Is the Subaru Forester reliable?

On MOT evidence the Subaru Forester is above average. It passes 75.1% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 110 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.

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

The item recorded most often is "A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn", which appears in 16.9% of failed Subaru Forester 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 Forester?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 20.4% of all Subaru Forester tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

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

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 89,634 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.

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

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 90.1% of Subaru Forester tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 61.0%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Are most Subaru Forester models petrol or diesel?

Of the Subaru Forester cars tested, 63% are petrol, 25% are diesel, 11% are hybrid. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Subaru Forester MOT pass rate & common failures

From 15,055 recorded MOT tests of the Subaru Forester, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

The Subaru Forester passes 75.1% of MOT tests once results are adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, against a national average of 72.3%. That is above average, ranking it 110 of 262 models with enough data to compare fairly. Based on 15,055 tests. Its most commonly recorded failure is suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, which appears in 16.9% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 89,634 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage

75.1%national average72.3%unadjusted70.9%range covered96%rank110 of 262

The Forester is 2.8 percentage points above the national pass rate once age and mileage are accounted for, which is above average. The unadjusted figure is 70.9%; the difference is what the age and mileage of this model’s fleet was hiding.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

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

1.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn16.9%
610 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
2.The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired11.7%
422 occurrencesSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
3.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn10.6%
382 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
4.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning10.5%
377 occurrencesLamp not working explained
5.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened10.0%
360 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
6.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm8.6%
308 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
7.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen8.4%
301 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
8.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements7.4%
268 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
9.A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc7.2%
258 occurrencesSuspension joint dust cover missing or split explained
10.Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction7.2%
258 occurrencesEngine management light on, or not working explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Subaru Forester 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 requirements20.4%
3,066 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn20.2%
3,034 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
3.A tyre seriously damaged13.7%
2,060 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
4.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured12.2%
1,830 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
5.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm11.2%
1,689 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
6.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded7.2%
1,080 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
7.A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded5.8%
880 testsSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
8.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn5.3%
798 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained

How wear changes the picture

Pass rate by vehicle age

3–5 yrs90%

6–8 yrs85%

9–11 yrs72%

12–14 yrs65%

15+ yrs61%

Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The Forester fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 89,634
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol63.3%
Diesel25.1%
Hybrid11.4%

Trim names grouped into this model (12)

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

FORESTER I SPORT EBXR AWD CVT
FORESTER I XE E BOXER AWD CVT
FORESTER I XE PRM EBXR AWD CVT
FORESTER S
FORESTER S TURBO AWD AUTO
FORESTER XE
FORESTER XE AUTO
FORESTER XS
FORESTER XS AUTO
FORESTER XS BOXER DIESEL
FORESTER XS NAVPLUS BOX DIESEL
FORESTER XS NAVPLUS D

Check a specific Subaru Forester

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 Outback — 77.2% adjusted
Subaru XV — 78.6% adjusted
Subaru Legacy — 64.3% unadjusted
Subaru Wrx — 89.0% unadjusted
Subaru Brz — 83.8% unadjusted
All Subaru models

Similar test volumes

Compare against other makes

Dacia Logan — 72.6% adjusted, ranked 136
Citroen Relay — 68.6% adjusted, ranked 188
Lexus IS — 84.3% adjusted, ranked 25
Porsche Cayman — 87.2% adjusted, ranked 12

Common questions

Is the Subaru Forester reliable?: On MOT evidence the Subaru Forester is above average. It passes 75.1% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 110 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Subaru Forester?: The item recorded most often is "A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn", which appears in 16.9% of failed Subaru Forester 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 Forester?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 20.4% of all Subaru Forester tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Subaru Forester usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 89,634 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.
Does a Subaru Forester get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 90.1% of Subaru Forester tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 61.0%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.
Are most Subaru Forester models petrol or diesel?: Of the Subaru Forester cars tested, 63% are petrol, 25% are diesel, 11% are hybrid. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

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. The adjusted rate is directly standardised across twenty-five age and mileage bands and reweighted onto the national distribution, so this model is compared against cars that have lived a similar life rather than against a younger or lighter-used fleet.

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.