Subaru Forester MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Subaru Forester MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Subaru Forester passed on its first attempt in 74.4%, and its overall record sits −2.1 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Subaru Forester in the 2023–2025 data: 50,493 tests across 22 model years (2000–2021). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common Subaru Forester MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Subaru Forester, the Suspension section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Shares are over the Subaru Forester's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Subaru Forester DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Subaru Forester, each with how many of the model's 50,493 tests it was noted on.

• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 2,230 Subaru Forester tests, 4.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 1,879 Subaru Forester tests, 3.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 1,536 Subaru Forester tests, 3.0% of the model's MOT record.
• "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 1,306 Subaru Forester tests, 2.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Position lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 1,099 Subaru Forester tests, 2.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction" (Major) — noted on about 1,041 Subaru Forester tests, 2.1% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Subaru Forester Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Subaru Forester model year on record is 2019 (91.6% across 1,897 tests), and the weakest is 2000 (72.0%). The gap between them is 19.6 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Subaru Forester Owners

These checks follow this Subaru Forester's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Subaru Forester.

• the lights — “registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources”

  Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.

• the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”

  Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.

• the suspension joints — “pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn”

  With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Subaru Forester. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: Subaru Forester MOT & Reliability