BIKERELIABILITY
MOT DATA · GREAT BRITAIN · 2005–2025
League table/ PIAGGIO/VESPA 50
Model report · 2005–2025

PIAGGIO VESPA 50

50cc Petrol Class 1
82.1%
first-time pass rate
13.1%
failed outright
9,194
median miles at test
709
MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2006–2017

The VESPA 50's first-time pass rate has risen 7.7 points since 2006, 84.8% to 92.5%.

74%85%96%2006: 84.8% pass (46 tests)2007: 77.8% pass (54 tests)2008: 77.8% pass (63 tests)2009: 88.1% pass (67 tests)2010: 78.0% pass (59 tests)2011: 80.7% pass (57 tests)2012: 78.4% pass (51 tests)2013: 79.6% pass (54 tests)2014: 84.3% pass (51 tests)2015: 79.1% pass (43 tests)2016: 86.7% pass (45 tests)2017: 92.5% pass (40 tests)20062017

Pass rate by mileage

how the VESPA 50's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 73.4%

A low-mileage VESPA 50 passes first time 82.3% of the time; by 40k that's 88.2%.

77%84%90%0k: 82.3% pass (316 tests)10k: 81.9% pass (105 tests)20k: 81.3% pass (80 tests)30k: 79.1% pass (43 tests)40k: 88.2% pass (34 tests)0k20k40k

First-time pass rate by odometer reading at test, 10,000-mile bands for this model. Mileage is the strongest reliability signal. See the full curve.

What fails on a VESPA 50

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded
Component group Share of defects Defects % of defects vs all bikes
lighting and signalling
79 36.2 1.7×
steering and suspension
53 24.3 1.7×
brakes
30 13.8 0.7×
tyres and wheels
19 8.7 1.2×
reg plates and vin
9 4.1 2.0×
driving controls
9 4.1 5.4×
lamps and reflectors
6 2.8 0.4×
fuel and exhaust
6 2.8 0.9×
body and structure
4 1.8 0.9×
steering
3 1.4 0.7×

Defects recorded against failed normal tests, 2005–2025, grouped by DVSA inspection section. One test can record multiple defects. "vs all bikes" is how often this model's tests record a defect in the group, as a multiple of the all-bike rate.

How rivals compare

same type, similar capacity, high test volume

On first-time pass rate the VESPA 50 beats 4 of its 4 closest rivals (PEUGEOT SPEEDFIGHT, PIAGGIO ZIP, PIAGGIO NRG).

Rivals share this bike's type and sit within ±30% of its engine capacity, ≥ 5,000 tests. Card colour = better/worse first-time pass rate than the VESPA 50.

PIAGGIO VESPA 50 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the PIAGGIO VESPA 50 reliable?

The PIAGGIO VESPA 50 is more reliable than average for its class: 82.1% of its 709 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 73.4%. That ranks it #3165 of 5426 models.

What does a VESPA 50 fail its MOT on most?

lighting and signalling — 36% of all defects recorded against failed VESPA 50 tests.

How many miles will a VESPA 50 last?

The median VESPA 50 shows 9,194 miles at test, and examples around 40k miles still pass 88.2% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.