Petrol Subaru Outback: MOT pass rate

80.2% of petrol Subaru Outbacks pass the MOT first time, measured across 4,709 DVSA tests on that fuel type alone. Average mileage at test was 82,966.

Petrol against the other Subaru Outback versions

Fuel Pass rate Tests
Petrol 80.2% 4,709
Diesel 78.4% 2,478
All Subaru Outback79.6%7,200

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 Outback specifically, petrol is the strongest at 80.2%, and this petrol version sits 0.6 points above the 79.6% 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 Outback had covered 82,966 miles at test, against 100,067 for the diesel. That is above average, the point where suspension bushes, drop links and exhaust corrosion start showing up as advisories before they become failures.

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 Outback page separate age from fuel if you want to isolate one.

Other Subaru Outback fuel types

All Subaru Outback MOT data · Every model