Subaru Forestr MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Subaru Forestr MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Subaru Forestr passed on its first attempt in 74.9%, and its overall record sits −1.3 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Subaru Forestr in the 2023–2025 data: 696 tests across 2 model years (2015–2016). 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 Forestr MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Subaru Forestr, 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 Forestr's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Subaru Forestr DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Subaru Forestr, each with how many of the model's 696 tests it was noted on.

• "Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 50 Subaru Forestr tests, 7.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Coil spring fractured or broken" (Major) — noted on about 42 Subaru Forestr tests, 6.0% of the model's MOT record.
• "Ball joint excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 22 Subaru Forestr tests, 3.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 14 Subaru Forestr tests, 2.0% of the model's MOT record.
• "Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction" (Major) — noted on about 10 Subaru Forestr tests, 1.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Rear fog lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 7 Subaru Forestr tests, 1.0% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Subaru Forestr Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Subaru Forestr model year on record is 2015 (81.0% across 563 tests), and the weakest is 2016 (74.4%). The gap between them is 6.6 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 Forestr Owners

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

• 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.

• the coil springs — “coil spring fractured or broken”

  Look up inside each wheel arch with a torch, all the way round the spring. A snapped spring usually breaks at the very bottom coil, where a quick glance will not reach.

• 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.

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

Frequently Asked Questions: Subaru Forestr MOT & Reliability