Subaru Impreza MOT pass rate & common failures
110,235 MOT tests on the Subaru Impreza (1985–2025) give it an 81.0% pass rate. Small family cars of a similar age fail 26.3% of the time, so this is 7.3pp better than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and emissions & environmental.
Best and worst Impreza years
Ranked across Impreza 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
Not every year is equal — 92.6% of 2018 examples pass against 78.3% of 2001 ones.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (10.4%) and suspension (8.4%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are catalyst emissions, component mounting prescribed areas and headlamp aim — catalyst emissions alone was recorded 8,927 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 7.1% in the 0-30k band and 24.5% in the 150k+ band, a 17.4-point spread — more than double.
The petrol cars hold up better: 19.0% fail against 21.1% for diesel, a 2.1-point gap across 110,223 tests.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 24.2% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 19.9% in 2021 to 18.0% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every Impreza model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 130 | 84.6% | 15.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1994 | 335 | 78.8% | 21.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1995 | 508 | 84.8% | 15.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1996 | 828 | 82.5% | 17.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1997 | 1,515 | 80.5% | 19.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1998 | 2,492 | 83.1% | 16.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 4,625 | 82.0% | 17.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 5,518 | 81.2% | 18.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 5,801 | 78.3% | 21.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 6,812 | 79.1% | 20.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 10,765 | 79.2% | 20.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 10,831 | 81.4% | 18.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 13,626 | 80.7% | 19.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 10,652 | 80.0% | 20.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 11,536 | 79.6% | 20.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 6,595 | 80.0% | 20.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 4,724 | 81.4% | 18.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 4,909 | 80.9% | 19.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 979 | 83.7% | 16.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 319 | 90.9% | 9.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 156 | 89.7% | 10.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 773 | 86.6% | 13.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 1,252 | 89.1% | 10.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 1,127 | 90.7% | 9.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 702 | 91.6% | 8.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 1,139 | 92.6% | 7.4% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 991 | 87.7% | 12.3% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 376 | 89.1% | 10.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 168 | 87.5% | 12.5% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 10.4% | 11,438 |
| 2 | Suspension | 8.4% | 9,270 |
| 3 | Emissions & environmental | 7.6% | 8,395 |
| 4 | Brakes | 4.9% | 5,417 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 4.5% | 4,993 |
| 6 | Visibility | 3.3% | 3,625 |
| 7 | Tyres | 2.6% | 2,911 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 1.4% | 1,507 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Catalyst emissions | 8,927 |
| 2 | Component mounting prescribed areas | 6,036 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 5,506 |
| 4 | Position lamp | 4,202 |
| 5 | Headlamp | 2,792 |
| 6 | Washers | 2,166 |
| 7 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 2,154 |
| 8 | Rigid brake pipes | 2,026 |
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 | 24.2% | 26,657 |
| 2 | Brakes | 20.4% | 22,439 |
| 3 | Tyres | 16.1% | 17,765 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 12.5% | 13,754 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 8.7% | 9,584 |
| 6 | Other defects | 6.3% | 6,887 |
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 | 4,001 | 7.1% |
| 30-60k | 12,546 | 12.9% |
| 60-90k | 29,735 | 17.2% |
| 90-120k | 33,616 | 20.4% |
| 120-150k | 20,262 | 22.9% |
| 150k+ | 9,717 | 24.5% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 109,360 | 19.0% |
| Diesel | 863 | 21.1% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 25,358 | 19.9% |
| 2022 | 23,610 | 19.3% |
| 2023 | 21,993 | 19.2% |
| 2024 | 20,330 | 18.3% |
| 2025 | 18,944 | 18.0% |
What to check before buying a Subaru Impreza
- Lighting & signalling (10.4% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (8.4% 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.
- Emissions & environmental (7.6% of tests): More common on older diesels (DPF/EGR) — can be expensive; check for warning lights and smoke. Typical repair: £100–£600.
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 Impreza?
81.0% of the 110,235 Subaru Impreza MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 19.0% fail rate, across model years 1985–2025.
What does the Subaru Impreza most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 10.4% of tests, then suspension (8.4%).
Which Impreza years are best and worst for MOT results?
2018 has the best pass rate at 92.6% and 2001 the weakest at 78.3%, from 1,139 and 5,801 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Impreza MOT results?
Fail rates run at 7.1% for cars in the 0-30k band and 24.5% for 150k+, a 17.4-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Impreza more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 19.0% of the time against 21.1% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 110,235 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.