Subaru
25,741 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where Foresters pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 2.8 points below the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — buyers should expect more first-time fails than the typical UK car.
Pass
74.7%
Pass-after-fix
4.4%
Fail
20.1%
Avg miles
95,828
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Trim variants
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 25,651 tests
Pass rate climbs 15.5 points across the cohorts — newer Forester examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
73.5%
Fail
21.1%
PRS
4.5%
Avg mileage at test
100,302 mi
Pass
89.0%
Fail
8.2%
PRS
2.3%
Avg mileage at test
44,144 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
The Subaru Forester is a compact crossover SUV that has been manufactured by Subaru since 1997. The first generation was built on the platform of the Impreza in the style of a taller station wagon, a style that continued to the second generation, while the third-generation model onwards moved towards a crossover SUV design.
MOT data from 18,786 tests puts this car on a 73.5% first-time pass rate, below the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 93,545 miles. The most common fail item is failed number plate light, followed by cracked or discoloured windscreen.
Car insurance prices are currently seeing record increases so we're here to help you find ways to reduced the cost.
Buyers weighing up a used Forester should treat the failure breakdown as a pre-purchase checklist. The pass rate is reasonable, but the gap between first attempt and a clean sheet narrows with age and mileage.
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 rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
880 occurrences · 3.4% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
799 occurrences · 3.1% of tests
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
690 occurrences · 2.7% of tests
The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired
630 occurrences · 2.4% of tests
A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated
538 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective
531 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
513 occurrences · 2.0% of tests
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
413 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
386 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
369 occurrences · 1.4% 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
£168–£515
If every one of this Forester'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 15.5-point gap between bands means the year you buy Subaru Forester has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
89.0%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 89.0% — a 15.5-point improvement. Tests in this band average 44,144 miles — roughly 56K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: pin or bush excessively worn, damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. The stricter post-2018 MOT test rules meant manufacturers had to tighten up emissions and electrical checks, but this band still shows far fewer major failures on suspension and bodywork than the older fleet.
Band to be cautious about
73.5%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 73.5% pass rate against a fleet average of 89.0% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: inoperative in the case of multiple lamps…, damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, and pin or bush excessively worn. Average mileage on test for this band is 100,302 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (89.0% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (73.5% pass). That's a 15.5-point spread across 23,697 older tests and 1,954 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.
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Mobile mechanic · UK-wide
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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.
Recall history
The Forester has 12 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.
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 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.
