How reliable is the Subaru Brz compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Subaru Brz, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 83.8% across 917 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Subaru Brz?

The item recorded most often is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", which appears in 23.6% of failed Subaru Brz tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a Subaru Brz?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 14.6% of all Subaru Brz tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Subaru Brz usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 53,295 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Which Subaru Brz years are the most reliable?

Going by MOT pass rate, Subaru Brz cars first registered 2017–2019 do best at 88.2%, and those registered 2011–2013 do worst at 79.4%. But that ordering is mostly age, not build year: almost every model passes less often as it wears, so the newest cars top this list whatever they are. A specific year looking strong here means little on its own; the failure items above, and the individual car's own MOT history, tell you far more.

Does a Subaru Brz get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 6 to 8 years old, 88.2% of Subaru Brz tests pass. By 12 to 14 years, that falls to 79.4%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Model reliability file

Subaru Brz MOT pass rate & common failures

From 917 recorded MOT tests of the Subaru Brz, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 917 MOT tests, 83.8% of Subaru Brz tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Subaru Brz fleet does not yet cover a wide enough spread of ages and distances to compare it fairly against other models. Its most commonly recorded failure is tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, which appears in 23.6% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 53,295 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

83.8%unadjusted, not comparable917 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the Brz. The examples tested do not cover a wide enough spread of ages and mileages to compare it fairly, and an unadjusted pass rate mostly sorts models by how recently they were bought rather than how well they were built. The failure and advisory patterns below come from the same 917 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Subaru Brz tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements23.6%
30 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer9.4%
12 occurrencesEmissions above the permitted limit explained
3.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen9.4%
12 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
4.A tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative7.9%
10 occurrencesTyre pressure monitoring system inoperative explained
5.A tyre seriously damaged7.1%
9 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
6.Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen7.1%
9 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
7.Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution5.5%
7 occurrencesBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
8.A wheel bearing excessively rough5.5%
7 occurrencesWheel bearing has excessive play or is rough explained
9.Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn5.5%
7 occurrencesBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
10.A tyre cords visible or damaged4.7%
6 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Subaru Brz tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements14.6%
134 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A tyre seriously damaged12.1%
111 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
3.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured10.8%
99 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
4.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm6.3%
58 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
5.Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake3.3%
30 testsBrake binding or imbalanced across an axle explained
6.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened2.9%
27 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained
7.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements2.0%
18 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
8.Number plate inscription missing or illegible1.5%
14 testsRegistration plate missing, insecure or illegible explained

The rest of the record

Everything else recorded on the Subaru Brz

The 19 other defects testers recorded on this model, beyond the most common listed above. Each links to what it means and what it takes to put right.

How wear changes the picture

Brz pass rate by age and registration year

How often the Subaru Brz passes at each age, with the years those cars were first registered. Tests are from 2025, so a car aged 6 to 8 was first used in 2017–2019.

6–8 yrsreg. 2017–201988%

9–11 yrsreg. 2014–201682%

12–14 yrsreg. 2011–201379%

Read this as an age curve rather than a verdict on particular model years. Nearly every car passes less often as it gets older, so a newer Brz outscoring an older one says more about wear than about how that year’s cars were built. Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The Brz fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 53,295
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol100.0%

Trim names grouped into this model (2)

Recorded exactly as DVSA holds them. Trim-level names are rolled up so one model is not split across a dozen thin pages.

BRZ SE LUX LTD
BRZ SE LUX LTD AUTO

Check a specific Subaru Brz

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Subaru models

Subaru Impreza — 78.5% adjusted
Subaru Forester — 75.1% adjusted
Subaru Outback — 77.2% adjusted
Subaru XV — 78.6% adjusted
Subaru Legacy — 64.3% unadjusted
Subaru Wrx — 89.0% unadjusted
All Subaru models

Common questions

How reliable is the Subaru Brz compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Subaru Brz, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 83.8% across 917 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Subaru Brz?: The item recorded most often is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", which appears in 23.6% of failed Subaru Brz tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Subaru Brz?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 14.6% of all Subaru Brz tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Subaru Brz usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 53,295 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.
Which Subaru Brz years are the most reliable?: Going by MOT pass rate, Subaru Brz cars first registered 2017–2019 do best at 88.2%, and those registered 2011–2013 do worst at 79.4%. But that ordering is mostly age, not build year: almost every model passes less often as it wears, so the newest cars top this list whatever they are. A specific year looking strong here means little on its own; the failure items above, and the individual car's own MOT history, tell you far more.
Does a Subaru Brz get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 6 to 8 years old, 88.2% of Subaru Brz tests pass. By 12 to 14 years, that falls to 79.4%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. No adjusted rate is shown because this model's tested examples do not cover enough of the national age and mileage range for standardisation to mean anything.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.