Subaru
2,188 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Forester I XE Prm Ebxr Awd Cvts pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 15.9 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
93.4%
Pass-after-fix
2.0%
Fail
4.2%
Avg miles
29,918
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Petrol cars first registered from January 2006 meet Euro 4 — compliant in London ULEZ, Birmingham CAZ, Bristol CAZ, and Glasgow LEZ.
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 2,188 tests
Pass rate climbs 2.0 points across the cohorts — newer Forester I XE Prm Ebxr Awd Cvt examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
92.5%
Fail
4.5%
PRS
2.5%
Avg mileage at test
32,961 mi
Pass
94.5%
Fail
3.7%
PRS
1.3%
Avg mileage at test
25,773 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 713 MOT tests, the Forester I Xe Prm Ebxr Awd Cvt returns 94.4% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a seriously damaged tyre. A defective wiper blade and wipers that don't clear the screen round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 26,186, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
ABI Insurance Group
Above average — worth comparing quotes before buying. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.
Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →
22–32
out of 50
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A tyre seriously damaged
29 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
Wiper blade defective
22 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
18 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
18 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
15 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
6 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated
6 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
5 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
5 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured
4 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 3 failures
£100–£185
If every one of this Forester I XE Prm Ebxr Awd Cvt's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
Try the calculator
Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 1.9-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy Subaru Forester I XE Prm Ebxr Awd Cvt makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
94.5%
2021+ registration
the 2021-on band climbs to 94.5% — a 1.9-point improvement. Tests in this band average 25,773 miles — roughly 7K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: has a cut in excess of the…, blade defective — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. Post-2020 examples are early in their MOT life and generally show the cleanest records.
Band to be cautious about
92.5%
2018–2020 registration
On the 2018–2020 band, the data shows a 92.5% pass rate against a fleet average of 94.5% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, blade defective, and has a cut in excess of the…. Average mileage on test for this band is 32,961 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2021+ (94.5% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2018-2020 (92.5% pass). That's a 1.9-point spread across 1,261 older tests and 927 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
Item 01 · Amazon UK
Bosch Aerotwin wiper blades
Cheap wipers fail the test on smear streaks. Bosch Aerotwins last a winter and clear a screen properly.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
Digital tyre-tread depth gauge
Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.
Search Amazon UK
My Motor World · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Motor World
Motor World Subaru Impreza 2007- Car Floor Mat Set
£32.99
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Motor World Subaru XV 2013- Car Floor Mat Set
£32.99
View at My Motor World →
Draper Expert
Draper Expert Engine Timing Kit (Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Citroen, Ford, Lancia, Peugeot, Subaru, Suzuki, Vauxhall)
£157.29
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Click Mechanic · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Mobile mechanic · UK-wide
Book a mechanic at your door.
Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.
Owner reports · Honest John
Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.
Where it falls short
One last point - if your circumstances change, make sure your inform your insurer, too. If your details don't match what an insurer has on record, that could lead to problems with claims and future renewals.
Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own a Forester I XE Prm Ebxr Awd Cvt and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.
