7,211 tests in 2025
Subaru Outback reliability and MOT pass rate
80.1% passed first time. The 19.9% fail rate is 2.7 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 9 years old with 81,097 miles.
Pass rate
80.1%
22.6% of all cars failed; 19.9% of these did.
Fixed on the day
4.4%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
81,097 mi
9 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 1,332 | 7.4% |
| 6-9 years | 2,299 | 12.5% |
| 10-13 years | 1,414 | 22.5% |
| 14+ years | 2,149 | 33.7% |
What the Outback fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Suspension34 dangerous44.1%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment5 dangerous34.3%
- Brakes270 dangerous27.9%
- Tyres230 dangerous19.2%
- Noise, emissions and leaks16.4%
- Body, chassis, structure9 dangerous14.9%
- Visibility2 dangerous13%
- Steering2 dangerous2.7%
Is the Outback getting worse?
The fail rate fell 0.4 points to 20.9% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 1 year. Ageing alone would predict about 2.5 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 7,402 | 9 | 21.3% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 7,269 | 9 | 20.5% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 6,348 | 9 | 20.6% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 6,359 | 10 | 20.9% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Outback at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a Outback in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick178 tests
- 2Position lamp: not working173 tests
- 3Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn151 tests
- 4Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn150 tests
- 5Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction118 tests
- 6Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords109 tests
- 7Coil spring: fractured or broken109 tests
- 8Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases96 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Outback collects 2.98 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm1,061 tests
- 2Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn901 tests
- 3Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick874 tests
- 4Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened535 tests
- 5Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure496 tests
- 6Sub-frame: corroded and seriously weakened327 tests
- 7Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded304 tests
- 8Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine301 tests
Questions
What is the Subaru Outback MOT pass rate?
80.1% of the 7,211 Subaru Outback first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 19.9% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 4.4% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Subaru Outback usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick", recorded on 178 failed tests, followed by "Position lamp: not working" and "Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn". By section, suspension appears in 44.1% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 34.3% of failures, brakes appears in 27.9% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 7.4%; at 14+ years it was 33.7%. The median Subaru Outback tested in 2025 was 9 years old with 81,097 miles.
Is the Subaru Outback getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 0.4 points to 20.9% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 1 year. Ageing alone would predict about 2.5 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every Outback trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 15 safety recalls naming the Subaru Outback: Subaru Outback recalls.
Other Subaru models
Checking a particular Outback?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.