Subaru Forester: the report card
What 32.8 million MOT tests and five years of police collision records say about the Subaru Forester — reliability at the test bay and what happens to the people inside when things go wrong.
The short answer
The Subaru Forester passes its MOT first time 68.6% of the time — worse than the 71.4% national average, across 15,376 official tests.
68.6%
MOT first-time pass rate (15,376 tests)
-2.8pp
vs the national average of 71.4%
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Not enough collision data for a safety grade
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Occupant-outcome ranking unavailable
Subaru Forester MOT pass rate by year
Takeaway: the Subaru Forester’s pass rate has held steady over the period (best year 2022 at 70.3%). Buying used? Budget for pre-MOT checks — brakes, suspension and tyres are the usual culprits.
First-time pass rate among class 4 normal tests. National average 71.4% (2023).
Reading the Subaru Forester’s numbers
The Subaru Forester fails its MOT first time more often than the average UK car — 68.6% pass against 71.4% nationally, across 15,376 real tests. Budget for pre-MOT checks, particularly on older examples. Pass rates reflect the age and upkeep of the cars tested as well as the design — an older fleet drags a model’s rate down.
Full methodology, source files and downloadable data: how we build these numbers. Compare every model on the MOT pass-rate table and the safety grades table.
Keep this car on your driveway
If it has keyless entry, it can be relay-stolen from your hallway in under a minute — and dashcam footage settles the liability disputes that cost owners their excess. Each guide explains the exact problem it solves.
Our pick · best £-for-risk
Faraday key box / pouch
Keyless 'relay' theft is the fastest-growing way cars are stolen — thieves amplify your fob's signal from outside the house. A signal-blocking box kills it dead.
from ~£10 · Full guide →
Steering wheel lock
A visible deterrent that works: thieves at a car park choose the car without one. Sold Secure Diamond-rated bars resist attack for minutes thieves don't have.
~£40–£70 · Full guide →
Dashcam (parking mode)
Evidence for theft attempts, vandalism and car-park hits while parked — and after a collision, footage that turns a 50/50 liability dispute into a clear non-fault claim.
~£50–£150 · Full guide →
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