MOT fail rates by first-use year

2012 Volvo V50 MOT fail rate and common faults

How Volvo V50 cars first used in 2012 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 12,625 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 13 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 13 (n=3,021)40.8%

All cars at 13 years (n=6,612,160)38.3%

Difference+2.6 pts

MOT tests of 2012 cars, 2022 to 202512,625

What stands out

In 2025, at 13 years old, Volvo V50 cars first used in 2012 failed 40.8% of MOTs (3,021 tests), 2.6 points above the 38.3% for all cars that age.
From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 10 to 13 years old, the fail rate moved from 38.5% to 40.8%.
Volvo V50 cars first used a year earlier, in 2011, failed 44.1% at the same age of 13 years (4,224 tests, in 2024).
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Volvo V50 at 13 years, is coil spring broken, at 6.4 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 4.1).

MOT fail rate by test year

Volvo V50 cars first used in 2012: 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	10 years	38.5%	3,231	30.3%	+8.2 pts
2023	11 years	40.0%	3,231	33.3%	+6.8 pts
2024	12 years	40.5%	3,142	36.0%	+4.5 pts
2025	13 years	40.8%	3,021	38.3%	+2.6 pts

Most common faults at 13 years

These figures cover all Volvo V50 MOTs at 13 years: cars first used 2009 to 2012, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=17,806). 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
Side/position light not working Wear	6.4	4.8
Coil spring broken	6.4	4.1
Driveshaft CV boot split	5.2	2.0
Tyre with cords exposed Wear	4.3	1.8
Suspension arm bush worn	4.3	2.0
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear	3.0	3.0
Brake pads under 1.5 mm Wear	2.5	2.1
Headlamp aim: too low Wear	2.4	1.6
Dipped headlight not working Wear	2.4	2.2
Suspension ball joint worn	2.2	2.5

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=17,806). 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	24.1	18.2
Suspension pin or bush worn, without excessive movement	12.9	8.0
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	9.1	10.6
Brake pads wearing thin Wear	9.0	7.3
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Wear	7.6	5.2
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear	6.5	9.1
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive	6.2	7.2
Drive shaft joints: constant velocity boot severely deteriorated	4.4	2.1
Coil spring: corroded	4.4	5.6
Non-component advisories: Play in steering rack inner joint(s)	3.8	2.1

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=17,806). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 13 years

These figures cover all Volvo V50 MOTs at 13 years: cars first used 2009 to 2012, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=17,806). 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	92.1%	43.3%	16,399	39.1%	123,549 miles
Petrol	7.9%	36.7%	1,404	37.7%	86,684 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 13 years

These figures cover all Volvo V50 MOTs at 13 years: cars first used 2009 to 2012, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=17,806). At 13 years, Volvo V50 cars at over 150,000 miles failed more often (47.3%, n=4,261) than those at 30,000 to 60,000 miles (27.6%, n=1,048). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
30,000 to 60,000 miles	27.6%	1,048	29.1%
60,000 to 90,000 miles	37.4%	2,679	38.0%
90,000 to 120,000 miles	42.8%	4,743	42.2%
120,000 to 150,000 miles	46.6%	4,820	43.2%
Over 150,000 miles	47.3%	4,261	43.0%

Car tax rules for a 2012 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

Petrol cars first registered from 2006 usually meet Euro 4, the petrol standard for the London ULEZ, so they usually do not pay the daily charge.
Diesel cars first registered before September 2015 usually do not meet Euro 6, so a 2012 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

2011 Volvo V50

Other Volvo models first used in 2012

Model	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Volvo XC60 (2012)	13 years in 2025	29.6%	4,814	38.3%
Volvo V60 (2012)	13 years in 2025	31.6%	4,409	38.3%
Volvo XC90 (2012)	13 years in 2025	30.2%	2,871	38.3%
Volvo C30 (2012)	13 years in 2025	38.1%	2,812	38.3%
Volvo V40 (2012)	13 years in 2025	37.9%	2,266	38.3%
Volvo S60 (2012)	13 years in 2025	31.9%	1,666	38.3%
Volvo V70 (2012)	13 years in 2025	28.9%	1,548	38.3%
Volvo XC70 (2012)	13 years in 2025	29.3%	1,304	38.3%

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 2012 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.