Subaru Impreza MOT failures and reliability
In 2023 the Subaru Impreza took 19,325 MOT tests in Britain and passed 73% of them first time, close to the national average of 71% for all cars. The figures below come from the DVSA's record of every test, so they show what testers actually found on these cars rather than what owners report.
- MOT tests in 2023
- 19,325
- First-time pass rate
- 73%
- All cars
- 71%
What the Impreza fails on
Share of tests with at least one failure in each area, against the figure for all cars.
- Lights and electrics12.2% (all cars 11.3%)
- Suspension9.6% (all cars 9.0%)
- Exhaust and emissions8.9% (all cars 3.1%)
- Brakes5.8% (all cars 6.8%)
- Body and structure5.3% (all cars 3.5%)
- Visibility3.7% (all cars 4.8%)
- Tyres3.1% (all cars 6.4%)
- Seat belts and airbags1.5% (all cars 1.0%)
Most common failure items
Share of tests on which each item was recorded.
- Position lamp: not working 3.8%
- Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits 3.1%
- Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength 3.0%
- Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction 2.3%
- Catalyst emissions: carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits 2.1%
- Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt 1.7%
- Headlamp aim: too low 1.5%
- Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect 1.5%
Most common advisories
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge 10.6%
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened 7.6%
- Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material 7.0%
- Brake pads: wearing thin 5.2%
- Tyres, condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing 5.1%
- Suspension arms, pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement 4.7%
- Exhaust system: has a minor leak of exhaust gases 4.7%
- Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive 4.0%
Pass rate by year of registration
Older cars fail more often whatever the model, so compare a car with others of the same age.
| First registered | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 443 | 79% |
| 1999 | 802 | 77% |
| 2000 | 934 | 75% |
| 2001 | 995 | 70% |
| 2002 | 1,175 | 71% |
| 2003 | 1,886 | 72% |
| 2004 | 1,887 | 73% |
| 2005 | 2,390 | 72% |
| 2006 | 1,842 | 70% |
| 2007 | 2,028 | 71% |
| 2008 | 1,175 | 71% |
| 2009 | 826 | 71% |
| 2010 | 867 | 74% |
Typical mileage by age
Average odometer reading at the MOT, by the car's age in years at the test.
| Age at test | Average mileage |
|---|---|
| 4 years | 45,786 miles |
| 5 years | 38,524 miles |
| 6 years | 53,407 miles |
| 7 years | 60,686 miles |
| 8 years | 61,105 miles |
| 9 years | 56,934 miles |
| 12 years | 75,538 miles |
| 13 years | 85,540 miles |
| 14 years | 86,095 miles |
| 15 years | 94,092 miles |
| 16 years | 90,356 miles |
| 17 years | 97,182 miles |
| 18 years | 103,123 miles |
| 19 years | 102,570 miles |
| 20 years | 108,331 miles |
Check a particular Impreza
Model figures tell you what to look out for. To see one car's own MOT history, mileage and tax, enter its registration.
Other Subaru models
Source: Department for Transport, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023, cars and light vans, normal tests only. Pass rates are first-time passes; a pass after repair at the test station counts as a fail. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.