Pass rate, every year
530 tests across 2 model years, 2021–2022.
+12.2 pts vs the national average
Pass rate, every year
530 tests across 2 model years, 2021–2022.
+12.2 pts vs the national average
Best year to buy
2022 93.4%
The strongest of the 2 years on record. See the 2022 page →
Worst year to buy
2021 92.4%
1.0 points below the 2022 peak. See the 2021 page →
The Subaru Outback Touring Sym MOT pass rate is 93.2%, +12.2 percentage points above the UK average. That is 530 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2021 and 2022. This page lists the most common Subaru Outback Touring Sym MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.
The Subaru Outback Touring Sym passed on its first attempt in 92.7%, and its overall record sits +12.2 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Subaru Outback Touring Sym in the 2023–2025 data: 530 tests across 2 model years (2021–2022). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.
| Measure | This model |
|---|---|
| Tests analysed | 530 |
| Overall pass rate | 93.2% |
| Passed on first attempt | 92.7% |
| Average mileage at test | 28,307 mi |
| Model years covered | 2021–2022 (2 years) |
| Versus UK national average | +12.2 pts above |
Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.
Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Subaru Outback Touring Sym, the Brakes section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.
| Inspection section | Share of failures |
|---|---|
| Brakes | 33% |
| Visibility | 32% |
| Tyres | 20% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 9% |
| Identification of the vehicle | 2% |
| Steering | 2% |
| Suspension | 2% |
Shares are over the Subaru Outback Touring Sym's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.
Around 33% of the recorded Subaru Outback Touring Sym failures fall in the Brakes section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick" (3.0%), "Brake performance not tested unable to be tested" (0.2%), "Brake pads worn down to wear indicator" (0.2%) among the Subaru Outback Touring Sym's brakes faults.
Around 32% of the recorded Subaru Outback Touring Sym failures fall in the Visibility section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (1.7%), "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (0.9%), "Wipers blade defective" (0.6%) among the Subaru Outback Touring Sym's visibility faults.
Around 20% of the recorded Subaru Outback Touring Sym failures fall in the Tyres section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (1.5%), "Has ply or cords exposed" (0.4%), "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" (0.2%) among the Subaru Outback Touring Sym's tyres faults.
The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Subaru Outback Touring Sym, each with how many of the model's 530 tests it was noted on.
The strongest Subaru Outback Touring Sym model year on record is 2022 (93.4% across 412 tests), and the weakest is 2021 (92.4%). The gap between them is 1.0 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 Outback Touring Sym | 412 | 93.4% |
| 2021 Outback Touring Sym | 118 | 92.4% |
Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.
These checks follow this Subaru Outback Touring Sym's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Subaru Outback Touring Sym.
the brakes — “brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick”
Look through the spokes of each wheel at the pad — less than 3mm of friction material, or a lip on the disc edge, is the usual failure. Check the handbrake holds on a slope with a few clicks, not at the top of its travel.
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 wipers and washers — “wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively”
Run the wipers with the screen wet: they should clear it in one sweep without smearing or juddering. Top the washer bottle up and check both jets hit the screen.
Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Subaru Outback Touring Sym. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.
93.2% of the 530 recorded Subaru Outback Touring Sym MOT tests ended in a pass, +12.2 percentage points above the national average. 92.7% of those passed on the first attempt.
2022 is the strongest Subaru Outback Touring Sym year on record at 93.4%, while 2021 is the weakest at 92.4%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.
The most recorded Subaru Outback Touring Sym failures are "Brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick" and "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" — together around 5% of tests, mostly in the Brakes section.