Volvo V50: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
The Volvo V50 has 1 model year(s) in the federal index and no scored complaint record yet, so this page carries the catalogue entry and the years we hold rather than a verdict.
Year-by-year data table
| Year | Score | Verdict | Running cost / yr | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 92 | BUY | $5,042 | 2 | 1 |
Running cost is fuel or energy plus the maintenance band midpoint for that car at its age today, re-priced to your country. Purchase price, insurance and depreciation are not included.
Photographs and every generation of the V50, through the years →
What goes wrong on the Volvo V50
Across every V50 model year in our index, owners report these component groups most often. The cost beside each one is the representative repair for that group at a US independent shop, re-priced to your country.
- Wheels1 complaints across all V50 years · typical job: Wheel bearing or hub replacement$460–$920
- Unknown Or Other1 complaints across all V50 years · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair$360–$940
Flat-rate labour hours x local shop rate plus a parts band. An estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote. Formula.
FAQ
What is the most common Volvo V50 problem?
1 of the complaints filed against the V50 across all its model years sit in the Wheels group — more than any other component.
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Sources: NHTSA, EPA · Methodology · Updated 2026-10-04