MOT data

Subaru Legacy MOT fail rate by age and year

DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 16,488 MOT tests · Updated 7 Oct 2026

At 18 years, 37.3% of Subaru Legacy MOT tests ended in a fail (adjusted to typical mileage), against 43.7% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 18 (2,268 MOT tests) ^[1].

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Emissions and leaks: fails 1.5–1.8× as often as cars the same age at 18 years, 251 of 2,268 MOT tests
Mileage: median 116,455 miles at 18 years against 105,218 for all class 4 vehicles, 2,268 MOT tests
Before the mileage adjustment: 38.9% of MOT tests at 18 years ended in a fail, 2,268 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 18 in the same test year.

Fail rate at 18 years, typical mileage: 37.3%; vs 43.7% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 18; 2,268 MOT tests
Fail rate at 18 years, raw: 38.9%; vs 43.7% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 18; 2,268 MOT tests
Median mileage at 18 years: 116,455 mi; vs 105,218 mi for all class 4 vehicles; 2,268 MOT tests

Subaru Legacy 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. 16k DVSA MOT tests in all (16,488).

At 18 years and typical mileage that is 15% fewer fails than all class 4 vehicles tested at 18 (2,268 MOT tests).

Subaru Legacy: 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.
Age	MOT tests	Raw	Typical mileage	All class 4	Difference
12	1,449	31.5%	29.6%	37.0%	−7.4 pts
13	1,695	35.3%	33.7%	38.9%	−5.2 pts
14	1,778	36.3%	34.9%	40.5%	−5.7 pts
15	1,734	38.2%	36.6%	42.0%	−5.4 pts
16	2,033	39.6%	38.2%	43.3%	−5.0 pts
17	2,256	38.2%	36.5%	43.7%	−7.3 pts
18	2,268	38.9%	37.3%	43.7%	−6.5 pts
19*	1,895	40.8%	39.0%	43.5%	−4.5 pts
20*	1,380	38.3%	36.0%	43.3%	−7.3 pts

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

Lower MOT fail rate than average: 38.9% raw · 37.3% at typical mileage, against 43.7% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 18, 2,268 MOT tests. Which years? See the full verdict

What fails on a Subaru Legacy at 18 years

1 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 18 years, per 100 MOT tests (2,268 MOT tests), against all class 4 vehicles tested at 18. A test that fails on two parts counts for both.
Part	Per 100	All class 4	Compared	Most common fail
Emissions and leaks	11.1	6.8	fails 1.5–1.8× as often as cars the same age	Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction (MOT fail)
Lights and electrics	18.3	21.4	about average for cars the same age	Position lamp not working (MOT fail)
Suspension	15.7	17.2	about average for cars the same age	Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn (MOT fail)
Body and structure	9.5	8.7	about average for cars the same age	Drive shaft constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (MOT fail)
Brakes	9.3	12.9	about average for cars the same age	Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (MOT fail)
Visibility	6.0	7.3	about average for cars the same age	Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (MOT fail)

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Check one Subaru Legacy, not the average

The figures here describe Subaru Legacy 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.

Check a Subaru Legacy's MOT history Every MOT test, fail item, advisory and mileage reading DVSA holds for that registration.
Mileage check on a Subaru Legacy The odometer reading from each MOT, with drops, jumps and long gaps flagged.
Check a Subaru Legacy for an outstanding recall Whether DVSA's MOT record flags an outstanding safety recall for that registration.

More Subaru Legacy data

Mileage at MOT

At 18 years, 38.9% of MOT tests ended in a fail as tested. Weighted to the mileage mix of all class 4 vehicles that age, the rate is 37.3%, so mileage explains part of the gap.

Subaru Legacy all class 4 vehicles

By mileage at the test, 18 years.
Miles	MOT tests	Subaru Legacy	All class 4
30-60k	138	24.6%	32.9%
60-90k	410	31.0%	41.7%
90-120k	641	39.8%	46.3%
120-150k	567	42.9%	47.5%
150k+	475	45.5%	46.8%

Subaru Legacy recalls

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

R/2019/052 Also covers the Subaru Legacy: A driving range indicator in the multi information display has a program error (422 vehicles of this model), built Jul 2017 to Aug 2018. From the recall's stated risk: “Driver multi-function display inaccurate remaining fuel mileage range.”
R/2019/025 Also covers the Subaru Legacy: The load may exceed the valve spring's fatigue strength and the spring may fracture (812 vehicles of this model), built Jan 2013 to Dec 2014. From the recall's stated risk: “Engine valve springs may fracture.”
R/2018/346 Also covers the Subaru Legacy: Electronic parking brake capacitor on inner circuit board and magnet ring of the sensor may fracture (4,199 vehicles of this model), built May 2005 to Jun 2014. From the recall's stated risk: “Electronic park brake capacitor may fracture and fail.”

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Subaru Legacy against similar cars at 18 years

Same class and fuel, all tested at 18 years, at typical mileage.

Model	Fail rate	95% range	MOT tests
Subaru Legacy	37.3%	35.3% to 39.4%	2,268
Mercedes-Benz C-Class MOT fail rate	40.0%	39.5% to 40.5%	43,299
Saab 9-3 MOT fail rate	38.5%	37.8% to 39.3%	19,101
Toyota Avensis MOT fail rate	39.5%	38.7% to 40.2%	17,800
Vauxhall Vectra MOT fail rate	44.0%	43.2% to 44.8%	16,043
Honda Accord MOT fail rate	39.8%	38.8% to 40.8%	12,319
Lexus IS MOT fail rate	30.5%	29.6% to 31.5%	9,398
Jaguar S-Type MOT fail rate	37.8%	36.6% to 39.0%	7,774
Jaguar XJ MOT fail rate	29.9%	28.8% to 31.1%	5,998

Other Subaru models

More Subaru Legacy data

Running costs

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By part

Problems, recalls and costs

Subaru repair costs

Questions people ask

How often does a Subaru Legacy fail its MOT at 18 years?

37.3% of MOT tests at 18 years ended in a fail at typical mileage (38.9% as tested), from 2,268 MOT tests, against 43.7% for all class 4 vehicles the same age; the Mercedes-Benz C-Class was at 40.0%.

What fails most on a Subaru Legacy at 18 years?

11.1 in 100 MOT tests at 18 years failed on emissions and leaks, most often "malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction", then lights and electrics (18.3) and suspension (15.7), from 2,268 MOT tests.

How does the Subaru Legacy compare with the Mercedes-Benz C-Class?

At 18 years the Subaru Legacy failed 37.3% of MOT tests at typical mileage, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class 40.0% and the Saab 9-3 38.5%, from 2,268, 43,299 and 19,101 MOT tests.

Does the Subaru Legacy fail on emissions and leaks more than other cars?

11.1 in 100 MOT tests at 18 years failed on emissions and leaks, against 6.8 for all class 4 vehicles: 1.5–1.8× as often, from 2,268 MOT tests, in the same direction at 3 ages.

Sources

Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 16,488 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.
Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Vehicle safety recalls data. DVSA recall data. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.

Cars tested at 18 years are compared only with vehicles tested at 18 years in the same year, adjusted to typical mileage. Breakdowns and non-MOT faults are not in this data.