Does the Volvo V50 fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The Volvo V50 records 4.11 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 4.36 expected for a car of the same age mix: about as expected for its class and age (the difference is within its interval or under 0.5 items per 100 tests) (−0.25, 95% interval −0.34 to −0.16). It ranks 251 of 640 models on steering (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on steering · check a Volvo V50 by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Volvo V50 is “Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc”, recorded 4,559 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 4,559 | 2.02 |
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 2,669 | 1.18 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 880 | 0.39 |
| Power steering fluid leaking or system malfunctioning | 349 | 0.15 |
| A steering ball joint worn to the extent there is a serious risk of detachment | 235 | 0.10 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 225,806 (initial tests) · Method: failure items (major and minor) grouped by DVSA's defect tree; wordings with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
If a Volvo V50 gets a steering advisory, how often does it fail next time?
10.9% of Volvo V50 MOTs with a steering advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12.1 months and 6,534 miles later (3,699 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 3,699 (advisories followed) · Method: the same vehicles followed to their next ordinary MOT · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Other pages for this model
Volvo V50 2004 · Volvo V50 2005 · Volvo V50 2006 · Volvo V50 2007 · Volvo V50 2008 · Volvo V50 2009 · Volvo V50 2010 · Volvo V50 2011 · Volvo V50 2012 · Volvo V50 in Norway · Volvo V50 in Finland · Volvo V50 in the Netherlands · Volvo V50 by postcode area · Volvo V50 body, chassis and structure failures · Volvo V50 brakes failures · Volvo V50 vehicle identification failures · Volvo V50 lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Volvo V50 noise, emissions and leaks failures · Volvo V50 road wheels failures · Volvo V50 seat belts and airbags failures · Volvo V50 suspension failures · Volvo V50 tyres failures · Volvo V50 visibility failures