Subaru Wrx: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Subaru Wrx passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 14.1 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 1,690 individual Subaru Wrx tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 90.8% first-time pass rate means roughly 9 in every 100 Subaru Wrx presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is better than average, so a well-kept example is a reasonably safe used buy. The average Subaru Wrx tested had covered 52,384 miles and was built around 2015.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Subaru Wrx sits 14.1 points above the national average, ranked 576 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, the mechanical side is less likely to spring surprises, so your repair estimate should hold up reasonably well.

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 Wrx 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 Wrx at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Subaru Wrx

1. Emissions levels exceed default limits, 1.8% of tests (5.19x the national rate for this defect)
2. Emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits, 1.1% of tests (4.14x the national rate for this defect)
3. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 1.1% of tests
4. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 0.9% of tests
5. Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer, 0.8% of tests (1.63x the national rate for this defect)
6. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 0.7% of tests
7. A tyre seriously damaged, 0.7% of tests
8. A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 0.6% of tests
9. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 0.5% of tests
10. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 0.5% of tests

From 1,687 DVSA-tracked Subaru Wrx tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 4.3% of these flagged Subaru Wrx defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Subaru Wrx

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 Wrx before it actually fails on it.

1. Exhaust noise levels in excess of those permitted, 1.1% of tests (18.41x the national rate for this advisory)
2. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 16.5% of tests, also fails
3. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 6.2% of tests, also fails
4. A tyre seriously damaged, 5.6% of tests, also fails
5. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 4.7% of tests
6. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 4.2% of tests
7. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 3% of tests, also fails
8. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 2% of tests
9. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 2% of tests
10. A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded, 1.1% of tests

From 1,687 DVSA-tracked Subaru Wrx tests, 2024.

Subaru Wrx pass rate by model year

From its 2014 to its 2017 model year, the Subaru Wrx's first-time pass rate has risen 1.2 points, from 91.3% to 92.5%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each Subaru Wrx year:

• 2014 Subaru Wrx - 91.3% first-time pass, 343 tests
• 2015 Subaru Wrx - 92.7% first-time pass, 274 tests
• 2016 Subaru Wrx - 92.6% first-time pass, 326 tests
• 2017 Subaru Wrx - 92.5% first-time pass, 306 tests

Other Subaru models

• Subaru Impreza - 78%
• Subaru Forester - 73.5%
• Subaru Outback - 79.2%
• Subaru Xv - 83.6%
• Subaru Legacy - 68.8%
• Subaru Forester I Xe Prm Ebxr Awd Cvt - 93.8%
• Subaru Brz - 88.9%
• Subaru Levorg - 88.4%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Porsche Taycan 4s 93kwh - 90.8%
• Peugeot 208 GT Puretech S/S - 90.8%
• Volvo Xc40 Rdesign Pro T5 Recharge A - 90.8%
• Jaguar F-Pace R-Dynam Se D Mhev Awd A - 90.8%
• Jaguar E-Type - 90.8%
• Skoda Superb Se L Tsi S-A - 90.8%

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