Used car guide

2012 Volvo V50: common problems and what to check

What gets flagged at MOT on 2012 Volvo V50s, from 3,015 tests in 2025, plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

3,015MOT tests in 2025
59%pass first time (all 2012 cars: 63%)
9,100typical miles a year
3.3×the usual rate for drive shaft (cv) joints

What stands out

Parts flagged at MOT more often on 2012 Volvo V50s than on all cars registered in 2012.

  • Drive shaft (CV) joints3.3× usual
    Volvo V50
    14.7% All 2012 cars
    4.4%

    Failed outright at MOT: 8.8%, against 2.1% of all 2012 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £60–£350 our estimate

    At the viewing: Drive slowly on full steering lock in both directions and listen for clicking. Look for split rubber boots behind the front wheels.

  • Suspension arm bushes and joints1.7× usual
    Volvo V50
    17.2% All 2012 cars
    10.1%

    Failed outright at MOT: 4.9%, against 2% of all 2012 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £120–£180 (one arm) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for clunks over bumps and feel for the steering wandering. Worn arm bushes show as cracked rubber near the wheels.

  • Anti-roll bar links14.7× usual
    Volvo V50
    4.4% All 2012 cars
    0.3%

    Failed outright at MOT: 4.3%, against 0.2% of all 2012 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £100–£280 (pair of drop links) Checkatrade

    At the viewing: Drive slowly over bumps and listen for a knock or rattle from the front. Worn anti-roll bar links are a cheap fix.

  • Steering rack inner joints2.2× usual
    Volvo V50
    5.1% All 2012 cars
    2.3%

    Failed outright at MOT: 0%, against 0% of all 2012 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £100–£450 our estimate

    At the viewing: On a straight road the steering wheel should sit straight. Listen for knocks when turning, and check the steering feels even.

  • Individual direction indicators1.9× usual
    Volvo V50
    5.7% All 2012 cars
    3%

    Failed outright at MOT: 1.7%, against 1.2% of all 2012 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £10–£80 our estimate

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light while you work the switches: indicators, brake lights, fog lights and reversing lights.

Better than most

Rigid brake pipes: 1% here, against 5.5% of all 2012 cars. Shock absorbers: 2.4% here, against 6.5% of all 2012 cars.

By area

The share of 2012 Volvo V50 MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Suspension
    41% of testsRough price £120–£400

    At the viewing: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, and look behind each front wheel for a snapped coil spring.

  • Tyres
    40% of testsRough price £70–£150

    At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

  • Lights and electrics
    29% of testsRough price £10–£80

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light, including brake lights and indicators, while you operate them.

  • Brakes
    27% of testsRough price £150–£350

    At the viewing: Look for a lip on the disc edges and feel for judder or pulling when braking firmly from about 40mph.

  • Driveshafts and joints
    15% of testsRough price £60–£350

    At the viewing: On full steering lock, drive slowly and listen for clicking from the front wheels.

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    9% of testsRough price £15–£250

    At the viewing: Check for chips in the driver's view, and test the wipers and washers.

Looking at a Volvo V50?

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Other years

YearMOT testsMost flagged
20113,895Suspension 45%
20104,099Suspension 46%
20094,024Suspension 45%
20084,449Suspension 50%
20072,306Suspension 52%
20062,287Suspension 51%
20051,502Suspension 55%
2004642Suspension 51%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting tests of 2012 Volvo V50s registered in 2012. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score