Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 10,044 tests

Pass rate climbs 10.7 points across the cohorts — newer XV examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 7,152

Pass

80.2%

Fail

15.3%

PRS

4.0%

Avg mileage at test

69,822 mi

2018–2020 cohort 2,673

Pass

91.1%

Fail

6.9%

PRS

1.9%

Avg mileage at test

37,485 mi

2021+ cohort 219

Pass

90.9%

Fail

6.8%

PRS

2.3%

Avg mileage at test

22,540 mi

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

The picture

Xv: above-average pass rates, with caveats

Across 6,523 MOT tests, the Xv returns 83.7% first-time pass — above the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is brake pads worn below 1.5 mm. Worn suspension bushes and windscreen damage round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 54,326, 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 18–26

Around the UK fleet average for insurance cost. 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 →

18–26

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

Hide wear items to see the model's real defects.

01

a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

212 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
02

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

175 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
03

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

172 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
04

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

159 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
05

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

155 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
06

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

150 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
07

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

127 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
08

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

102 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
09

Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

86 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
10

Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn

82 occurrences · 0.8% 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 4 failures

£248–£675

If every one of this XV'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 10.9-point gap between bands means the year you buy Subaru XV has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

91.1%

2018–2020 registration

the 2018–2020 band climbs to 91.1% — a 10.9-point improvement. Tests in this band average 37,485 miles — roughly 32K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: less than 1.5 mm thick, tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm — 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

80.2%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 80.2% pass rate against a fleet average of 91.1% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: ball joint excessively worn, pin or bush excessively worn, and not working. Average mileage on test for this band is 69,822 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (91.1% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (80.2% pass). That's a 10.9-point spread across 7,152 older tests and 2,673 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

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 02 · 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

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

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

Motor World

Motor World Subaru Impreza 2007- Car Floor Mat Set

£32.99

View at My Motor World →

Motor World

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

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

7 UK recalls on record.

The XV has 7 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.

See all recalls

Buying or keeping an XV?

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 XV 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.