UK vehicle statistics / Subaru

How many Subaru Outback cars are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 9,396 licensed and 1,068 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Subaru Outback generic-model group.

Looking at a Outback?

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

Is the Outback disappearing?

9,396 are licensed as of 2026 Q1 — the highest count in the published series, so the Outback is still arriving on UK roads rather than leaving them. That is up 14% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 1,068 are declared SORN — 1 in 10 of the 10,464 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.

Outback MOT pass rate

In 2024, 75.1% of 6,767 Subaru Outback MOTs passed first time — above the 71.2% UK average. Pass rate moves with age: 89.4% of cars aged 3–5 years passed first time, against 57.8% aged 15–30 years.

  • Exhaust Emissions — 3.9% 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.
  • Position Lamps — 3.5% of tests. A side or tail light out. Usually a bulb.
  • Suspension Arms — 3.3% of tests. Worn arms or bushes. A common age-related repair that affects handling and tyre wear.
  • Anti-roll Bars — 3.3% of tests. Worn anti-roll bar links or bushes. Inexpensive but often recurring.

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

Before you buy

  • Exhaust Emissions — 3.9% 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.
  • Position Lamps — 3.5% of tests in 2024. A side or tail light out. Usually a bulb.
  • Suspension Arms — 3.3% of tests in 2024. Worn arms or bushes. A common age-related repair that affects handling and tyre wear.
  • Anti-roll Bars — 3.3% of tests in 2024. Worn anti-roll bar links or bushes. Inexpensive but often recurring.
  • Check the actual Outback — 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 Q19,3961,068
2025 Q49,3751,048
2025 Q39,3171,020
2025 Q29,2711,029
2025 Q19,3231,009
2024 Q49,226965
2024 Q39,241962
2024 Q29,142931
2024 Q19,071933
2023 Q48,983888
2023 Q38,961858
2023 Q28,722845
2023 Q18,707818
2022 Q48,671805
2022 Q38,634769
2022 Q28,570759
2022 Q18,536766
2021 Q48,515751
2021 Q38,496718
2021 Q28,413725
2021 Q18,248746
2020 Q48,272694
2020 Q38,276673
2020 Q28,198694
2020 Q18,230685
2019 Q48,355594
2019 Q38,368547
2019 Q28,245527
2019 Q18,215495
2018 Q48,181507
2018 Q38,188431
2018 Q27,990406
2018 Q17,982358
2017 Q47,898343
2017 Q37,871333
2017 Q27,835279
2017 Q17,826259
2016 Q47,766236
2016 Q37,649204
2016 Q27,530171
2016 Q17,401155
2015 Q47,210147
2015 Q37,057141
2015 Q26,808150
2015 Q16,667123
2014 Q46,529124
2014 Q36,528119

Other Subaru models

See how many of every Subaru model are left

Common questions

How many Subaru Outback cars are left in the UK?

9,396 were licensed and 1,068 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many Subaru Outback cars are SORN?

1,068 are declared SORN — 1 in 10 of the 10,464 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the Outback disappearing?

9,396 are licensed as of 2026 Q1 — the highest count in the published series, so the Outback is still arriving on UK roads rather than leaving them. That is up 14% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 1,068 are declared SORN — 1 in 10 of the 10,464 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

What is the Subaru Outback MOT pass rate?

In 2024, 75.1% of 6,767 Subaru Outback MOTs passed first time — above the 71.2% UK average.

What does the Outback fail its MOT on?

The most common initial failure categories in 2024 are exhaust emissions (3.9% of tests), position lamps (3.5% of tests), suspension arms (3.3% of tests).

Does this say whether one Outback 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.