2012 Volvo V50: MOT pass rate and reliability
64.5% of 2012 Volvo V50s pass the MOT first time, measured across 3,117 DVSA tests on that model year alone. The average one had covered 118,644 miles.
How the 2012 compares
- Against all Volvo V50s (60.8%, 29,910 tests): +3.7 points
- Against all 2012 cars (70.8%): -6.3 points
- National first-time pass rate, all cars and years: 77%
Every Volvo V50 model year
Pass rates fall as cars age, so the only fair comparison for a 2012 car is other cars of the same age. The full run for the Volvo V50:
| Year | Pass rate | Tests | Avg mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 57.7% | 832 | 133,262 |
| 2005 | 57.4% | 1,927 | 138,182 |
| 2006 | 58.8% | 2,691 | 140,907 |
| 2007 | 60.2% | 2,807 | 140,067 |
| 2008 | 59.4% | 5,196 | 135,841 |
| 2009 | 62.2% | 4,529 | 127,566 |
| 2010 | 61.7% | 4,607 | 126,728 |
| 2011 | 61.2% | 4,197 | 128,491 |
| 2012 | 64.5% | 3,117 | 118,644 |
What this means if you are buying a 2012 V50
The 2012 is one of the stronger years for this model, passing 3.7 points more often than the Volvo V50 average. That is a point in its favour, though condition and service history still matter more than the model year. Check the exact car with the free MOT history checker before you buy, and run its VIN and mileage through our free VIN decoder and clocking check.
What a 14-year-old car fails on
A 2012 car is 14 years old now, and age drives the failure mix more than the badge does. Across all cars tested, these are the categories that actually cause failures:
- Lights and electrical: 10.36% of all cars tested
- Suspension: 8.65% of all cars tested
- Tyres: 6.23% of all cars tested
- Brakes: 6.1% of all cars tested
- Visibility: wipers, washers, glass: 4.65% of all cars tested
- Body, chassis and structure: 3.18% of all cars tested
That is high mileage, so timing belts, clutches, suspension bushes and corrosion are the items worth budgeting for rather than the MOT itself. On a 2012 Volvo V50 the average at test was 118,644 miles, so treat anything far above that as a car that has worked harder than its peers, and anything far below as one worth checking for the faults that come from standing still.
2012 is the strongest year on record for this model at 64.5%, ahead of every other year we hold data for.
Nearby model years
- 2009 Volvo V50 - 62.2%
- 2010 Volvo V50 - 61.7%
- 2011 Volvo V50 - 61.2%