Know Your MOT
23.9%fail rate

Subaru Imprezer common MOT failures and failure rate

What a Subaru Imprezer fails its MOT on, from real DVSA test data, and the part that resolves each item.

Based on 67 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 23.9% of MOT tests recorded on the Subaru Imprezer in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.

Its most common failure is exhaust & emissions, which makes up 43.8% of the Subaru Imprezer's failures, followed by exhaust & emissions, lamps & electrical, visibility/wipers, brakes. Each item below links to the part that resolves it. Confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying, and have safety-critical work done by a competent mechanic.

What it fails on, and why

Exhaust & emissions43.8% of failures

Exhaust failures cover leaks, insecure mountings and emissions over the limit. A blowing exhaust, a failed lambda reading or a diesel that smokes beyond the limit will fail.

Lamps & electrical25.0% of failures

Lighting is the single most common MOT failure and the cheapest to put right. A blown headlight, brake-light or number-plate bulb, a cracked lens, or a headlamp beam that points too high or low will all fail. Most are a two-minute bulb swap.

Visibility/wipers18.8% of failures

Visibility failures include torn or smearing wiper blades, a washer jet that does not reach the screen, and chips or cracks in the driver's swept area. Blades and washer fluid are quick, cheap fixes.

Brakes12.5% of failures

Brake failures cover worn pads and discs, an imbalance between wheels, corroded or scored discs, or a binding caliper. Braking efficiency is measured on a rolling road, so a spongy or pulling brake shows up as a low reading.

Suspension12.5% of failures

Suspension failures usually mean a worn or snapped coil spring, a leaking shock absorber, or play in a lower arm ball joint or bush. The tester checks for corrosion, fractures and excessive movement. A broken front spring is one of the most common failures on higher-mileage cars and is a straightforward replacement.

Seat belts6.2% of failures

Seat-belt failures are frays, cuts, corroded anchorages, or a belt that will not lock under a sharp pull or retract properly.

The parts that fix each

If your car has just failed, you have 10 working days to fix the items and get a free partial retest. These are the usual parts; confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying.

For the exhaust & emissions failure: Subaru Imprezer exhaustSearch Amazon for Subaru Imprezer exhaustaffiliate searchFind Subaru Imprezer exhaust on eBayaffiliate
For the lamps & electrical failure: Subaru Imprezer headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Subaru Imprezer headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Subaru Imprezer headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Subaru Imprezer wiper bladesSearch Amazon for Subaru Imprezer wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind Subaru Imprezer wiper blades on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Subaru Imprezer brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Subaru Imprezer brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Subaru Imprezer brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Subaru Imprezer suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Subaru Imprezer suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Subaru Imprezer suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the seat belts failure: Subaru Imprezer seat beltsSearch Amazon for Subaru Imprezer seat beltsaffiliate searchFind Subaru Imprezer seat belts on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Subaru Impreza MOT failures24.4% failure rateSubaru Forester MOT failures23.6% failure rateSubaru Legacy MOT failures27.5% failure rateFord Fiesta MOT failures27.1% failure rate

Sources: DVSA MOT History API: MOT test results and defect data ยท DVSA MOT testing data for Great Britain