MOT pass rates / Subaru
Subaru MOT pass rates and common failures
Subaru cars passed 73.7% of their MOTs first time in 2024, across 46,734 class-4 initial tests and 7 model groups. That is above the 71.2% UK average, and ranks Subaru 25th of 59 makes in the dataset.
Pass rates track age more strongly than badge: an older Subaru is compared here against older cars of every other make, so read the age table below before drawing conclusions about the brand.
Checking a Subaru?
Make-level pass rates cannot reveal the condition or provenance of one car.
Check its registration free for the actual MOT, tax and mileage record. Before buying, the optional £9.99 full history check adds outstanding-finance, stolen and insurance write-off checks.
What Subaru cars fail on
The items most often behind a first-test failure across Subaru model groups, as a share of Subaru tests. DVSA publishes each model group's six most common categories, so this ranks the biggest published causes rather than every possible one.
- Exhaust Emissions — 5.9% of Subaru 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 Subaru tests. A side or tail light out. Usually a bulb.
- Headlamp Aim — 3.2% of Subaru tests. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
- Suspension Arms — 3.1% of Subaru tests. Worn arms or bushes. A common age-related repair that affects handling and tyre wear.
- Anti-roll Bars — 2.9% of Subaru tests. Worn anti-roll bar links or bushes. Inexpensive but often recurring.
- Component Mounting Prescribed Areas — 1.2% of Subaru tests. Corrosion near a mounting point for a tested component. This is the kind of rust that gets expensive — inspect it.
- Stop Lamp — 1.1% of Subaru tests. A brake light out. Usually a bulb.
- Mechanical Brake Components — 0.9% of Subaru tests. Worn discs, pads or callipers. Routine wear, but it should be priced into the deal.
Subaru MOT pass rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Initial pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3–5 years | 4,315 | 88.9% |
| 6–9 years | 10,529 | 82.7% |
| 10–14 years | 8,820 | 68.3% |
| 15–30 years | 22,994 | 68.8% |
Subaru models by MOT pass rate
| Model | Tests | Initial pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| Impreza | 15,528 | 75% |
| Forester | 12,206 | 68.7% |
| Outback | 6,767 | 75.1% |
| XV | 5,265 | 80.3% |
| Legacy | 4,292 | 62.8% |
| WRX | 1,583 | 89.6% |
| Forester I XE PRM Ebxr AWD CVT | 1,093 | 91.7% |
How many Subaru vehicles are left?
At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 54,756 licensed and 28,622 SORN Subaru vehicles across 16 published model groups.
Licensed and SORN counts for every Subaru model
Before you buy
- Exhaust Emissions — 5.9% 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.
- Headlamp Aim — 3.2% of tests in 2024. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
- Suspension Arms — 3.1% of tests in 2024. Worn arms or bushes. A common age-related repair that affects handling and tyre wear.
- Check the actual Subaru — These figures describe the model group. Enter the registration for that vehicle's free MOT, tax and mileage record before you pay a deposit.
Common questions
What is the Subaru MOT pass rate?
73.7% of 46,734 class-4 initial MOT tests on Subaru cars passed first time in 2024 — above the 71.2% UK average across all published models.
Which Subaru has the best MOT pass rate?
Of the Subaru model groups with a substantial sample, the XV has the highest initial pass rate at 80.3% across 5,265 tests. Pass rates track vehicle age closely, so newer model groups tend to sit higher.
Does a good Subaru pass rate mean the car I am looking at is fine?
No. A model-level rate describes a population, not one vehicle. Enter the registration for that car's own MOT, tax and mileage record, and check for outstanding finance, write-off and stolen markers before you buy.
Methodology and limitations
MOT outcomes describe testable items at the time of inspection. They are not a measure of overall mechanical reliability.
Scope: Class 4 normal initial MOT tests completed in 2024. Models require at least 1,000 qualifying tests. Duplicate source rows are removed using official DVSA test IDs.
Source: Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency anonymised MOT tests and results, 2024, published 2025-05-23 under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Check the actual car
Enter the registration for that Subaru's own free MOT, tax and mileage record. Before money changes hands, the £9.99 full history check adds outstanding finance, insurance write-off and stolen checks.