Piaggio Vespa S 50 MOT Pass Rate
Overall pass rate across all manufacture years, based on 1,823 real MOT test results. Failure rate: 19.8%.
Data from official DVSA MOT testing records
Piaggio Vespa S 50 MOT Reliability Overview
The Piaggio Vespa S 50 is a niche vehicle in the UK, with 1,823 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 6 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 80.2% and a failure rate of 19.8%, which is well above the UK average of approximately 37%.
Based on this data, the Piaggio Vespa S 50 earns a "Excellent" reliability rating. The average Piaggio Vespa S 50 presents for MOT with approximately 9,737 miles on the clock. Manufacture year matters: 2011 models achieve the highest pass rate at 85.1%, while 2007 models have the lowest at 68.8%. This 16.3 percentage point difference suggests notable variation in build quality or component durability across production years.
The most common MOT failure for the Piaggio Vespa S 50 is Motorcycle brakes, affecting 8.8% of all tests. Brake-related failures include worn brake pads, corroded brake discs, leaking brake lines, and faulty brake servos. These are safety-critical components — any brake deficiency will result in an MOT fail. The second most common issue is Motorcycle lighting and signalling at 7.5%. Motorcycle lamps and reflectors rounds out the top three at 6.6%. Together, these top 3 failure categories account for a significant portion of all MOT failures for this model.
Top failures across all manufacture years combined. Individual year pages may show different top failures.
What Fails Most
Best Year to Buy
📈 How Each Vintage Ages
📉 How Age Affects Reliability
MOT failure rate by vehicle age for the Piaggio Vespa S 50. The dashed red line marks when the manufacturer warranty typically expires (3 years).
Line chart showing MOT failure rate by vehicle age from 3 to 7 years, with warranty expiry marked at 3 years.
💡 What does the warranty cliff mean?
The Piaggio Vespa S 50 shows a moderate increase in MOT failures after warranty. The 31% increase is typical — plan for gradual maintenance cost increases. Peak failure occurs at age 5 (24.2% fail rate).
Note: pass rates may improve for very old vehicles due to survivorship bias — only well-maintained cars remain on the road.
Pass Rate by Manufacture Year
* High Fail Rate badge indicates an MOT pass rate below 65% (failure rate above 35%).
What Fails on This Car?
Click a category to see specific failure items.
View as table
| Rank | Failure Category | Rate (%) | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Motorcycle Brakes | 9.3% | 169 |
| 2 | Motorcycle Lighting And Signalling | 7.6% | 139 |
| 3 | Motorcycle Lamps And Reflectors | 6.6% | 121 |
| 4 | Motorcycle Steering And Suspension | 5.2% | 94 |
| 5 | Motorcycle Tyres And Wheels | 4.6% | 83 |
| 6 | Motorcycle Fuel And Exhaust | 2.9% | 53 |
| 7 | Motorcycle Structure And Attachments | 2.3% | 42 |
| 8 | Motorcycle Suspension | 2.1% | 38 |
| 9 | Motorcycle Tyres | 1.8% | 32 |
| 10 | Motorcycle Body And Structure | 1.0% | 19 |
| 11 | Motorcycle Steering | 0.6% | 11 |
| 12 | Identification Of The Vehicle | 0.5% | 10 |
| 13 | Motorcycle Reg Plates And Vin | 0.5% | 9 |
| 14 | Motorcycle Audible Warning (Horn) | 0.2% | 4 |
| 15 | Motorcycle Driving Controls | 0.2% | 3 |
Failures per 10,000 Miles
avg. 9,737 miFor every 10,000 miles driven, this shows what percentage of MOT tests fail for each category. This accounts for how far cars are actually driven, not just raw pass/fail counts.
View as table
| Category | Rate / 10K mi | Raw % | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motorcycle brakes | 9.52 | 9.3% | 169 |
| Motorcycle lighting and signalling | 7.83 | 7.6% | 139 |
| Motorcycle lamps and reflectors | 6.82 | 6.6% | 121 |
| Motorcycle steering and suspension | 5.30 | 5.2% | 94 |
| Motorcycle tyres and wheels | 4.68 | 4.6% | 83 |
| Motorcycle fuel and exhaust | 2.99 | 2.9% | 53 |
| Motorcycle structure and attachments | 2.37 | 2.3% | 42 |
| Motorcycle suspension | 2.14 | 2.1% | 38 |
| Motorcycle tyres | 1.80 | 1.8% | 32 |
| Motorcycle body and structure | 1.07 | 1.0% | 19 |
| Motorcycle steering | 0.62 | 0.6% | 11 |
| Identification of the vehicle | 0.56 | 0.5% | 10 |
| Motorcycle reg plates and vin | 0.51 | 0.5% | 9 |
| Motorcycle audible warning (Horn) | 0.23 | 0.2% | 4 |
| Motorcycle driving controls | 0.17 | 0.2% | 3 |
🚗 Similar Cars to Consider
Mileage at MOT
The average Piaggio Vespa S 50 has 9,737 miles when tested for MOT.
📊 Mileage-Adjusted Failure Rate
How often this car fails MOT relative to how much it's driven — a fairer comparison than raw pass rate.
The Piaggio Vespa S 50 has a mileage-adjusted failure rate of 20.33% per 10,000 miles driven. The average across all makes is 5.38%, so this model is worse than average.
About Piaggio Vespa S 50 MOT Data
The Piaggio Vespa S 50 is a niche vehicle in the UK, with 1,823 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 6 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 80.2% and a failure rate of 19.8%, which is well above the UK average of approximately 37%.
For Piaggio Vespa S 50 owners, these results suggest a reliable vehicle that generally passes its MOT without major issues. Focus your pre-MOT checks on motorcycle brakes and motorcycle lighting and signalling for the best chance of a first-time pass. Use our detailed year-by-year breakdown and failure analysis below to understand how your specific Vespa S 50 is likely to perform.
Motorcycle brakes — 8.8% of failures
Motorcycle brakes issues account for 8.8% of MOT failures on the Piaggio Vespa S 50. Brake-related failures include worn brake pads, corroded brake discs, leaking brake lines, and faulty brake servos. These are safety-critical components — any brake deficiency will result in an MOT fail. Typical repair costs: £150–400. Pre-MOT check: Listen for squealing or grinding noises. Check brake pedal feel — if it feels spongy or goes to the floor, have the system inspected immediately. Look at brake pad thickness through the wheel spokes (minimum 3mm).
Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 7.5% of failures
Motorcycle lighting and signalling issues account for 7.5% of MOT failures on the Piaggio Vespa S 50. Motorcycle lighting and signalling issues are a common cause of MOT failure. Regular inspection and maintenance of these components helps ensure your vehicle passes its MOT. Typical repair costs: £100–400. Pre-MOT check: Have this system checked during regular servicing. Look for warning signs like unusual noises, vibrations, or dashboard warning lights.
Motorcycle lamps and reflectors — 6.6% of failures
Motorcycle lamps and reflectors issues account for 6.6% of MOT failures on the Piaggio Vespa S 50. Lighting failures cover all external lights: headlights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights, and reflectors. A single blown bulb will cause an MOT fail. This is one of the most preventable failure categories. Typical repair costs: £5–50. Pre-MOT check: Walk around the car and check every light — headlights (dipped and main beam), side lights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, hazard lights, reverse light, rear fog light, and number plate lights. Replace any blown bulbs before the test.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Piaggio Vespa S 50?
Based on 1,823 MOT tests in our database, the Piaggio Vespa S 50 has an overall pass rate of 80.2% (19.8% fail rate).
What are the most common MOT failures on a Piaggio Vespa S 50?
The top 3 reasons a Piaggio Vespa S 50 fails its MOT are: 1. Motorcycle brakes (8.8%), 2. Motorcycle lighting and signalling (7.5%), 3. Motorcycle lamps and reflectors (6.6%). Check these areas before booking your MOT.
Is the Piaggio Vespa S 50 reliable?
With a 19.8% MOT failure rate, the Vespa S 50 is more reliable than average compared to the UK average of ~40%.
What should I check before an MOT on my Piaggio Vespa S 50?
Based on failure data, focus on: Motorcycle brakes (8.8%); Motorcycle lighting and signalling (7.5%); Motorcycle lamps and reflectors (6.6%). These are the areas most likely to cause a fail. Also check all lights, tyres (minimum 1.6mm tread), and windscreen condition — these are quick wins that apply to all cars.
Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.