the same age. From 2,312 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 19 years, tested in 2023

MOT fail rate at age 19 (n=1,036)46.3%

All cars at 19 years (n=2,479,858)43.2%

Difference+3.1 pts

MOT tests of 2004 cars, 2022 to 20232,312

What stands out

In 2023, at 19 years old, Volvo V50 cars first used in 2004 failed 46.3% of MOTs (1,036 tests), 3.1 points above the 43.2% for all cars that age.
From 2022 to 2023, as these cars went from 18 to 19 years old, the fail rate moved from 48.6% to 46.3%.
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Volvo V50 at 19 years, is driveshaft CV boot split, at 7.7 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 3.2).

MOT fail rate by test year

Volvo V50 cars first used in 2004: share of MOT tests that failed, by test year, against all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Test year	Age	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars	Difference
2022	18 years	48.6%	1,276	43.3%	+5.3 pts
2023	19 years	46.3%	1,036	43.2%	+3.1 pts

Most common faults at 19 years

These figures cover all Volvo V50 MOTs at 19 years: cars first used 2004 to 2006, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=5,277). The list uses every first-use year so it has enough tests. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.

MOT fail items

Fail item	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Driveshaft CV boot split	7.7	3.2
Coil spring broken	6.0	2.8
Handbrake too weak	5.8	2.9
Side/position light not working Wear	4.7	5.4
Tyre with cords exposed Wear	4.0	1.6
Shock absorber leaking	3.8	1.3
Suspension arm bush worn	3.4	2.2
Engine warning lamp at the petrol emissions check: not working or showing a fault	3.4	2.6
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear	3.2	2.8
Suspension ball joint worn	3.0	2.4

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=5,277). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

Advisory	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear	22.7	16.6
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	13.2	10.8
Coil spring: corroded	10.8	7.9
Suspension pin or bush worn, without excessive movement	10.7	8.1
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive	9.2	13.2
Brake pads wearing thin Wear	9.0	6.0
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear	8.1	9.9
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Wear	7.9	5.6
Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened	6.8	2.9
Drive shaft joints: constant velocity boot severely deteriorated	6.6	3.9

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=5,277). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 19 years

These figures cover all Volvo V50 MOTs at 19 years: cars first used 2004 to 2006, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=5,277). Each fuel is set against all cars of the same fuel and age. Fuels with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Fuel	Share of tests	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars, same fuel	Median mileage
Diesel	56.4%	48.1%	2,978	43.8%	152,485 miles
Petrol	43.6%	46.0%	2,298	43.0%	116,434 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 19 years

These figures cover all Volvo V50 MOTs at 19 years: cars first used 2004 to 2006, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=5,277). At 19 years, Volvo V50 cars at over 150,000 miles failed more often (51.7%, n=1,970) than those at 90,000 to 120,000 miles (44.8%, n=1,105). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
90,000 to 120,000 miles	44.8%	1,105	46.2%
120,000 to 150,000 miles	49.0%	1,414	47.5%
Over 150,000 miles	51.7%	1,970	46.9%

Car tax rules for a 2004 car

Cars first registered from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017 are taxed by CO2 emissions band, from band A (the lowest emissions) to band M. The band is set by the CO2 figure on the V5C logbook.

These are the rules, not the amount for a specific car. Car tax check

ULEZ and clean air zones

Many petrol cars first registered from 2001 to 2005 already meet Euro 4, but not all of them. For a 2004 petrol car the Euro standard of that car decides.
Diesel cars first registered before September 2015 usually do not meet Euro 6, so a 2004 diesel usually pays the ULEZ daily charge. A few models met Euro 6 early.
The clean air zones in Birmingham and Bristol use the same Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 diesel standards. The low emission zones in Scotland use them too, but enforce them with fines, not a daily charge.

The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. ULEZ checker

Other years of the Volvo V50

2005 Volvo V50

Other Volvo models first used in 2004

Model	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Volvo V70 (2004)	21 years in 2025	45.3%	2,517	42.1%
Volvo XC90 (2004)	21 years in 2025	43.5%	1,566	42.1%
Volvo S40 (2004)	20 years in 2024	47.0%	1,149	42.8%
Volvo S60 (2004)	20 years in 2024	41.9%	1,118	42.8%

More on the Volvo V50

Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.

Found one you might buy? Vet the specific car.

These figures describe 2004 Volvo V50 cars as a group, not any one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at the car you are buying: its MOT history, what similar cars did next, and what to ask the seller.

See an example Buying Report All car tools

Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources

Car tax and clean air zone rules are summarised from GOV.UK and Transport for London guidance. They are general rules and are not drawn from the MOT data.