Subaru Xv MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Subaru Xv MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Subaru Xv passed on its first attempt in 83.8%, and its overall record sits +4.9 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Subaru Xv in the 2023–2025 data: 19,370 tests across 10 model years (2012–2021). 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 Xv MOT Problems by Failure Category

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

Top Recorded Subaru Xv DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Subaru Xv, each with how many of the model's 19,370 tests it was noted on.

• "Ball joint excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 481 Subaru Xv tests, 2.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 383 Subaru Xv tests, 2.0% of the model's MOT record.
• "Position lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 369 Subaru Xv tests, 1.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Stop lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 345 Subaru Xv tests, 1.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 336 Subaru Xv tests, 1.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 314 Subaru Xv tests, 1.6% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Subaru Xv Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Subaru Xv model year on record is 2020 (93.5% across 199 tests), and the weakest is 2012 (76.7%). The gap between them is 16.8 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Subaru Xv reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.5 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

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

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Subaru Xv Owners

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

• the suspension joints — “ball joint 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 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 lights — “position lamp not working”

  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.

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

Where the Subaru Xv is most common

Across every Xv model year on record (2012–2021): 8,119 Subaru Xv cars tested in a recordable postcode area, across 19,370 tests. Edinburgh (EH) has the most, with 226 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.

The twenty areas with the most Subaru Xv 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 →

Frequently Asked Questions: Subaru Xv MOT & Reliability