Petrol Subaru Legacy: MOT pass rate

70.3% of petrol Subaru Legacies pass the MOT first time, measured across 4,363 DVSA tests on that fuel type alone. Average mileage at test was 112,035.

Petrol against the other Subaru Legacy versions

Fuel Pass rate Tests
Petrol 70.3% 4,363
Diesel 64.1% 761
All Subaru Legacy69.4%5,139

Why the fuel type changes the number

Petrol cars avoid the DPF and emissions failures that catch diesels, and usually fail on the same consumables as any other car.

On the Subaru Legacy specifically, petrol is the strongest at 70.3%, and this petrol version sits 0.9 points above the 69.4% model average.

What it means if you are buying one

There is little to choose between fuel types on this model, so decide on running costs and mileage rather than MOT record. Check the exact car, decode the VIN and check the mileage before you bid.

Mileage is part of the answer

The average petrol Subaru Legacy had covered 112,035 miles at test, against 114,746 for the diesel. That is high mileage, so timing belts, clutches, suspension bushes and corrosion are the items worth budgeting for rather than the MOT itself.

Fuel type and mileage are tangled together: diesels are usually bought by higher-mileage drivers, so some of any gap between fuels is the miles rather than the engine. The per-year figures on the Subaru Legacy page separate age from fuel if you want to isolate one.

Other Subaru Legacy fuel types

All Subaru Legacy MOT data · Every model