Subaru Legacy: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Subaru Legacy fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 7.9 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 5,181 individual Subaru Legacy tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 68.8% first-time pass rate means roughly 31 in every 100 Subaru Legacies presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is worse than average, so budget for remedial work and treat a fresh 12-month MOT as a genuine selling point rather than a given. The average Subaru Legacy tested had covered 111,470 miles and was built around 2007.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Subaru Legacy sits 7.9 points below the national average, ranked 1,789 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, assume the mechanical side needs more than the visible accident damage, and pad your repair estimate accordingly.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific Subaru Legacy rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see recorded closing bids for damaged Subaru Legacies at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Subaru Legacy

1. Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer, 3% of tests (5.94x the national rate for this defect)
2. 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, 3.4% of tests (3.6x the national rate for this defect)
3. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 3.2% of tests (3.17x the national rate for this defect)
4. Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction, 4% of tests (3.1x the national rate for this defect)
5. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 13.2% of tests (2.62x the national rate for this defect)
6. A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 5.6% of tests (2.52x the national rate for this defect)
7. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 2.6% of tests (2.44x the national rate for this defect)
8. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 5.2% of tests (2.2x the national rate for this defect)
9. A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 3.2% of tests (2.11x the national rate for this defect)
10. Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 2.8% of tests (2.04x the national rate for this defect)

From 5,180 DVSA-tracked Subaru Legacy tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 3.64% of these flagged Subaru Legacy defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Subaru Legacy

An advisory doesn't fail the car - the tester flags it as worth watching, but it still passes. A different list from the failures above: what testers are noting on a Subaru Legacy before it actually fails on it.

1. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 58.8% of tests (4.4x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
2. Product on the lens or light source which obviously reduces light intensity or changes emitted colour to other than white or yellow, 4.6% of tests (4.15x the national rate for this advisory)
3. 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, 5.7% of tests (3.76x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
4. Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, 4.3% of tests (3.49x the national rate for this advisory)
5. A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded, 17.4% of tests (3.36x the national rate for this advisory)
6. A brake hose ferrule excessively corroded, 4.1% of tests (3.24x the national rate for this advisory)
7. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 8.7% of tests (3.06x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
8. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 13.6% of tests (2.2x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
9. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 9.1% of tests (1.92x the national rate for this advisory)
10. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 4.1% of tests (1.55x the national rate for this advisory)

From 5,180 DVSA-tracked Subaru Legacy tests, 2024.

Subaru Legacy pass rate by model year

From its 2004 to its 2011 model year, the Subaru Legacy's first-time pass rate has risen 2.5 points, from 68.2% to 70.7%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each Subaru Legacy year:

• 2003 Subaru Legacy - 69% first-time pass, 210 tests
• 2004 Subaru Legacy - 68.2% first-time pass, 465 tests
• 2005 Subaru Legacy - 65.7% first-time pass, 551 tests
• 2006 Subaru Legacy - 64.6% first-time pass, 587 tests
• 2007 Subaru Legacy - 73.6% first-time pass, 443 tests
• 2008 Subaru Legacy - 65.1% first-time pass, 361 tests
• 2009 Subaru Legacy - 66.2% first-time pass, 376 tests
• 2010 Subaru Legacy - 68.1% first-time pass, 432 tests
• 2011 Subaru Legacy - 70.7% first-time pass, 430 tests
• 2012 Subaru Legacy - 74.5% first-time pass, 251 tests

Subaru Legacy by fuel type

The Subaru Legacy's two most-tested fuel types split by 6.2 points: petrol passes first time 70.3% of the time (4,363 tests) against 64.1% for diesel (761 tests).

• Petrol Subaru Legacy - 70.3% first-time pass, 4,363 tests
• Diesel Subaru Legacy - 64.1% first-time pass, 761 tests

Other Subaru models

• Subaru Impreza - 78%
• Subaru Forester - 73.5%
• Subaru Outback - 79.2%
• Subaru Xv - 83.6%
• Subaru Wrx - 90.8%
• Subaru Forester I Xe Prm Ebxr Awd Cvt - 93.8%
• Subaru Brz - 88.9%
• Subaru Levorg - 88.4%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Mercedes-Benz Vito 110 Pure Cdi - 69%
• Vauxhall Meriva - 68.9%
• Fiat Doblo - 68.9%
• Alfa Romeo Brera - 68.8%
• Vauxhall Zafira - 68.7%
• Toyota Landcruiser Colorado - 68.6%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences
• Do you need an HPI check on a car you know is a write-off?

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate