Used Volvo V50 review and buying guide (2004 to 2012): which one to buy and what to check

Which used Volvo V50 should you buy?

A V50 from the 2008 model year on is the better bet, because the ESP warning light fault (a pressure sensor sealed inside the Teves ABS unit) is only described on cars up to the 2007 model year. That rests on a single note, so it doesn't make later cars proven sound. On affected cars it shows up at three to five years old and means a new ABS control unit and pump; cars with Bosch ABS don't get it.

After the year, the engine matters most. The 1.6 D2 diesel (badged DRIVe) has a known particulate filter problem on cars used for short runs, reported at 44,000 to 50,000 miles, so think twice about one if your driving's mostly short trips. On the 2.0 diesel, two owners have had Powershift automatic trouble; the diesel's six-speed manual avoids that, though its narrow gate makes it easy to pick reverse instead of first.

Early cars had a plastic electronic key that could jam in the dashboard, and in early 2006 replacements were taking months to arrive. At the other end, cars built in 2011 and 2012 were recalled for a new right-hand driveshaft, because the original could fail, giving a noise and then a loss of drive.

Which V50 engines and gearboxes are the safe choices?

No V50 engine is a proven safe choice: the petrols barely feature in the record, and every diesel has a mark against it. The 1.6 D2 is the one to avoid for mostly town driving, because of its known particulate filter trouble on short-trip cars. Its injectors have failed too: a 2010 D2 needed three at 108,000 miles, and a 2011 1.6 needed all four after a fill-up of supermarket diesel. One 2009 1.6 had repeated turbo replacements by 90,000 miles.

The 1.6 diesel's cambelt is officially due at 108,000 miles or 10 years, though specialists suggest 72,000 miles or 7 years, and the tip of its plastic dipstick can snap off into the sump. The 2.0 diesel's listed problems include EGR valve and wheel bearing failures, brake and air-con faults and software glitches, and Volvo dealers have quoted £1,000 for its particulate filter.

If you want an automatic 2.0 diesel, the Powershift's fluid and microfilter matter. One 2009 car at 54,500 miles, whose last service had skipped them, was slow to engage drive and then lost reverse; changing both cured it, which that owner took as proof they need doing every 40,000 miles. Another owner's 2012 car needed a whole new gearbox under warranty after just 20,000 miles.

D5s have had their timing belt tensioners fail, and on both the 2.4D and D5 the intake swirl flaps can break off from three years old. A 2010 bulletin covered D5s with a particulate filter whose oil level rises as fuel gets into the sump during regeneration; the fix is a software update and an oil change. The five-cylinder petrol automatics got a free software update in summer 2005 to improve economy and gear changes, so ask whether it's been done.

What should you check when viewing a used V50?

Restart the engine several times, because V50s have refused to start with a faulty steering column lock: the lights and radio work but the engine won't turn over, and a 2009 D5 showed a steering lock service message. One report puts most cases before 2005. On cars up to the 2007 model year, watch for an ESP light; an 'ECU off' message that never clears means the unit's been unplugged to hide a warning and then reconnected.

On the drive, a 1.6 D2 that loses power or shows a DPF or engine light points to a clogged particulate filter. One report blames drivetrain clunks at low revs in the D2 on the dual-mass flywheel struggling with its tall gearing. On a D5, pull the dipstick: oil above the max mark points to diesel in the sump. If the air-con blows warm, the condenser traps road salt and corrodes.

Ask for receipts for Powershift fluid and microfilter changes, the 1.6 diesel's cambelt, and the D5's oil-level software update. Get proof of recall work too: the right-hand driveshaft on 2011 and 2012 cars, the cooling fan control module on 2007-built diesels (a Europe-wide recall, as water could get in and short it out), and the 2006 handbrake adjustment for cars that could roll away when parked.

Washer fluid can seep through the pump's wiring into the central electronic module, and thousands of V50s were recalled for a new pump harness because it upsets a range of the car's electrics. Cars built from 2010 to 2012 were also recalled because the sleeve on the exhaust tailpipe wasn't fixed on properly and could drop into the road. Ask for proof the recall work was done on both.

Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.

What does a used Volvo V50 cost to run?