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Subaru Forester MOT fail rate by age and year

DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 64,837 MOT tests · Updated

At 8 years, 22.5% of Subaru Forester MOT tests ended in a fail (adjusted to typical mileage), against 24.0% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 8 (4,522 MOT tests) [1].

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  • Suspension: fails 2.0–2.3× as often as cars the same age at 8 years, 596 of 4,522 MOT tests
  • Mileage: median 63,798 miles at 8 years against 60,745 for all class 4 vehicles, 4,522 MOT tests
  • Before the mileage adjustment: 22.6% of MOT tests at 8 years ended in a fail, 4,522 MOT tests

Which engine and year a car has decides which of these apply. Check the reg first.

Figures are for the model, not one car, and compare with all class 4 vehicles tested at 8 in the same test year.

Fail rate at 8 years, typical mileage
22.5%
vs 24.0% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 8
4,522 MOT tests
Fail rate at 8 years, raw
22.6%
vs 24.0% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 8
4,522 MOT tests
Median mileage at 8 years
63,798 mi
vs 60,745 mi for all class 4 vehicles
4,522 MOT tests

Subaru Forester MOT fail rate by age

Each line follows the cars first used in one year across the ages they were tested at from 2022 to 2025, so a line never mixes a 2005 car with a 2015 one. 65k DVSA MOT tests in all (64,837).

Subaru Forester MOT fail rate by age, one line per first-use yearEach line is the cars first used in one year, followed over the ages they were tested in 2022 to 2025. The dashed line is all class 4 vehicles at each age.0%13%25%38%50%357911131517yearsAll class 4 vehiclesFirst used 2004: 38.3% at 18First used 2005: 38.3% at 17, 37.8% at 18First used 2006: 43.3% at 16, 41.7% at 17First used 2014: 21.6% at 8, 26.2% at 9, 29.4% at 10, 30.6% at 11First used 2015: 21.1% at 7, 25.0% at 8, 26.9% at 9, 26.7% at 10First used 2016: 17.2% at 6, 21.4% at 7, 23.1% at 8, 25.9% at 9First used 2019: 7.5% at 3, 8.9% at 4, 11.0% at 5, 10.6% at 620192004
Subaru Forester, one line per first-use year (darker = newer) all class 4 vehicles at the same age
Subaru Forester: share of MOT tests that failed, by age. Only ages with at least 1,000 MOT tests. 'Typical mileage' is n/a where the model's mileage bands cover less than 80% of the national mix.
AgeMOT testsRawTypical mileageAll class 4Difference
32,3647.5%7.7%12.2%−4.5 pts
43,0489.7%10.1%13.5%−3.4 pts
53,21512.3%12.6%15.5%−2.9 pts
64,23614.1%14.3%17.9%−3.6 pts
74,26519.4%19.2%20.8%−1.6 pts
84,52222.6%22.5%24.0%−1.5 pts
94,41026.2%25.2%27.2%−2.0 pts
103,62328.9%27.2%30.2%−2.9 pts
113,36232.0%30.4%33.3%−3.0 pts
123,12633.6%31.5%36.4%−5.0 pts
132,78338.7%36.3%38.7%−2.4 pts
142,80139.1%37.4%40.4%−2.9 pts
152,78040.8%40.1%42.0%−1.9 pts
163,00439.6%39.1%43.1%−4.0 pts
173,71639.0%37.9%43.6%−5.7 pts
183,89437.5%36.1%43.7%−7.7 pts
19*3,61738.9%36.7%43.6%−6.8 pts
20*2,82437.9%35.7%43.0%−7.4 pts
21*1,97637.9%36.4%42.4%−6.0 pts
22*1,27140.8%38.9%41.6%−2.8 pts

* Over 18 years: only survivors are still tested at this age, so these rates describe the cars that are left.

About average: 22.6% raw · 22.5% at typical mileage, against 24.0% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 8, 4,522 MOT tests. Which years? See the full verdict

What fails on a Subaru Forester at 8 years

3 of 11 parts fail clearly more or less often than on cars the same age, with the same direction at 3 or more ages up to 18 years and no mixed picture.

What failed at 8 years, per 100 MOT tests (4,522 MOT tests), against all class 4 vehicles tested at 8. A test that fails on two parts counts for both.
PartPer 100All class 4ComparedMost common fail
Suspension13.26.1fails 2.0–2.3× as often as cars the same ageSuspension arm pin or bush excessively worn (MOT fail)
Lights and electrics4.57.3fails less often than cars the same age (0.5–0.7×)Stop lamp not working (MOT fail)
Tyres3.46.3fails less often than cars the same age (0.5–0.6×)Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (MOT fail)
Brakes3.74.8about average for cars the same ageBrake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (MOT fail)
Visibility2.03.7about average for cars the same ageWindscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (MOT fail)
Emissions and leaks1.22.1about average for cars the same ageMalfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction (MOT fail)

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Check one Subaru Forester, not the average

The figures here describe Subaru Forester cars as a group. A registration shows one car's own DVSA record: its MOT tests, the mileage at each test and the recall flag.

More Subaru Forester data

Subaru Forester recalls

12 DVSA recalls list this model by name [2]. Vehicles are DVSA's count of affected Subaru Forester vehicles. The latest:

  • R/2022/266 Also covers the Subaru Forester: The impeller deformation may cause the fuel pump to become inoperative (99 vehicles of this model), built Nov 2020 to Jun 2021. From the recall's stated risk: “The fuel pump impeller may cause the pump failure resulting in stalling of the vehicle.”
  • R/2021/352 Also covers the Subaru Forester: The bolts of the rear stabiliser bracket might become loose (1,949 vehicles of this model), built Apr 2017 to May 2019. From the recall's stated risk: “The bolts on the rear stabilizer bracket might become loose.”
  • R/2021/353 Also covers the Subaru Forester: Potential failure of the ignition coil module causing engine stall and a none start condition (2,338 vehicles of this model), built Sep 2016 to Oct 2019. From the recall's stated risk: “Ignition coils may short circuit and fail.”

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Subaru Forester against similar cars at 8 years

Same class and fuel, all tested at 8 years, at typical mileage.

ModelFail rate95% rangeMOT tests
Subaru Forester22.5%21.2% to 23.7%4,522
Nissan Qashqai MOT fail rate24.0%23.8% to 24.1%219,937
Ford Kuga MOT fail rate19.2%19.0% to 19.5%124,194
Kia Sportage MOT fail rate22.0%21.7% to 22.3%114,123
Land Rover Range Rover Evoque MOT fail rate16.7%16.4% to 17.0%83,385
Volkswagen Tiguan MOT fail rate16.1%15.8% to 16.4%80,768
Land Rover Discovery Sport MOT fail rate17.9%17.6% to 18.3%60,842
Audi Q3 MOT fail rate17.7%17.3% to 18.0%60,789
Honda CR-V MOT fail rate14.2%13.9% to 14.6%55,644

Other Subaru models

More Subaru Forester data

Years

Running costs

By part

Problems, recalls and costs

Questions people ask

How often does a Subaru Forester fail its MOT at 8 years?

22.5% of MOT tests at 8 years ended in a fail at typical mileage (22.6% as tested), from 4,522 MOT tests, against 24.0% for all class 4 vehicles the same age; the Nissan Qashqai was at 24.0%.

What fails most on a Subaru Forester at 8 years?

13.2 in 100 MOT tests at 8 years failed on suspension, most often "suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn", then lights and electrics (4.5) and tyres (3.4), from 4,522 MOT tests.

Does the Subaru Forester fail on suspension more than other cars?

13.2 in 100 MOT tests at 8 years failed on suspension, against 6.1 for all class 4 vehicles: 2.0–2.3× as often, from 4,522 MOT tests, in the same direction at 5 ages.

Sources

  1. Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 64,837 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.
  2. Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Vehicle safety recalls data. DVSA recall data. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.

Cars tested at 8 years are compared only with vehicles tested at 8 years in the same year, adjusted to typical mileage. Breakdowns and non-MOT faults are not in this data.