2021 Subaru Outback: MOT pass rate and reliability

93.8% of 2021 Subaru Outbacks pass the MOT first time, measured across 433 DVSA tests on that model year alone. The average one had covered 28,591 miles.

How the 2021 compares

  • Against all Subaru Outbacks (79.6%, 7,200 tests): +14.2 points
  • Against all 2021 cars (90%): +3.8 points
  • National first-time pass rate, all cars and years: 77%

Every Subaru Outback model year

Pass rates fall as cars age, so the only fair comparison for a 2021 car is other cars of the same age. The full run for the Subaru Outback:

Year Pass rate Tests Avg mileage
2005 59.9% 257 131,476
2006 64.2% 372 129,363
2007 63.3% 346 124,868
2008 63.7% 201 121,256
2009 70% 287 114,242
2010 71.4% 440 123,564
2011 74.9% 458 115,748
2012 67.9% 246 110,890
2013 73.9% 238 99,755
2014 82.7% 226 100,934
2015 81.5% 774 87,340
2016 88.5% 747 76,113
2017 89.9% 466 62,491
2018 89.3% 646 52,059
2019 90.5% 592 40,675
2020 91.7% 252 34,514
2021 93.8% 433 28,591

What this means if you are buying a 2021 Outback

The 2021 is one of the stronger years for this model, passing 14.2 points more often than the Subaru Outback average. That is a point in its favour, though condition and service history still matter more than the model year. Check the exact car with the free MOT history checker before you buy, and run its VIN and mileage through our free VIN decoder and clocking check.

What a 5-year-old car fails on

A 2021 car is 5 years old now, and age drives the failure mix more than the badge does. Across all cars tested, these are the categories that actually cause failures:

  • Lights and electrical: 10.36% of all cars tested
  • Suspension: 8.65% of all cars tested
  • Tyres: 6.23% of all cars tested
  • Brakes: 6.1% of all cars tested
  • Visibility: wipers, washers, glass: 4.65% of all cars tested
  • Body, chassis and structure: 3.18% of all cars tested

That is low mileage, which usually means light urban use. Short journeys are harder on batteries, brakes and exhausts than motorway miles, so do not assume low miles means low wear. On a 2021 Subaru Outback the average at test was 28,591 miles, so treat anything far above that as a car that has worked harder than its peers, and anything far below as one worth checking for the faults that come from standing still.

2021 is the strongest year on record for this model at 93.8%, ahead of every other year we hold data for.

Nearby model years

All Subaru Outback MOT data · Every model