Common problems

Subaru WRX common problems

What MOT testers find on the Subaru WRX: the parts that fail or get advisories most often at each age, against all cars of the same age. From 3,327 DVSA MOT tests taken 2022 to 2025.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 8 years, the most tested age

Exhaust, emissions and leaks fails per 100 MOTs (n=1,275)2.6

All cars at 8 years (n=10,440,457)2.1

Tyres advisories and minor defects per 100 MOTs (n=1,275)14.2

All cars, same age (n=10,440,457)25.2

What stands out

No part area of the Subaru WRX fails more than 1 point per 100 MOTs above all cars at 8 years old (n=1,275; all cars n=10,440,457).
Suspension fails are less common: 0.4 per 100 MOTs against 6.1 for all cars at the same age.
The most common advisory or minor defect: tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge, on 10.0 per 100 MOTs.

Problems by part at 8 years

How many of every 100 MOTs found a fail, or an advisory or minor defect, in each area. A test with faults in two areas counts in both.

Subaru WRX at 8 years (n=1,275) against all cars at 8 years (n=10,440,457). Per 100 MOTs.
Area	Fails	All cars	Advisories	All cars
Exhaust, emissions and leaks	2.6	2.1	0.3	2.3
Lights and electrics	2.3	7.3	1.6	3.4
Tyres	1.5	6.3	14.2	25.2
Brakes	1.3	4.8	8.8	19.1
Windscreen, wipers and mirrors	0.8	3.7	2.4	3.4
Body and structure	0.5	1.8	2.6	2.2
Number plates and VIN	0.5	0.3	0.3	1.4
Suspension	0.4	6.1	4.5	11.8
Steering	0.2	1.2	0.4	1.5
Seat belts and airbags	0.1	0.5	0.1	0.3
Road wheels	0.1	0.3	0.2	0.7

Early warnings: advisories and minor defects at 8 years

Advisories and minor defects are recorded, but the car still passes. Across all cars, a part with an advisory or minor defect failed at the next MOT 5.5 times in 100 (n=88,666,940 pairs of consecutive MOTs), against 0.3 times in 100 when the same part had none (n=12,936,860,350).

Advisories and minor defects on the Subaru WRX at 8 years (n=1,275), per 100 MOTs, with all cars at the same age (n=10,440,457).
Item	Area	Per 100 MOTs	All cars	If it needs replacing (estimate)
Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge	Tyres	10.0	15.7	£88 to £145 per tyre
Brake pads: wearing thin	Brakes	5.3	8.6	£72 to £174 per axle (rough guide)
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	Brakes	3.6	8.6	£148 to £376 per axle (rough guide)
Coil spring: corroded	Suspension	3.1	1.2
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing	Tyres	2.9	8.6	£88 to £145 per tyre
Nail in tyre	Other	1.6	1.9
Tyre condition: has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords	Tyres	1.6	1.4	£88 to £145 per tyre

Repair estimates are a guide for an independent garage: labour at the national median local garage rate (median £78 an hour from 65 garages, ONS price quotes) times estimated labour hours, plus a parts band. Labour hours and most parts bands are estimates, not quotes, and prices vary by model, engine and region. A warning light fault shows the cost of the diagnosis only.

How problems change with age

Fails per 100 MOTs in the three most common areas at 8 years. Ages with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Age	Tests (n)	Exhaust, emissions and leaks	Lights and electrics	Tyres
7 years	1,019	1.9	1.7	2.8
8 years	1,275	2.6	2.3	1.5
9 years	1,033	2.8	2.3	2.5

What to check on a viewing

Exhaust, emissions and leaks

Start the engine from cold if you can and watch the exhaust for blue or black smoke.
Check that the engine warning light goes out after starting and stays out on the test drive.
Look under the car and around the engine for oil or fluid leaks, and listen for a blowing exhaust.

Lights and electrics

With someone outside, try every light: dipped and main beam, indicators, brake lights, fog lights and number plate lamps.
Check that the warning lights come on with the ignition and go out once the engine runs.
Look for misted, cracked or yellowed headlamp lenses.

Tyres

Check the tread across the full width of all four tyres, and the spare if there is one.
Look for cuts, bulges and cracking in the sidewalls.
Wear on one edge only can point to worn suspension or the tracking being out.

Ask for the car's MOT history and service record: advisories that repeat from one year to the next show what has been left. GOV.UK MOT history.

Questions

Which parts of the Subaru WRX fail more often than on other cars?

None by more than 1 point per 100 MOTs at 8 years, compared with 10,440,457 MOTs of all cars the same age.

Other Subaru models

All Subaru models · Common problems by make

Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.

The all cars figures cover all class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans) tested at the same age.

Looking at a Subaru WRX?

These figures describe the model, not the car in front of you. Found one you might buy? See what the VetTheCar Buying Report covers, or use the tools that work without a registration.

See a sample report Car tools · MOT fail rates by model · Compare models by MOT record

Repair estimates: ONS consumer price quotes for local garage labour (09/2025 to 08/2026), the MOT inspection manual for defect wording, and estimated labour hours and parts bands. Not affiliated with or endorsed by ONS.

Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources