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MOT data by first-use year

2019 Subaru Forester: MOT fail rate and common problems

DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 4,467 MOT tests · Updated

10.6% of 2019 Subaru Forester cars failed their MOT at 6 years (2025), against 16.4% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 6 years in 2025 (1,108 MOT tests) [1].

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  • −4.6 to −5.8 points: the gap to all class 4 vehicles the same age and test year, from 3 to 6 years, 4,467 MOT tests
  • At 6 years (tested 2025): 10.6% failed, against 16.4% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 6 years in 2025, 1,108 MOT tests
  • At 5 years (tested 2024): 11.0% failed, against 15.1% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 5 years in 2024, 1,123 MOT tests

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

Figures are for 2019 Subaru Forester cars as a group, not for one car.

Fail rate at 6 years (2025)
10.6%
vs 16.4% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 6 years in 2025
1,108 MOT tests
Gap to all class 4, same age and year
−4.9 pts
over ages 3–6: −5.8 to −4.1 pts
4,467 MOT tests
MOT tests of 2019 cars
4,467
tested 2022–2025, 4 ages with 1,000+ tests
4,467 MOT tests

No neighbouring first-use year of the Subaru Forester has 1,000 MOT tests at the same ages, so this year is compared only with all class 4 vehicles the same age.

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. 2019: −4.9 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 tests20142015: −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 tests2019−4.9 −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.

2019 Subaru Forester fail rate at each MOT

From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 3 to 6 years old, the fail rate went from 7.5% to 10.6%, and the gap to all class 4 vehicles the same age and test year from −4.6 to −5.8 points. The widest gap was at 6 years (−5.8 points, 1,108 MOT tests).

Test yearAgeFail rate95% rangeMOT testsAll class 4, same age and yearGap
20223 years7.5%6.1%–9.2%1,10912.1%−4.6 pts
20234 years8.9%7.3%–10.7%1,12713.7%−4.8 pts
20245 years11.0%9.3%–12.9%1,12315.1%−4.1 pts
20256 years10.6%8.9%–12.5%1,10816.4%−5.8 pts

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

What fails on a Subaru Forester at 6 years

All Subaru Forester MOTs at 6 years, cars first used 2016–2019 (4,236 MOT tests; DVSA item counts are not split by first-use year). The most common fail items: suspension arm bush worn (3.2 per 100 MOT tests), brake pads under 1.5 mm (1.8 per 100 MOT tests, a wear item) and wipers not clearing screen (1.6 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.

Car tax and ULEZ for a 2019 car

A car first registered in the UK in 2019 was issued a 68 (January–February), 19 (March–August) or 69 (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. 19 plates

A 2019 car pays the standard rate after its first year. If its list price was over £40,000 it pays the expensive car supplement in years 2 to 6 (to 2025), which has ended. [2] Car tax calculator for a 2019 car

For the London ULEZ, a 2019 petrol usually meets Euro 4, and a 2019 diesel usually meets Euro 6. The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. Hybrids follow the rule for their petrol or diesel engine. [3] 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
  • Viewing checklist

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 2019 Subaru Forester?

10.6% at 6 years (tested 2025), from 1,108 MOT tests, against 16.4% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 6 years in 2025.

At what ages were 2019 Subaru Forester cars MOT tested in the data?

4 ages with at least 1,000 MOT tests: 3–6 years, tested 2022–2025, 4,467 MOT tests in all.

What fails most on a Subaru Forester at 6 years?

3.2 in 100 MOT tests failed on suspension arm bush worn, the most common fail item. From 4,236 MOT tests of Subaru Forester cars first used 2016–2019, not only 2019.

Sources

  1. Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 4,467 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.
  2. GOV.UK, Vehicle tax rates. Rules, not drawn from the MOT data.
  3. Transport for London, Ultra Low Emission Zone. Rules, not drawn from the MOT data.

Cars tested at 6 years are compared with every class 4 vehicle tested at 6 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