MOT cost .
Subaru Outback
MOT 2024

Photo: Dinkun Chen, CC BY-SA 4.0

Subaru

Outback

12,818 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where Outbacks pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 2.3 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.

Pass

79.8%

Pass-after-fix

3.7%

Fail

16.0%

Avg miles

88,192

Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%

ULEZ borderline — check VRM

This model's production run straddles the January 2006 Euro 4 cutoff. Individual cars vary — check your registration plate on the government's ULEZ checker. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 .

UK ULEZ & CAZ guide →

Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 12,818 tests

Pass rate climbs 16.0 points across the cohorts — newer Outback examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 9,807

Pass

76.5%

Fail

18.7%

PRS

4.3%

Avg mileage at test

103,181 mi

2018–2020 cohort 2,205

Pass

90.0%

Fail

8.0%

PRS

1.9%

Avg mileage at test

43,974 mi

2021+ cohort 806

Pass

92.4%

Fail

6.1%

PRS

1.1%

Avg mileage at test

27,435 mi

Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.

The picture

Outback: middle-of-the-pack on first-time pass

Across 8,608 MOT tests, the Outback returns 78.2% first-time pass — roughly in line with the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a number-plate lamp out. Windscreen damage and a defective headlamp lens round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 89,326, 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

Group 24–34

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 →

24–34

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

  1. 01

    Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

    354 occurrences · 2.8% of tests

  2. 02

    A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources

    350 occurrences · 2.7% of tests

  3. 03

    A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning

    271 occurrences · 2.1% of tests

  4. 04

    a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

    261 occurrences · 2.0% of tests

  5. 05

    Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective

    250 occurrences · 2.0% of tests

  6. 06

    A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

    177 occurrences · 1.4% of tests

  7. 07

    A tyre seriously damaged

    167 occurrences · 1.3% of tests

  8. 08

    A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

    152 occurrences · 1.2% of tests

  9. 09

    Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

    148 occurrences · 1.2% of tests

  10. 10

    A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

    146 occurrences · 1.1% 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

£98–£275

If every one of this Outback'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

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 16.0-point gap between bands means the year you buy Subaru Outback has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

92.4%

2021+ registration

the 2021-on band climbs to 92.4% — a 16.0-point improvement. Tests in this band average 27,435 miles — roughly 76K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, excessively tinted 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. Post-2020 examples are early in their MOT life and generally show the cleanest records.

Band to be cautious about

76.5%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 76.5% pass rate against a fleet average of 92.4% 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 not working. Average mileage on test for this band is 103,181 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2021+ (92.4% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (76.5% pass). That's a 16.0-point spread across 9,807 older tests and 806 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.

Year-spread leaderboard →

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

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

H7 / W21W bulb pack

A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.

Search Amazon UK

Item 02 · Amazon UK

Brake pad measurement gauge

Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.

Search Amazon UK

Item 03 · Amazon UK

Headlight restoration kit

Yellowed lenses fail the light-output test. A restoration kit lifts the haze in an afternoon for £20.

Search Amazon UK

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Motor World Subaru Impreza 2007- Car Floor Mat Set

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Motor World Subaru XV 2013- Car Floor Mat Set

Motor World

Motor World Subaru XV 2013- Car Floor Mat Set

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Draper Expert Engine Timing Kit (Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Citroen, Ford, Lancia, Peugeot, Subaru, Suzuki, Vauxhall)

Draper Expert

Draper Expert Engine Timing Kit (Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Citroen, Ford, Lancia, Peugeot, Subaru, Suzuki, Vauxhall)

£157.29

View at My Motor World →

Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

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.

Get a quote →

Recall history

15 UK recalls on record.

The Outback has 15 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.

See all recalls

Buying or keeping an Outback?

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 an Outback 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.