Subaru Forester MOT pass rate: 73.9% (13,221 tests, 2025)

The Subaru Forester passed 73.9% of its 13,221 MOT tests in 2025 — 3.6 points below the UK average of 77.5%. The median tested example was 13 years old with 93,264 miles on the clock.

73.9%Pass rate (2025)

13,221MOT tests analysed

93,264 miMedian mileage at test

13 yrsMedian age at test

How the Forester compares

Subaru Forester

73.9%

UK average (all Class 4 vehicles)

77.5% across 33.1 million tests

Subaru average (all models)

79.1%

What fails most on the Subaru Forester

Across failed and rectified tests in 2025, these vehicle systems produced the most defects on the Forester:

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Suspension	3,567	36.2%
2	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	2,022	20.5%
3	Brakes	1,270	12.9%
4	Noise, emissions and leaks	897	9.1%
5	Body, chassis, structure	683	6.9%
6	Tyres	639	6.5%

Pre-MOT checklist for Forester owners

Based on the failure profile above, ten minutes with a torch before your test removes the most likely fail items:

Bounce each corner and listen for clonks over speed bumps — suspension is this model’s (and the UK’s) top failure system
Walk round with all lights on: one blown bulb is the most avoidable fail there is
Feel for a spongy pedal or pulling to one side; check pad wear through the wheel spokes if visible
A blowing exhaust or visible smoke will fail; warm the engine fully before the test
Look underneath for corrosion around sills and subframes, especially on older cars

Check the engine before the tester does

A stored fault code with the engine light on is an automatic Major defect. Scan and clear resolved faults before booking.

Topdon OBD2 scannersTopdon diagnostic scanners with full-system readouts
XTOOL diagnostic toolsXTOOL code readers for petrol and diesel cars
Autel UK testersAutel professional-grade diagnostic testers

Forester pass rate by registration year

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage
2003	1,832	67.5%	+2.5 pts	128,597
2004	2,374	69.9%	+5.5 pts	122,955
2005	2,905	68.0%	+3.5 pts	120,512
2006	2,652	67.2%	+2.8 pts	115,689
2007	2,452	69.1%	+4.0 pts	110,128
2008	1,625	71.0%	+5.9 pts	106,971
2010	2,236	66.8%	-0.6 pts	109,642
2011	2,296	72.7%	+3.5 pts	105,124
2013	2,108	72.6%	-0.7 pts	91,468
2014	3,392	75.2%	-0.6 pts	81,368
2015	2,945	77.5%	-1.2 pts	70,966
2016	3,531	79.9%	-1.4 pts	62,329
2017	2,688	85.5%	+1.4 pts	52,817
2018	2,746	87.9%	+1.6 pts	42,280
2019	1,741	90.8%	+2.3 pts	33,729

Check a specific Forester before you buy

Pass rates describe the model; they can’t tell you about the one car you’re looking at. Run its plate through our free MOT history check to see its personal record of failures, advisories and mileage readings.

Other Subaru models

Impreza79.6% pass rate · 16,626 tests Outback79.1% pass rate · 6,801 tests Xv82.1% pass rate · 5,717 tests Legacy71.3% pass rate · 4,546 tests Wrx91.2% pass rate · 1,643 tests

FAQs

What is the MOT pass rate for a Subaru Forester?

In 2025, 73.9% of 13,221 first MOT tests on the Subaru Forester were passes (UK average: 77.5%). Data: DVSA anonymised MOT results.

What does the Forester fail its MOT on most?

The biggest defect group is suspension (36.2% of its recorded defects), followed by lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment.

Is the Subaru Forester reliable?

MOT pass rate is one lens on durability: at 73.9% it performs below the national average at a median age of 13 years and 93,264 miles. Always check the individual car's history too.

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 extract (Class 4 initial tests only; retests excluded). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures rounded to one decimal place.