Know Your MOT
29.9%fail rate

Subaru Justy common MOT failures and failure rate

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

Based on 51,935 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 29.9% of MOT tests recorded on the Subaru Justy in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.

Its most common failure is suspension, which makes up 35.2% of the Subaru Justy's failures, followed by suspension, brakes, lamps & electrical, exhaust & emissions. 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

Suspension35.2% 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.

Brakes25.5% 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.

Lamps & electrical24.9% 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.

Exhaust & emissions21.7% 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.

Tyres19.4% of failures

Tyres fail for tread below the 1.6mm legal limit across the central three-quarters, uneven or exposed-cord wear, or sidewall damage. The tester inspects all four; a single illegal tyre is a fail.

Visibility/wipers13.2% 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.

Failure rate by year

How the MOT failure rate varies by the car's year of first registration (older examples generally fail more as wear sets in).

199034.4% fail · 948 tests
199135.3% fail · 1,335 tests
199237.9% fail · 1,681 tests
199336.3% fail · 1,883 tests
199436.8% fail · 2,243 tests
199536.1% fail · 2,319 tests
199631.9% fail · 5,101 tests
199732.0% fail · 6,266 tests
199831.6% fail · 5,863 tests
199931.7% fail · 3,804 tests
200031.5% fail · 3,618 tests
200128.9% fail · 1,769 tests
200722.6% fail · 1,272 tests
200821.2% fail · 6,154 tests
200921.3% fail · 5,175 tests
201022.4% fail · 952 tests

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 suspension failure: Subaru Justy suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Subaru Justy suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Subaru Justy suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Subaru Justy brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Subaru Justy brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Subaru Justy brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the lamps & electrical failure: Subaru Justy headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Subaru Justy headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Subaru Justy headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the exhaust & emissions failure: Subaru Justy exhaustSearch Amazon for Subaru Justy exhaustaffiliate searchFind Subaru Justy exhaust on eBayaffiliate
For the tyres failure: Subaru Justy tyresSearch Amazon for Subaru Justy tyresaffiliate searchFind Subaru Justy tyres on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Subaru Justy wiper bladesSearch Amazon for Subaru Justy wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind Subaru Justy wiper blades 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 · DVSA MOT testing data for Great Britain