Car statistics
Subaru car statistics
How many Subaru cars are on the road in Great Britain, every Subaru model, its share of new cars over time and which fuels they use, how they do at the MOT and their safety recalls. Built from DVLA licensing records and DVSA MOT results.
- Licensed in Great Britain 55,424 −2.4% on a year earlier
- Rank among makes No. 35 0.17% of licensed cars
- MOT first-time pass rate, 2025 74.5% Cars of the same ages 68.1%
- New registrations in 2025 2,603 0.13% of all new cars
- Most common fuel Petrol 71.5% of those licensed
- Safety recalls since 1992 37 naming 12 Subaru models
How many Subaru cars are on the road?
There were 55,424 Subaru cars licensed in Great Britain at the end of March 2026, and a further 30,316 declared off the road (SORN). That is 0.17% of all licensed cars, or about 1 in 605, making Subaru the No. 35 make on the road. That is 50.0% fewer than the peak of 110,831 in 2007. Petrol makes up 71.5% of licensed Subaru cars, against 54.6% of all cars.
Subaru cars licensed in Great Britain
The highest year-end count was 110,831 in 2007.
| Year | Licensed |
|---|---|
| 1994 | 44,060 |
| 1995 | 45,593 |
| 1996 | 49,142 |
| 1997 | 54,068 |
| 1998 | 61,030 |
| 1999 | 69,851 |
| 2000 | 77,251 |
| 2001 | 83,826 |
| 2002 | 88,186 |
| 2003 | 94,994 |
| 2004 | 101,031 |
| 2005 | 106,827 |
| 2006 | 109,133 |
| 2007 | 110,831 |
| 2008 | 109,373 |
| 2009 | 108,044 |
| 2010 | 105,008 |
| 2011 | 98,772 |
| 2012 | 92,829 |
| 2013 | 87,710 |
| 2014 | 83,053 |
| 2015 | 80,081 |
| 2016 | 77,832 |
| 2017 | 73,726 |
| 2018 | 70,674 |
| 2019 | 67,800 |
| 2020 | 64,393 |
| 2021 | 62,710 |
| 2022 | 59,824 |
| 2023 | 58,131 |
| 2024 | 56,818 |
| 2025 | 55,504 |
| 2026 | 55,424 |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
Fuel type
Subaru cars
All cars in Great Britain
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
Subaru models
12 Subaru models have a page of their own. The most common is the Subaru Forester, with 15,896 licensed: 28.7% of all Subaru cars on the road. Over the last year the Crosstrek added the most cars on the road (+585, +74.4%) and the Impreza lost the most (−906, −7.3%). The totals above also count models too small for a page of their own.
| Model | Licensed | Change on a year | SORN | Main fuel | MOT pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forester | 15,896 | −2.1% | 3,745 | Petrol | 70.7% |
| Impreza | 11,510 | −7.3% | 16,565 | Petrol | 75.2% |
| Outback | 9,169 | +0.6% | 1,014 | Petrol | 75.7% |
| XV | 7,033 | −1.8% | 136 | Petrol | 80.8% |
| Legacy | 3,684 | −12.0% | 3,386 | Petrol | 64.3% |
| WRX | 1,510 | −2.0% | 301 | Petrol | 88.6% |
| Crosstrek | 1,371 | +74.4% | 30 | Hybrid | – |
| Solterra | 845 | −7.4% | 21 | Electric | – |
| BRZ | 828 | −1.4% | 60 | Petrol | – |
| Levorg | 735 | −0.1% | 18 | Petrol | – |
| Justy | 497 | −12.2% | 529 | Petrol | – |
| Tribeca B9 | 128 | −26.4% | 142 | Petrol | – |
MOT pass rates are first-time passes of cars aged three and over in 2025. A dash means too few tests, or a model DVSA’s records do not separate from vans.
New Subaru cars registered each year
Registrations of new Subaru cars in Great Britain peaked at 12,113 in 2003. In 2025, 2,603 were registered for the first time: 0.13% of all new cars, against 0.47% in 2005, Subaru’s best year for share of new cars.
Registered for the first time, by year
| Year | First registrations |
|---|---|
| ’01 | 10,962 |
| ’02 | 9,829 |
| ’03 | 12,113 |
| ’04 | 11,540 |
| ’05 | 11,465 |
| ’06 | 9,988 |
| ’07 | 8,854 |
| ’08 | 6,441 |
| ’09 | 4,599 |
| ’10 | 4,402 |
| ’11 | 2,917 |
| ’12 | 2,182 |
| ’13 | 2,409 |
| ’14 | 3,004 |
| ’15 | 3,876 |
| ’16 | 4,133 |
| ’17 | 3,074 |
| ’18 | 3,634 |
| ’19 | 3,656 |
| ’20 | 1,454 |
| ’21 | 2,697 |
| ’22 | 1,871 |
| ’23 | 2,809 |
| ’24 | 2,869 |
| ’25 | 2,603 |
Source:DfT / DVLA 2001 to 2025 Updated
Share of all new cars
Subaru’s first registrations as a share of every car registered for the first time in Great Britain that year.
| Year | Share of new cars |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 0.42% |
| 2002 | 0.37% |
| 2003 | 0.46% |
| 2004 | 0.44% |
| 2005 | 0.47% |
| 2006 | 0.43% |
| 2007 | 0.37% |
| 2008 | 0.30% |
| 2009 | 0.23% |
| 2010 | 0.22% |
| 2011 | 0.15% |
| 2012 | 0.11% |
| 2013 | 0.11% |
| 2014 | 0.12% |
| 2015 | 0.15% |
| 2016 | 0.16% |
| 2017 | 0.12% |
| 2018 | 0.16% |
| 2019 | 0.16% |
| 2020 | 0.09% |
| 2021 | 0.16% |
| 2022 | 0.12% |
| 2023 | 0.15% |
| 2024 | 0.15% |
| 2025 | 0.13% |
Source:DfT / DVLA 2001 to 2025 Updated
Subaru MOT reliability
In 2025, 74.5% of MOT tests of Subaru cars were passed first time, from 56,125 tests. Cars of the same ages pass 68.1% of the time, so Subaru does better than average for the age of its cars, by 6.4 points. That ranks Subaru No. 9 of the 50 makes with enough tests to compare. 5.2% of Subaru tests found at least one dangerous defect, against 7.3% for all cars.
Among Subaru models with enough tests, the WRX does best for its age (+17.2 points against cars of the same ages) and the Forester does worst (+1.4 points). Average age at test for Subaru cars: 14.3 years.
| Model | Tests | Pass rate | Same ages | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WRX | 1,805 | 88.6% | 71.4% | +17.2 pts |
| Impreza | 16,982 | 75.2% | 61.2% | +14.0 pts |
| XV | 6,942 | 80.8% | 77.7% | +3.1 pts |
| Legacy | 4,666 | 64.3% | 61.5% | +2.8 pts |
| Outback | 7,750 | 75.7% | 73.7% | +2.0 pts |
| Forester | 15,395 | 70.7% | 69.3% | +1.4 pts |
Every make and model ranked by MOT pass rate
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Subaru safety recalls
DVSA lists 37 safety recalls naming a Subaru car model since 1992, across 12 models. 25 were launched from 2016 to 2025, ranking Subaru No. 27 of the makes with recalls in those years. A recall naming several Subaru models counts once.
Recalls launched each year, 2006 to 2025
| Year | Recalls |
|---|---|
| ’06 | 0 |
| ’07 | 0 |
| ’08 | 0 |
| ’09 | 0 |
| ’10 | 1 |
| ’11 | 1 |
| ’12 | 1 |
| ’13 | 0 |
| ’14 | 3 |
| ’15 | 2 |
| ’16 | 4 |
| ’17 | 0 |
| ’18 | 4 |
| ’19 | 5 |
| ’20 | 2 |
| ’21 | 2 |
| ’22 | 4 |
| ’23 | 0 |
| ’24 | 2 |
| ’25 | 2 |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis January 1992 to September 2026 Updated
Models with the most recalls
| Model | Recalls |
|---|---|
| Subaru Outback | 15 |
| Subaru Impreza | 14 |
| Subaru Legacy | 13 |
| Subaru Forester | 12 |
| Subaru XV | 7 |
| Subaru BRZ | 3 |
| Subaru Solterra | 3 |
| Subaru WRX | 3 |
| Subaru Tribeca B9 | 2 |
| Subaru Crosstrek | 1 |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis January 1992 to September 2026 Updated
Latest Subaru recalls
- 1 Jun 2026 SRT 382 - Incorrect Vertical Load Value on Trailer Hitch Label for 2024-2025MY Crosstrek Vehicles Subaru Crosstrek
- 1 Dec 2025 SRT374 - Software update for Parking Assist ECU on certain 2023MY-2025MY Solterra Subaru Solterra
- 1 Oct 2025 SRT372 Electric Compressor on 2023MY–2025MY Solterra Subaru Solterra
- 1 Nov 2024 SRT 351 - Malfunction of inhibitor switch on CVT Subaru Outback
- 15 Jul 2024 SRT 360 - Software update for Forward Recognition Camera Subaru Solterra
Models mostly registered as vans are left out, as on our recalls hub. A recall applies to vehicles built on particular dates or with particular VINs, not to every Subaru. To check a specific car, use GOV.UK’s vehicle recall check. How we match recalls to models.
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis January 1992 to September 2026 Updated
Makes of a similar size
| Rank | Make | Licensed | Change on a year | Main fuel | MOT vs same ages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | Smart | 85,932 | −1.6% | Petrol | +1.6 pts |
| 33 | BYD | 78,331 | +316.7% | Electric | – |
| 34 | Alfa Romeo | 66,633 | −3.9% | Petrol | −1.3 pts |
| 35 | Subaru | 55,424 | −2.4% | Petrol | +6.4 pts |
| 36 | Polestar | 52,194 | +45.3% | Electric | −1.7 pts |
| 37 | DS | 47,661 | −0.7% | Petrol | −10.9 pts |
| 38 | Jaecoo | 46,868 | +1271.2% | Plug-in hybrid | – |
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed and SORN counts | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of March 2026 | 37,339,879 car records (licensed and SORN) | 15 September 2026 |
| Registered for the first time | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | 2001 to 2025 | – | 15 September 2026 |
| MOT results | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 29,122,953 car MOT tests | 15 September 2026 |
| Safety recalls | Vehicle safety recalls Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | January 1992 to September 2026 | 7,495 road vehicle recalls (R/) | 15 September 2026 |
- Figures cover Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). Northern Ireland is not included.
- Make totals count every car DVLA records under the make, including models too small for a page of their own. The rank is among all 525 makes on the record.
- Licensed counts are vehicles with a current tax or exemption at the end of each year (or the latest quarter). SORN counts are shown separately.
- First registrations count cars registered in Great Britain for the first time, including used imports.
- MOT figures cover normal tests of cars aged three and over; retests are excluded. The same-ages figure is what all cars would score with this make’s mix of ages.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.