2025 MOT results
Subaru Outback common problems
The most common reason a Subaru Outback fails its MOT is a sidelight out, on 13.7% of its 1,880 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 4 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: an exhaust leak at 5.7% of failures against 2.8% expected; worn brake pads at 10.7% of failures against 6.2% expected; a number plate lamp out at 5.7% of failures against 3.5% expected.
- Tests in 2025 7,750 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 24.3% 1,880 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 5.8% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 51.2% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Subaru Outback MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Subaru Outback tests with that defect. Where we can compare it with cars of the same registration years, the marker shows what an average car of those ages records (12 of the 12 items below).
Most common reasons for failure
A test can fail for more than one defect, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 13.7% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 10.7% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 8.1% |
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 7.9% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 7.2% |
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 6.6% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint excessively worn Suspension | 6.4% |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension | 6.3% |
| Exhaust system: major leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 5.7% |
| Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.7% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | 4.9% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 4.6% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Sidelight out
13.7% of failures 8.9% expected 1.5 times as often
A sidelight, also called a position lamp, not working. It marks the width of the car at night.
Walk round the car with the lights on and the hazards going; these are the cheapest failures to avoid.
-
Worn brake pads
10.7% of failures 6.2% expected 1.7 times as often
Friction material worn under 1.5mm, thinner than the point most manufacturers call the limit.
Look through the wheel spokes at the pad against the disc; wear indicators squeal before they get this far.
-
Engine management light on
8.1% of failures 5.5% expected 1.5 times as often
The engine management light is on, or has been disconnected. Either fails the test.
A cheap code reader on the diagnostic socket will say what the car has stored before you pay for a test.
-
Brake light out
7.9% of failures 6.6% expected somewhat more often
A brake light not working, from a bulb, a poor earth, or the switch on the pedal.
Reverse up to a wall or window at dusk and press the pedal to see all three lamps light.
-
Wiper blades that do not clear the screen
7.2% of failures 6.8% expected about as expected
Wiper blades that leave the windscreen smeared or streaked across the area the driver looks through.
Look for split or hardened rubber, and lift each blade to see whether it still sits flat.
-
Cut tyre
6.6% of failures 5.2% expected somewhat more often
A cut in the tyre deep or long enough to reach the structure underneath, usually from a kerb or debris.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
Which parts of the car fail
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails a Subaru Outback, on 40.6% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is noise, emissions and leaks, on 14.7% against 11.3% expected.
Failure categories
DVSA's own sections of the test. The marker is what cars of the same registration years record.
| Defect category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 40.6% |
| Suspension | 36.1% |
| Brakes | 23.7% |
| Tyres | 17.0% |
| Visibility | 14.8% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 14.7% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 12.6% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 2.1% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
51.2% of Subaru Outback tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Subaru Outbacks, these are the items to ask about on a car you are viewing, because they are what the last tester expected to go next.
Most common advisories
Share of all tests, passes included.
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 16.3% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 12.1% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 9.1% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 7.2% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 6.8% |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 4.5% |
| Anti-roll bars: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 4.3% |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 4.2% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 4.1% |
| Exhaust system: minor leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 3.5% |
| Linkage ball joint has slight play Suspension | 2.9% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 2.8% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Subaru Outback problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Subaru Outback?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Position lamp: not working” is the most common: it appears on 13.7% of failed Subaru Outback tests. Across categories, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails one, on 40.6% of failed tests.
How often does a Subaru Outback fail its MOT?
24.3% of Subaru Outback tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 7,750 tests of cars aged three and over. Allowing for the age and mileage of the cars tested, that gives it a UK Motoring Reliability Score of 57 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Subaru Outback than on other cars?
Yes. “Exhaust system: major leak of exhaust gases” appears on 5.7% of its failures against 2.8% for cars of the same age, and “Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick” appears on 10.7% of its failures against 6.2% for cars of the same age. Where an item is missing from the national figures for a year, we use the smallest share those figures show, so the comparison never overstates the difference.
Are these the same as breakdowns or known faults?
No. These are the items a tester recorded at the MOT, which covers condition and safety: lamps, brakes, tyres, suspension, corrosion and emissions. A gearbox that is unpleasant, an infotainment screen that has died, or a car that will not start on a cold morning are not part of the test, so they are not in these figures.
Where do the figures come from?
Every normal MOT test of a Subaru Outback aged three and over in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT results. Retests are excluded, and the same fault on more than one wheel counts once.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT defects and advisories | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 7,750 MOT tests | 19 September 2026 |
- Shares for defects are of failed tests; shares for advisories are of all tests. A test can carry several defects, so shares add to more than 100%.
- The expected share is what an average car of the same registration years records, weighted by where this model’s failures fall. Where an item is outside the national figures for a year, the smallest share those figures show is used in its place, which is an upper bound, so the comparison never overstates a model’s problems. No expectation is published where less than 80% of the model’s failures can be compared.
- Great Britain only: DVSA does not run MOT testing in Northern Ireland. Cars under three years old are not tested.
- The descriptions of what each part does are general and the same on every model. Every figure comes from the MOT data.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.