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2014 Subaru Forester: MOT fail rate and common problems

DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 4,639 MOT tests · Updated

30.6% of 2014 Subaru Forester cars failed their MOT at 11 years; measured against vehicles the same age and test year, about the same as the 2015 cars (3,513 MOT tests) [1].

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  • −4.2 to −0.6 points: the gap to all class 4 vehicles the same age and test year, from 8 to 11 years, 4,639 MOT tests
  • 90,000 to 120,000 miles: 36.5% of Subaru Forester cars first used 2011–2014 failed at 11 years, against 29.1% at 60,000 to 90,000 miles, 2,108 MOT tests
  • At 11 years (tested 2025): 30.6% failed, against 31.2% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 11 years in 2025, 1,126 MOT tests

Engine, fuel and mileage decide where one vehicle sits within these figures. Check the reg first.

Figures are for 2014 Subaru Forester cars as a group, not for one car.

Fail rate at 11 years (2025)
30.6%
vs 31.2% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 11 years in 2025
1,126 MOT tests
Gap to all class 4, same age and year
−1.9 pts
over ages 8–11: −4.3 to −0.6 pts
4,639 MOT tests
Against the 2015 cars
−2.3 pts
95% range −5.8 to +1.3 pts, same ages, each against its own test year
3,513 MOT tests
MOT tests of 2014 cars
4,639
tested 2022–2025, 4 ages with 1,000+ tests
4,639 MOT tests

About the same as the 2015 cars: −2.3 points at the same ages (8–10), each year against all class 4 vehicles the same age tested in its own year; 95% range −5.8 to +1.3, from 3,513 MOT tests of 2014 cars and 3,463 of the 2015 cars. Not adjusted for mileage.

Every Subaru Forester year against all class 4 vehicles the same age

Subaru Forester first-use years against all class 4 vehicles the same ageEach first-use year of the Subaru Forester as percentage points above or below all class 4 vehicles the same age, averaged over the ages it was tested at, with 95% intervals. 2014: −1.9 pts. 2004: −6.1 pts (−9.1 to −3.1) against all class 4 vehicles the same age, ages 18, 1,039 MOT tests20042005: −5.5 pts (−7.5 to −3.6) against all class 4 vehicles the same age, ages 17–18, 2,471 MOT tests20052006: −1.0 pts (−3.1 to +1.1) against all class 4 vehicles the same age, ages 16–17, 2,152 MOT tests20062014: −1.9 pts (−3.1 to −0.6) against all class 4 vehicles the same age, ages 8–11, 4,639 MOT tests2014−1.92015: −0.3 pts (−1.5 to +1.0) against all class 4 vehicles the same age, ages 7–10, 4,644 MOT tests20152016: −0.2 pts (−1.4 to +0.9) against all class 4 vehicles the same age, ages 6–9, 4,960 MOT tests20162019: −4.9 pts (−5.7 to −4.0) against all class 4 vehicles the same age, ages 3–6, 4,467 MOT tests2019 −9.10+9.1 pts
Percentage points above (right) or below (left) all class 4 vehicles the same age, tested in the same year, 2022 to 2025, each year averaged over the ages it was tested at. Lines show the 95% range.

2014 Subaru Forester fail rate at each MOT

From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 8 to 11 years old, the fail rate went from 21.6% to 30.6%, and the gap to all class 4 vehicles the same age and test year from −4.2 to −0.6 points. The widest gap was at 8 years (−4.2 points, 1,201 MOT tests).

Test yearAgeFail rate95% rangeMOT testsAll class 4, same age and yearGap
20228 years21.6%19.3%–24.0%1,20125.8%−4.2 pts
20239 years26.2%23.8%–28.8%1,16628.2%−2.0 pts
202410 years29.4%26.8%–32.1%1,14630.0%−0.6 pts
202511 years30.6%27.9%–33.3%1,12631.2%−0.6 pts

All class 4: every class 4 vehicle (cars and light vans) tested at that age in the same test year.

2014 against the 2015 cars, age by age

Age2014Years either side
8 years21.6% 1,201 MOT tests, tested 20222015: 25.0% (1,179, tested 2023)
9 years26.2% 1,166 MOT tests, tested 20232015: 26.9% (1,147, tested 2024)
10 years29.4% 1,146 MOT tests, tested 20242015: 26.7% (1,137, tested 2025)

Each year was tested in a different calendar year; the verdict compares each against all class 4 vehicles the same age tested in its own year.

What fails on a Subaru Forester at 11 years

All Subaru Forester MOTs at 11 years, cars first used 2011–2014 (3,362 MOT tests; DVSA item counts are not split by first-use year). The most common fail items: suspension arm bush worn (4.9 per 100 MOT tests), brake light not working (3.9 per 100 MOT tests, a wear item) and side/position light not working (3.4 per 100 MOT tests, a wear item).

No item fails at a clearly different rate from all class 4 vehicles the same age across 3 or more ages.

Mileage and the fail rate at 11 years

Subaru Forester cars first used 2011–2014 at 90,000 to 120,000 miles failed 36.5% of MOTs at 11 years (1,021 MOT tests), against 29.1% at 60,000 to 90,000 miles (1,087 MOT tests). All class 4 vehicles: 37.8% and 34.2%.

Road tax for a 2014 Subaru Forester

The Vehicle Certification Agency lists 19 petrol and diesel versions of the Subaru Forester in its data from August 2012 to August 2014, from 150 to 197 g/km CO2 [3]. A car first registered from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017 is taxed by CO2 band, so that is 4 bands from F to J: from £225 to £410 a year at the 2026/27 rates [2].

2014 Subaru Forester: CO2 bands of the listed versions, 2026/27 rates
Band12 monthsCO2 g/kmPetrol versionsDiesel versions
F£22515021
G£275155–16025
H£325167–17444
J£41019710

Versions listed, not cars sold: this does not say how common each band is. The CO2 figure on the car's V5C log book decides its band. Car tax calculator for a 2014 car

Car tax and ULEZ for a 2014 car

A car first registered in the UK in 2014 was issued a 63 (January–February), 14 (March–August) or 64 (September–December) plate, unless it was registered in Northern Ireland (no age identifier) or has since moved to a private plate. An imported one is plated when first registered here, so its plate can be newer than its first-use year. 14 plates

A 2014 car is taxed by its CO2 emissions band (A to M), shown on the V5C logbook. [2]

For the London ULEZ, a 2014 petrol usually meets Euro 4, and a 2014 diesel usually does not meet Euro 6. The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. Hybrids follow the rule for their petrol or diesel engine. [4] ULEZ checker

Buying a Subaru Forester? Check that exact car before the viewing.

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  • Model risks for this year and fuel
  • What similar cars did at their next MOT
  • Repairs ahead
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See a sample report

Other Subaru Forester years

  • 2004
  • 2005
  • 2006
  • 2014
  • 2015
  • 2016
  • 2019

Every Subaru Forester first-use year

Questions people ask

What is the MOT fail rate of a 2014 Subaru Forester?

30.6% at 11 years (tested 2025), from 1,126 MOT tests, against 31.2% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 11 years in 2025.

Does the 2014 Subaru Forester fail more MOTs than the 2015?

2.3 percentage points apart at the same ages (8–10), each against all class 4 vehicles the same age and test year, from 3,513 MOT tests (95% range −5.8 to +1.3), so about the same.

At what ages were 2014 Subaru Forester cars MOT tested in the data?

4 ages with at least 1,000 MOT tests: 8–11 years, tested 2022–2025, 4,639 MOT tests in all.

What fails most on a Subaru Forester at 11 years?

4.9 in 100 MOT tests failed on suspension arm bush worn, the most common fail item. From 3,362 MOT tests of Subaru Forester cars first used 2011–2014, not only 2014.

Sources

  1. Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 4,639 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.
  2. GOV.UK, Vehicle tax rates. Rules, not drawn from the MOT data.
  3. Vehicle Certification Agency, Car fuel and emissions data. VCA data, Open Government Licence v3.0.
  4. Transport for London, Ultra Low Emission Zone. Rules, not drawn from the MOT data.

Cars tested at 11 years are compared with every class 4 vehicle tested at 11 years in the same test year. These rates are not adjusted for mileage. Breakdowns and non-MOT faults are not in this data. How we compare