How many Volvo V50 cars are left?
At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 22,944 licensed and 3,932 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Volvo V50 generic-model group.
Looking at a V50?
Population figures cannot tell you whether one particular car is taxed, MOT-valid or safe to buy.
Check its registration free for the official tax, MOT and mileage record. If the car is still worth pursuing, the optional £9.99 full history check adds outstanding-finance, stolen and insurance write-off checks.
Wondering whether one particular V50 is off the road? A free SORN check shows whether it is currently SORN, taxed or untaxed.
Is the V50 disappearing?
Licensed numbers peaked at 51,447 in 2014 Q3 and stand at 22,944 in 2026 Q1, down 55%. That is down 42% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 3,932 are declared SORN — 1 in 7 of the 26,876 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.
A falling population is worth knowing before you buy: it usually means fewer donor cars, fewer specialists and slower parts supply, and it is why a good example of a scarce model can hold its price while a neglected one is hard to sell at any price.
V50 MOT pass rate
In 2024, 54.8% of 26,881 Volvo V50 MOTs passed first time — below the 71.2% UK average. Pass rate moves with age: 56.5% of cars aged 10–14 years passed first time, against 53.6% aged 15–30 years.
- Condition — 8.1% of tests. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
- Suspension Arms — 7.7% of tests. Worn arms or bushes. A common age-related repair that affects handling and tyre wear.
- Anti-roll Bars — 7.3% of tests. Worn anti-roll bar links or bushes. Inexpensive but often recurring.
- Position Lamps — 6.8% of tests. A side or tail light out. Usually a bulb.
Full age bands and failure notes are on the Volvo V50 MOT pass rate page.
Before you buy
- Condition — 8.1% of tests in 2024. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
- Suspension Arms — 7.7% of tests in 2024. Worn arms or bushes. A common age-related repair that affects handling and tyre wear.
- Anti-roll Bars — 7.3% of tests in 2024. Worn anti-roll bar links or bushes. Inexpensive but often recurring.
- Position Lamps — 6.8% of tests in 2024. A side or tail light out. Usually a bulb.
- Budget for a shrinking fleet — Licensed numbers are down 55% from the 2014 Q3 peak of 51,447. Fewer cars on the road usually means fewer donor parts and fewer specialists.
- Check the actual V50 — These figures describe the model group. Enter the registration for that vehicle's free MOT, tax and mileage record before you pay a deposit.
Quarterly licensed and SORN counts
Every quarter DfT has published for this model group, newest first.
| Quarter | Licensed | SORN |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Q1 | 22,944 | 3,932 |
| 2025 Q4 | 23,927 | 3,821 |
| 2025 Q3 | 24,808 | 3,718 |
| 2025 Q2 | 25,671 | 3,632 |
| 2025 Q1 | 26,563 | 3,640 |
| 2024 Q4 | 27,614 | 3,492 |
| 2024 Q3 | 28,563 | 3,359 |
| 2024 Q2 | 29,480 | 3,327 |
| 2024 Q1 | 30,311 | 3,317 |
| 2023 Q4 | 31,354 | 3,190 |
| 2023 Q3 | 32,230 | 3,014 |
| 2023 Q2 | 33,200 | 2,873 |
| 2023 Q1 | 33,919 | 2,808 |
| 2022 Q4 | 34,763 | 2,771 |
| 2022 Q3 | 35,449 | 2,648 |
| 2022 Q2 | 36,197 | 2,618 |
| 2022 Q1 | 36,861 | 2,638 |
| 2021 Q4 | 37,496 | 2,624 |
| 2021 Q3 | 38,164 | 2,553 |
| 2021 Q2 | 38,954 | 2,504 |
| 2021 Q1 | 39,633 | 2,555 |
| 2020 Q4 | 40,351 | 2,410 |
| 2020 Q3 | 40,908 | 2,293 |
| 2020 Q2 | 41,440 | 2,302 |
| 2020 Q1 | 41,959 | 2,279 |
| 2019 Q4 | 42,727 | 1,987 |
| 2019 Q3 | 43,458 | 1,800 |
| 2019 Q2 | 44,201 | 1,631 |
| 2019 Q1 | 44,675 | 1,540 |
| 2018 Q4 | 45,283 | 1,487 |
| 2018 Q3 | 45,694 | 1,338 |
| 2018 Q2 | 46,242 | 1,257 |
| 2018 Q1 | 46,819 | 1,140 |
| 2017 Q4 | 47,262 | 1,075 |
| 2017 Q3 | 47,658 | 985 |
| 2017 Q2 | 48,044 | 885 |
| 2017 Q1 | 48,451 | 820 |
| 2016 Q4 | 48,815 | 775 |
| 2016 Q3 | 48,798 | 689 |
| 2016 Q2 | 49,172 | 619 |
| 2016 Q1 | 49,506 | 570 |
| 2015 Q4 | 49,884 | 483 |
| 2015 Q3 | 50,131 | 417 |
| 2015 Q2 | 50,233 | 381 |
| 2015 Q1 | 50,634 | 372 |
| 2014 Q4 | 50,755 | 310 |
| 2014 Q3 | 51,447 | 285 |
Other Volvo models
- Xc40 — 178,819 licensed. MOT pass rate
- Xc60 — 154,061 licensed. MOT pass rate
- Xc90 — 94,388 licensed. MOT pass rate
- V40 — 94,070 licensed. MOT pass rate
- V70 — 34,181 licensed. MOT pass rate
- V60 — 43,006 licensed. MOT pass rate
See how many of every Volvo model are left
Common questions
How many Volvo V50 cars are left in the UK?
22,944 were licensed and 3,932 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.
How many Volvo V50 cars are SORN?
3,932 are declared SORN — 1 in 7 of the 26,876 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.
Is the V50 disappearing?
Licensed numbers peaked at 51,447 in 2014 Q3 and stand at 22,944 in 2026 Q1, down 55%. That is down 42% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 3,932 are declared SORN — 1 in 7 of the 26,876 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.
What is the Volvo V50 MOT pass rate?
In 2024, 54.8% of 26,881 Volvo V50 MOTs passed first time — below the 71.2% UK average.
What does the V50 fail its MOT on?
The most common initial failure categories in 2024 are condition (8.1% of tests), suspension arms (7.7% of tests), anti-roll bars (7.3% of tests).
Does this say whether one V50 is a good buy?
No. These are population figures for the model group. Enter that vehicle's registration for its own free MOT, tax and mileage record.
Source and limitations
Source: Department for Transport and DVLA, df_VEH0120_UK. Released 2026-07-15 under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
DVLA make and model fields are administrative data and can contain omissions or inconsistencies. These statistics describe model groups, not an individual registration.
Confidential cells marked [c] represent between 1 and 4 vehicles and are treated as zero in aggregates, so totals can be slightly understated.