1,662 tests in 2025
Subaru Wrx reliability and MOT pass rate
90.7% passed first time. The 9.3% fail rate is 13.3 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 10 years old with 54,395 miles.
Pass rate
90.7%
22.6% of all cars failed; 9.3% of these did.
Fixed on the day
2.2%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
54,395 mi
10 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 5 | — |
| 6-9 years | 668 | 7.8% |
| 10-13 years | 742 | 9.8% |
| 14+ years | 246 | 11.4% |
What the Wrx 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.
- Noise, emissions and leaks42.6%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment21.9%
- Tyres37 dangerous20.6%
- Brakes7 dangerous13.5%
- Suspension12.9%
- Visibility10.3%
- Body, chassis, structure8.4%
- Steering6.5%
Is the Wrx getting worse?
The fail rate rose 0.8 points to 9% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 7.7 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1,727 | 7 | 8.2% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 1,687 | 8 | 8.5% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 1,442 | 9 | 8.4% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 1,519 | 10 | 9% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Wrx 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 Wrx in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Catalyst emissions: carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits29 tests
- 2Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits18 tests
- 3Catalyst emissions: carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds default limits14 tests
- 4Catalyst emissions: carbon monoxide content at idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits13 tests
- 5Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively12 tests
- 6Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm11 tests
- 7Condition: has ply or cords exposed9 tests
- 8Emissions not tested: unable to be completed9 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Wrx collects 2.33 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 1.6mm135 tests
- 2Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick81 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened72 tests
- 4Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure61 tests
- 5Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened49 tests
- 6Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn31 tests
- 7Tread depth: tread pattern not visible over the whole tread area when minimum depth required is 1.0mm23 tests
- 8Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases23 tests
Questions
What is the Subaru Wrx MOT pass rate?
90.7% of the 1,662 Subaru Wrx first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 9.3% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 2.2% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Subaru Wrx usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Catalyst emissions: carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits", recorded on 29 failed tests, followed by "Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits" and "Catalyst emissions: carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds default limits". By section, noise, emissions and leaks appears in 42.6% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 21.9% of failures, tyres appears in 20.6% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 20%; at 14+ years it was 11.4%. The median Subaru Wrx tested in 2025 was 10 years old with 54,395 miles.
Is the Subaru Wrx getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 0.8 points to 9% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 7.7 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 Wrx trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
Other Subaru models
Checking a particular Wrx?
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.