Pass rate
91.0%
Above average — 0.3 pts ahead of the 90.7% that cars this age and mileage manage.
Across 211 recorded tests.
Typical repair bill £42–£152
2020 Subaru Impreza MOT pass rate
- 2020
- typical 73,042 mi
Check your postcode
Most common fault
Lamps & electrics
20.8% of faults · 12.2% nationally
Which year to buy
- Best 2018 91.8% pass
- Avoid 2001 79.3% pass
Across the 22 years on record, a spread of 12.5 points. See every year →
- First-attempt pass
- 90.3%
- Typical mileage
- 73k mi
The 2020 Subaru Impreza MOT pass rate is 91.0% of its MOT tests — about what its age and mileage predict. Lamps & electrics is the biggest single reason it fails, at 20.8% of what testers record.
Expert verdict
Emissions & leaks: 2.6× the national share
Emissions & leaks make up 14.6% of everything recorded on the 2020 Subaru Impreza, against 5.5% nationally — 9.1 points above. Lamps & electrics are still the single largest share at 20.8%, but at 12.2% nationally that one is ordinary. A smoky diesel or a leaking joint fails on emissions more often than on wear, so ask for a recent emissions printout.
- When it fails, it costs. Only 18% of this model’s typical repairs come in under £30 in parts — the failures here tend to be the kind that need a garage rather than a bulb.
- Based on a small sample. 211 tests back this page. That is enough to publish and to index, not enough to treat the decimal places as precise — read the pattern, not the second digit.
Written from this page's own figures: fault shares against the national composition, the like-for-like pass rate, and the priced repair list. How these are worked out
Watching a Subaru Impreza? Get an email when these numbers change .
How does the 2020 Subaru Impreza compare?
Cars of this age and mileage average 90.7%, so this figure is 0.3 points ahead of what its age and mileage predict. On a first attempt, before any retests, the figure drops to 90.3%. The median 2020 Subaru Impreza in this dataset had covered 73,042 mi.
Pass rates also shift with the test month: tests recorded October–March passed 88.2% of the time, April–September 93.2%.
The single most recorded failure item is "Catalyst emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits", noted on 1.90% of tests.
- 211 recorded tests behind this page.
- 91.0% overall pass rate, 90.3% on a first attempt.
- Across every year of the Subaru Impreza, the average is 81.2% — best year 2018 (91.8%), worst 2001 (79.3%).
Figures count every completed test on this vehicle-year in the dataset, including retests. See methodology for the exact definition.
This page's data
- Tests analysed
- 211
- Typical mileage (median)
- 73,042 mi
- Make and model
- Subaru Impreza
- Updated
- 2026-11-07
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2023–2025), OGL v3.0.
Top part to budget for
Emissions Repair
Typically a garage job — get quotes before committing.
Does mileage affect the Impreza MOT pass rate?
Pass rate by odometer reading. Bar lengths start at 70% so small gaps stay visible.
Where the Subaru Impreza is most common
Across all Impreza model years on record (2000–2021): 25,960 Subaru Impreza cars tested in a recordable postcode area, across 54,700 tests. Birmingham (B) has the most, with 861 cars tested there. Cars are counted by the postcode area of the MOT station, so this is where they were tested, not necessarily where their owners live.
| # | Postcode area | Cars | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birmingham (B) | 861 | 88.5% |
| 2 | Sheffield (S) | 697 | 85.2% |
| 3 | Coventry (CV) | 551 | 85.3% |
| 4 | Bradford (BD) | 515 | 90.3% |
| 5 | Newcastle upon Tyne (NE) | 448 | 83.1% |
| 6 | Ashford (TN) | 440 | 80.9% |
| 7 | Guildford (GU) | 436 | 80.7% |
| 8 | Leicester (LE) | 431 | 83.7% |
| 9 | Nottingham (NG) | 430 | 78.9% |
| 10 | Reading (RG) | 420 | 81.6% |
| 11 | Peterborough (PE) | 412 | 78.0% |
| 12 | Gloucester (GL) | 405 | 76.0% |
| 13 | Derby (DE) | 396 | 80.3% |
| 14 | Portsmouth (PO) | 385 | 76.3% |
| 15 | Blackburn (BB) | 382 | 90.8% |
| 16 | Bristol (BS) | 354 | 76.4% |
| 17 | Glasgow (G) | 350 | 84.4% |
| 18 | High Wycombe (HP) | 345 | 85.4% |
| 19 | Aberdeen (AB) | 344 | 76.4% |
| 20 | Edinburgh (EH) | 328 | 78.8% |
The twenty areas with the most Subaru Impreza cars in the record, sorted by car count — sort the columns for a different question. Cars tested at a station whose postcode area could not be resolved are counted in the model's total but in no area, so the shares add up to slightly under 100% even across every area, and an area's cars are a subset of the model's. Pass rate is blank below 30 tests in an area, where a percentage is noise rather than a finding. How this model's pass rate varies by postcode →
Regional pass rates for the Impreza
| Region | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 37 | 86.5% |
| North West | 27 | 96.3% |
| Scotland | 27 | 100.0% |
| West Midlands | 23 | 87.0% |
| East of England | 21 | 95.2% |
| Yorkshire | 21 | 95.2% |
| South West | 20 | 85.0% |
| North East | 15 | 73.3% |
Regions come from the postcode area recorded at the test station. Areas on region borders are assigned to the region with the majority of their population.
What fails a 2020 Impreza
Everything a tester recorded on this vehicle, grouped into the inspection sections that produced it. The notch on each bar is the national share, so you can see at a glance whether this car is unusual or just ordinary.
A test can record several items, so these percentages do not add up to 100%. The exact strings, with prices, are in the full DVSA record at the bottom of this page.
Before your test
Three checks worth doing on a 2020 Impreza
These are not generic tips — they are the faults recorded most often on this exact model, rewritten as things you can check yourself. All three take about ten minutes and cost nothing.
-
Check the exhaust and emissions 1.9% of tests
“catalyst emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits”
Listen for a blow at idle and have someone rev it gently. Then look at the tailpipe smoke: blue is oil, white when warm is coolant, black is over-fuelling. Any of those and the emissions test is the least of it.
-
Check the suspension joints 1.4% of tests
“ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated”
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.
-
Check the lights 1.4% of tests
“headlamp aim too high”
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.
Shares are the proportion of tests on this vehicle that recorded the item, so they overlap: one test can record several.
What it costs to get a 2020 Impreza through its MOT
Across the 10 items that are recorded most often on this model, the average repair comes to £42–£152 — and 18% of those repairs are parts that cost under £30.
- Average repair across the 10 common items
- £42–£152
- Cheapest common item: anti-lock braking system warning lamp…
- £3–£15
- Dearest common item: catalyst emissions lambda reading after 2nd…
- £60–£250
- Common items a careful owner can do at home
- 30%
- Repairs that still cost under £30
- 18%
Estimates from typical UK parts prices, weighted by how often each item appears in 211 MOT tests on this vehicle. They exclude diagnostics, retest fees and garage labour where the part is a DIY fit, and they are not figures from the DVSA dataset. Older and higher-mileage examples cost more than the average. How these estimates are built → · All MOT repair costs → · Cheapest cars to put through a test →
Every year of the Impreza, side by side
22 model years on record, from 2000 to 2021. Across them the pass rate runs from 79.3% to 91.8% — a spread of 12.5 points. The bar under each year is the item that failed it most often.
- 2000 82.3% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2001 79.3% component mounting prescribed…
- 2002 80.5% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2003 80.0% component mounting prescribed…
- 2004 82.2% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2005 80.8% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2006 80.2% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2007 79.7% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2008 79.8% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2009 80.8% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2010 81.4% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2011 82.8% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2012 90.9% position lamp not working
- 2013 91.7% headlamp aim too low
- 2014 84.5% ball joint excessively worn
- 2015 87.2% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2016 89.8% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2017 90.4% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2018 91.8% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2019 86.1% joints constant velocity boot…
- 2020 91.0%catalyst emissions lambda reading…
- 2021 86.6% windscreen damaged but not…
Colour is the pass rate on a fixed scale, so a block means the same thing on any model. Each year links to its own page with the full fault breakdown.
Compare the 2020 Subaru Impreza with another year
The raw pass rate mostly measures age. The year comparison adds the like-for-like figure, the mileage bands and the repair bill.
Other 2020 cars with a similar record
- Ford Fiesta 91.0%
- Vauxhall Grandland X 91.0%
- Volkswagen Touran 91.0%
- BMW 218 91.0%
- Audi Q2 Technik 91.0%
- BMW M235I 91.0%
Closest pass rates among 2020 cars with at least 2,000 tests, so a small sample cannot flatter itself into the list. See the full rankings: best and worst MOT pass rates.
The full DVSA record for the 2020 Subaru Impreza 10 failure items · 6 advisories · 10 inspection categories · mileage brackets · all of it in the page, none of it above the fold
Every inspection category
Shares of the 141 individual items recorded on this vehicle, and the same share across all cars nationally. A single test can record several items, so a row is not a percentage of tests.
| Category | Items | This car | Nationally | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 30 | 20.80% | 12.21% | +8.59 |
| Tyres | 24 | 16.70% | 19.76% | −3.06 |
| Suspension | 21 | 14.60% | 20.98% | −6.38 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 21 | 14.60% | 5.52% | +9.08 |
| Brakes | 18 | 12.50% | 20.89% | −8.39 |
| Non-component advisories | 9 | 6.20% | 4.18% | +2.02 |
| Steering | 7 | 4.90% | 2.57% | +2.33 |
| Body, chassis, structure | 5 | 3.50% | 5.57% | −2.07 |
| Visibility | 5 | 3.50% | 4.97% | −1.47 |
| Identification of the vehicle | 1 | 0.70% | 1.76% | −1.06 |
The exact failure items, in the tester's words
| Recorded item | Severity | Tests | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catalyst emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits Noise, emissions and leaks | Major | 1.9% | £60–250 |
| Catalyst emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds default limits Noise, emissions and leaks | Major | 1.9% | £60–250 |
| Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated Suspension | Minor | 1.4% | £18–45 |
| Headlamp aim too high Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Rectified | 1.4% | £30–80 |
| Position lamp not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Major | 1.4% | £5–25 |
| Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view Visibility | Minor | 1.4% | £80–200 |
| Anti-lock braking system warning lamp indicates an ABS fault Brakes | Major | 0.95% | £3–15 |
| Catalyst emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits Noise, emissions and leaks | Major | 0.95% | £60–250 |
| Catalyst emissions carbon monoxide content at idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits Noise, emissions and leaks | Major | 0.95% | £60–250 |
| Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Major | 0.95% | £30–80 |
Severity is as recorded: Major and Dangerous fail the test outright; Minor and Advisory do not. Costs are estimates from typical UK parts prices — see how they are built.
What testers noted without failing the car
Advisories are the early warnings — the same parts a year or two before they fail. Reading them is how you tell a car that has been maintained from one that has been patched.
| Recorded item | Severity | Tests | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | Advisory | 5.2% | £45–95 |
| Brake discs in such a condition that it is seriously weakened Brakes | Advisory | 2.8% | £45–110 |
| Brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | Advisory | 2.8% | £18–45 |
| Has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres | Advisory | 2.8% | £45–95 |
| Non-component advisories Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt Non-component advisories | Advisory | 1.9% | £20–80 |
| Non-component advisories Play in steering rack inner joint(s) Non-component advisories | Advisory | 1.9% | £120–300 |
Pass rate by mileage
| Mileage | Tests | Pass rate | Median odometer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 27 | 100.0% | 18,516 mi |
| 30-60k | 47 | 100.0% | 45,429 mi |
| 60-90k | 68 | 88.2% | 73,701 mi |
| 90-120k | 55 | 85.5% | 103,390 mi |
| 120k+ | 14 | 78.6% | 134,043 mi |
Source: 211 recorded tests on this vehicle-year. Every row above is recomputed from the same DVSA extract as the rest of the page — see the methodology.
2020 Impreza MOT questions
What is the MOT pass rate for a 2020 Subaru Impreza?
91.0% of the 211 2020 Subaru Impreza tests in this dataset passed, against a national average of 90.7% for cars first used in 2020. First-attempt pass rate: 90.3%.
What are the most common MOT failures on a 2020 Subaru Impreza?
The three most recorded items are catalyst emissions lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (1.90%), catalyst emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds default limits (1.90%), ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (1.42%). Percentages are the share of tests on this vehicle that recorded the item.
Does mileage affect the 2020 Subaru Impreza MOT pass rate?
Yes. Cars under 30,000 miles passed 100.0% of the time, falling to 78.6% for those over 120,000 miles. The median 2020 Subaru Impreza in this dataset had covered 73,042 mi.
Does the season affect the 2020 Subaru Impreza MOT pass rate?
Tests recorded in the winter months (October–March) passed 88.2% of the time; summer months (April–September) passed 93.2%. Brakes, tyres and lights are tested harder in bad weather, but the difference is small on most models.