Subaru Forester MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 29 model years and 92,087 tests, the Subaru Forester passes its MOT 79.3% of the time. Mid-size SUVs of a similar age fail 21.9% of the time, so this is 1.2pp better than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are suspension, lighting & signalling and brakes.
Best and worst Forester years
Ranked across Forester years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
The strongest year on this record is 2019 (92.3% pass rate); the weakest is 2001 (71.8%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
No single area dominates — suspension (11.4%) and lighting & signalling (10.9%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, pins and bushes and position lamp — headlamp aim alone was recorded 4,213 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 5.8% in the 0-30k band and 28.8% in the 150k+ band, a 23.1-point spread — more than double.
Fuel type barely separates them — diesel fails 20.2% of the time against 20.8% for petrol.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 30.9% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 19.8% of tests failed in 2021 against 21.5% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Forester model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 152 | 70.4% | 29.6% | Suspension |
| 1998 | 514 | 74.9% | 25.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 937 | 72.4% | 27.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 1,276 | 71.8% | 28.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 1,680 | 71.8% | 28.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 2,102 | 72.5% | 27.5% | Suspension |
| 2003 | 4,729 | 73.1% | 26.9% | Suspension |
| 2004 | 5,633 | 74.9% | 25.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 7,016 | 74.6% | 25.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 6,194 | 73.8% | 26.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 5,569 | 75.3% | 24.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 3,709 | 76.8% | 23.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 3,173 | 74.4% | 25.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 5,111 | 76.1% | 23.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 4,904 | 79.3% | 20.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 1,726 | 79.6% | 20.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 4,444 | 80.3% | 19.7% | Suspension |
| 2014 | 7,031 | 81.8% | 18.3% | Suspension |
| 2015 | 5,919 | 83.3% | 16.7% | Suspension |
| 2016 | 6,983 | 85.4% | 14.6% | Suspension |
| 2017 | 5,089 | 89.0% | 11.0% | Suspension |
| 2018 | 5,092 | 91.3% | 8.7% | Suspension |
| 2019 | 2,639 | 92.3% | 7.7% | Visibility |
| 2020 | 281 | 87.2% | 12.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 161 | 81.4% | 18.6% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 11.4% | 10,523 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 10.9% | 10,015 |
| 3 | Brakes | 5.4% | 4,932 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 4.9% | 4,515 |
| 5 | Visibility | 4.1% | 3,797 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 3.8% | 3,503 |
| 7 | Tyres | 2.9% | 2,706 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 1.0% | 892 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 4,213 |
| 2 | Pins and bushes | 3,820 |
| 3 | Position lamp | 3,502 |
| 4 | Component mounting prescribed areas | 3,196 |
| 5 | Catalyst emissions | 2,617 |
| 6 | Ball joint | 2,445 |
| 7 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 2,424 |
| 8 | Wipers | 2,391 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 30.9% | 28,439 |
| 2 | Brakes | 22.9% | 21,115 |
| 3 | Tyres | 20.2% | 18,620 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 9.6% | 8,842 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 9.2% | 8,434 |
| 6 | Other defects | 8.8% | 8,119 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 6,649 | 5.8% |
| 30-60k | 16,934 | 12.4% |
| 60-90k | 20,876 | 19.5% |
| 90-120k | 21,648 | 24.4% |
| 120-150k | 15,586 | 26.9% |
| 150k+ | 10,321 | 28.8% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 66,456 | 20.8% |
| Diesel | 25,604 | 20.2% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 20,353 | 19.8% |
| 2022 | 19,642 | 19.9% |
| 2023 | 18,648 | 21.0% |
| 2024 | 17,351 | 21.4% |
| 2025 | 16,093 | 21.5% |
What to check before buying a Subaru Forester
- Suspension (11.4% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Lighting & signalling (10.9% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (5.4% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Subaru Forester?
79.3% of the 92,087 Subaru Forester MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 20.7% fail rate, across model years 1996–2024.
What does the Subaru Forester most often fail its MOT on?
Suspension, recorded in 11.4% of tests, then lighting & signalling (10.9%).
Which Forester years are best and worst for MOT results?
2019 has the best pass rate at 92.3% and 2001 the weakest at 71.8%, from 2,639 and 1,680 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Forester MOT results?
Fail rates run at 5.8% for cars in the 0-30k band and 28.8% for 150k+, a 23.1-point difference.
Is the diesel or petrol Forester more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the diesel fails 20.2% of the time against 20.8% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 92,087 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.