2016 Subaru Legacy — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2016 Subaru Legacy passed 82.6% of its 305 recorded MOT tests. That is 2.7 percentage points worse than large family cars of a similar age, which fail at 14.7%. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, emissions & environmental and suspension.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (9.5%) and emissions & environmental (6.6%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are catalyst emissions, position lamp and wheel bearings — catalyst emissions alone was recorded 23 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 8.3% of 60-90k cars fail, rising to 23.3% once past 150k — 2.8× the risk.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 28.2% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 19.0% 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 | 9.5% | 29 |
| 2 | Emissions & environmental | 6.6% | 20 |
| 3 | Suspension | 6.6% | 20 |
| 4 | Visibility | 3.6% | 11 |
| 5 | Brakes | 3.6% | 11 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.9% | 9 |
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 | 23 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 17 |
| 3 | Wheel bearings | 8 |
| 4 | Pins and bushes | 8 |
| 5 | Headlamp aim | 7 |
| 6 | Washers | 7 |
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 | 28.2% | 86 |
| 2 | Tyres | 16.7% | 51 |
| 3 | Brakes | 13.1% | 40 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 8.8% | 27 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 8.2% | 25 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 6.9% | 21 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 60-90k | 48 | 8.3% |
| 90-120k | 99 | 15.2% |
| 120-150k | 79 | 24.1% |
| 150k+ | 60 | 23.3% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 79 | 19.0% |
| 2022 | 67 | 13.4% |
| 2023 | 74 | 21.6% |
| 2024 | 46 | 19.6% |
| 2025 | 39 | 10.3% |
What to check before buying a 2016 Legacy
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 9.5% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (9.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Emissions & environmental (6.6% of tests): More common on older diesels (DPF/EGR) — can be expensive; check for warning lights and smoke. Typical repair: £100–£600.
- Suspension (6.6% 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 2016 Subaru Legacys pass their MOT?
82.6% of the 305 2016 Subaru Legacy MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 17.4% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2016 Subaru Legacy?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 9.5% of tests, followed by emissions & environmental (6.6%).
Does the 2016 Legacy get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 8.3% in the 60-90k band to 23.3% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 305 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.