2020 Subaru Impreza — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2020 Subaru Impreza passed 89.1% of its 376 recorded MOT tests. Against small family cars of a similar age (7.4% fail rate), the 2020 Impreza comes out 3.5pp worse. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, emissions & environmental and suspension.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (8.0%) and emissions & environmental (5.1%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are catalyst emissions, rear fog lamp and headlamp aim — catalyst emissions alone was recorded 31 times.
A 120-150k example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 20.0% versus 0.0%.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 12.6% in 2021 to 10.3% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 8.0% | 30 |
| 2 | Emissions & environmental | 5.1% | 19 |
| 3 | Suspension | 2.7% | 10 |
| 4 | Visibility | 2.1% | 8 |
| 5 | Brakes | 1.6% | 6 |
| 6 | Tyres | 1.3% | 5 |
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 | 31 |
| 2 | Rear fog lamp | 14 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 14 |
| 4 | Headlamp | 9 |
| 5 | Wipers | 6 |
| 6 | Ball joint dust cover | 6 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 8.0% | 30 |
| 2 | Suspension | 7.7% | 29 |
| 3 | Brakes | 5.3% | 20 |
| 4 | Other defects | 4.3% | 16 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 3.7% | 14 |
| 6 | Visibility | 1.9% | 7 |
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 | 40 | 0.0% |
| 30-60k | 70 | 4.3% |
| 60-90k | 120 | 13.3% |
| 90-120k | 97 | 13.4% |
| 120-150k | 30 | 20.0% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 95 | 12.6% |
| 2022 | 81 | 13.6% |
| 2023 | 77 | 7.8% |
| 2024 | 65 | 9.2% |
| 2025 | 58 | 10.3% |
What to check before buying a 2020 Impreza
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 8.0% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (8.0% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Emissions & environmental (5.1% of tests): More common on older diesels (DPF/EGR) — can be expensive; check for warning lights and smoke. Typical repair: £100–£600.
- Suspension (2.7% 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.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 2020 Subaru Imprezas pass their MOT?
89.1% of the 376 2020 Subaru Impreza MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 10.9% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2020 Subaru Impreza?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 8.0% of tests, followed by emissions & environmental (5.1%).
Does the 2020 Impreza get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 0.0% in the 0-30k band to 20.0% in the 120-150k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 376 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.