Subaru Legacy MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 37 model years and 36,375 tests, the Subaru Legacy passes its MOT 75.8% of the time. Against large family cars of a similar age (25.3% fail rate), the Legacy comes out 1.0pp better. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and emissions & environmental.
Best and worst Legacy years
Ranked across Legacy 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
Build year matters more than the headline suggests: 2013 cars pass 79.9% of the time while 2003 cars manage 71.4%, a 8.5-point spread.
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 14.4% of all tests — 3.6 points clear of suspension, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are position lamp, headlamp aim and catalyst emissions — position lamp alone was recorded 2,117 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 11.2% in the 0-30k band and 29.6% in the 150k+ band, a 18.4-point spread — more than double.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 24.2% of the time against 24.3% for diesel.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: suspension was flagged on 39.4% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
By model year
Every Legacy model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 35 | 77.1% | 22.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1991 | 43 | 81.4% | 18.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1992 | 80 | 76.3% | 23.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1993 | 81 | 88.9% | 11.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1994 | 75 | 85.3% | 14.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1995 | 79 | 79.8% | 20.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1996 | 123 | 82.1% | 17.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1997 | 178 | 74.2% | 25.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1998 | 359 | 73.0% | 27.0% | Suspension |
| 1999 | 538 | 74.0% | 26.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 820 | 71.0% | 29.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 1,036 | 73.5% | 26.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 970 | 73.3% | 26.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 1,651 | 71.4% | 28.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 3,271 | 73.3% | 26.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 4,021 | 74.2% | 25.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 4,244 | 73.8% | 26.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 3,056 | 75.9% | 24.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 2,564 | 75.0% | 25.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 2,696 | 76.6% | 23.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 2,932 | 77.3% | 22.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 2,768 | 79.1% | 20.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 1,555 | 79.5% | 20.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 1,138 | 79.9% | 20.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 113 | 78.8% | 21.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 215 | 81.4% | 18.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 305 | 82.6% | 17.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 285 | 80.7% | 19.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 345 | 84.9% | 15.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 346 | 80.6% | 19.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 278 | 83.8% | 16.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 140 | 87.9% | 12.1% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 14.4% | 5,227 |
| 2 | Suspension | 10.7% | 3,899 |
| 3 | Emissions & environmental | 7.1% | 2,590 |
| 4 | Brakes | 7.1% | 2,584 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 5.9% | 2,133 |
| 6 | Tyres | 4.8% | 1,736 |
| 7 | Visibility | 4.6% | 1,672 |
| 8 | Steering | 1.0% | 370 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Position lamp | 2,117 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 2,022 |
| 3 | Catalyst emissions | 1,910 |
| 4 | Pins and bushes | 1,763 |
| 5 | Stop lamp | 1,339 |
| 6 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 1,149 |
| 7 | Component mounting prescribed areas | 1,119 |
| 8 | Headlamp | 1,080 |
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 | 39.4% | 14,347 |
| 2 | Brakes | 27.5% | 10,015 |
| 3 | Tyres | 22.4% | 8,132 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 14.2% | 5,183 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 12.8% | 4,657 |
| 6 | Other defects | 10.7% | 3,889 |
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 | 321 | 11.2% |
| 30-60k | 2,748 | 16.4% |
| 60-90k | 8,038 | 19.6% |
| 90-120k | 10,709 | 24.5% |
| 120-150k | 8,660 | 27.4% |
| 150k+ | 5,804 | 29.6% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 30,858 | 24.2% |
| Diesel | 5,507 | 24.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 9,036 | 24.3% |
| 2022 | 8,026 | 23.9% |
| 2023 | 7,295 | 24.7% |
| 2024 | 6,410 | 24.7% |
| 2025 | 5,608 | 23.4% |
What to check before buying a Subaru Legacy
- Lighting & signalling (14.4% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (10.7% 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.
- Emissions & environmental (7.1% 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 Legacy?
75.8% of the 36,375 Subaru Legacy MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 24.2% fail rate, across model years 1989–2025.
What does the Subaru Legacy most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 14.4% of tests, then suspension (10.7%).
Which Legacy years are best and worst for MOT results?
2013 has the best pass rate at 79.9% and 2003 the weakest at 71.4%, from 1,138 and 1,651 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Legacy MOT results?
Fail rates run at 11.2% for cars in the 0-30k band and 29.6% for 150k+, a 18.4-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Legacy more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 24.2% of the time against 24.3% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 36,375 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.