UK vehicle statistics / Subaru

How many Subaru Forester cars are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 16,245 licensed and 3,882 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Subaru Forester generic-model group.

Looking at a Forester?

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 Forester is off the road? A free SORN check shows whether it is currently SORN, taxed or untaxed.

Is the Forester disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 21,668 in 2014 Q3 and stand at 16,245 in 2026 Q1, down 25%. That is down 13% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 3,882 are declared SORN — 1 in 5 of the 20,127 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.

Forester MOT pass rate

In 2024, 68.7% of 12,206 Subaru Forester MOTs passed first time — below the 71.2% UK average. Pass rate moves with age: 86.1% of cars aged 3–5 years passed first time, against 62% aged 15–30 years.

  • Suspension Arms — 6.6% of tests. Worn arms or bushes. A common age-related repair that affects handling and tyre wear.
  • Exhaust Emissions — 5.7% of tests. The car exceeded its emissions limits. Can be a sensor or a service, but on a diesel it can also mean an expensive filter or catalyst.
  • Anti-roll Bars — 4% of tests. Worn anti-roll bar links or bushes. Inexpensive but often recurring.
  • Position Lamps — 3.9% of tests. A side or tail light out. Usually a bulb.

Full age bands and failure notes are on the Subaru Forester MOT pass rate page.

Before you buy

  • Suspension Arms — 6.6% of tests in 2024. Worn arms or bushes. A common age-related repair that affects handling and tyre wear.
  • Exhaust Emissions — 5.7% of tests in 2024. The car exceeded its emissions limits. Can be a sensor or a service, but on a diesel it can also mean an expensive filter or catalyst.
  • Anti-roll Bars — 4% of tests in 2024. Worn anti-roll bar links or bushes. Inexpensive but often recurring.
  • Position Lamps — 3.9% of tests in 2024. A side or tail light out. Usually a bulb.
  • Budget for a shrinking fleet — Licensed numbers are down 25% from the 2014 Q3 peak of 21,668. Fewer cars on the road usually means fewer donor parts and fewer specialists.
  • Check the actual Forester — 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.

QuarterLicensedSORN
2026 Q116,2453,882
2025 Q416,3113,836
2025 Q316,3943,751
2025 Q216,4443,741
2025 Q116,5773,700
2024 Q416,6233,649
2024 Q316,5753,709
2024 Q216,6793,699
2024 Q116,8303,662
2023 Q416,9813,577
2023 Q317,2153,459
2023 Q217,4243,376
2023 Q117,4143,341
2022 Q417,5553,343
2022 Q317,7363,235
2022 Q217,9383,200
2022 Q118,2353,198
2021 Q418,4783,147
2021 Q318,5583,087
2021 Q218,5833,056
2021 Q118,7153,059
2020 Q418,8793,032
2020 Q319,0463,024
2020 Q219,0133,142
2020 Q119,2463,078
2019 Q419,8672,682
2019 Q319,5862,594
2019 Q219,8022,523
2019 Q120,1162,402
2018 Q420,2442,351
2018 Q320,3832,262
2018 Q220,4872,239
2018 Q120,7922,112
2017 Q420,8262,055
2017 Q321,0421,993
2017 Q221,1501,939
2017 Q121,4191,779
2016 Q421,5331,690
2016 Q321,3791,561
2016 Q221,4191,500
2016 Q121,4851,406
2015 Q421,4351,320
2015 Q321,4341,234
2015 Q221,4221,180
2015 Q121,5551,021
2014 Q421,521948
2014 Q321,668891

Other Subaru models

See how many of every Subaru model are left

Common questions

How many Subaru Forester cars are left in the UK?

16,245 were licensed and 3,882 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many Subaru Forester cars are SORN?

3,882 are declared SORN — 1 in 5 of the 20,127 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the Forester disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 21,668 in 2014 Q3 and stand at 16,245 in 2026 Q1, down 25%. That is down 13% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 3,882 are declared SORN — 1 in 5 of the 20,127 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

What is the Subaru Forester MOT pass rate?

In 2024, 68.7% of 12,206 Subaru Forester MOTs passed first time — below the 71.2% UK average.

What does the Forester fail its MOT on?

The most common initial failure categories in 2024 are suspension arms (6.6% of tests), exhaust emissions (5.7% of tests), anti-roll bars (4% of tests).

Does this say whether one Forester 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.