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Subaru Impreza, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls

12,448 Subaru Imprezas are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 75.2% of initial MOT tests, 2.9 points above the 72.3% UK average.

Looking at a specific Impreza? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.

Subaru Impreza at the MOT

75.2% of 16,988 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the Impreza 263rd of 575 models. Subaru Imprezas aged 3 to 5 years passed 85.4% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 74.8%.

First-time pass rate, 2025

Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.

  • Subaru Impreza75.2%
  • All Subaru modelsThe Impreza is 0.7 pts ahead74.5%
  • All cars72.3%

Pass rate by age at test

Subaru Impreza tests in 2025.

  • 3 to 5 years178 tests85.4%
  • 6 to 10 years910 tests80.6%
  • 11 years and over15,893 tests74.8%

Where Imprezas fail

Share of all failure items recorded on Subaru Impreza tests in 2025.

  • Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment23.7%
  • Suspension21.8%
  • Noise, emissions and leaks18%
  • Brakes10.9%
  • Body, chassis, structure8.7%

The items testers recorded most often were component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength (6.8%), position lamp not working (4.9%) and catalyst emissions lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (3.9%).

The MOT page lists every common Impreza MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.

Full Subaru Impreza MOT record

What to look at on a viewing

The Impreza's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.

  1. Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

    Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.23.7% of Impreza failure items

  2. Suspension

    Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.21.8% of Impreza failure items

  3. Noise, emissions and leaks

    Listen for a blowing exhaust, watch for smoke on start-up and look under the car for oil or fluid leaks.18% of Impreza failure items

Subaru Imprezas in the UK

12,448 were licensed at the end of June 2026, the 2nd most of any Subaru. The number licensed has fallen 63% since the end of 2014.

Change since 2014
−63%from 34,097 licensed
Typical year of first use
2005half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2005 or earlier
First registered in 2025
149against 280 in 2018
Declared off the road
17,15158% of those registered, under SORN

Licensed Subaru Imprezas since 2014

Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.

Show the figures
DateLicensed
End of 201434,097
End of 201531,099
End of 201628,355
End of 201725,497
End of 201822,888
End of 201920,465
End of 202018,731
End of 202117,318
End of 202215,628
End of 202314,198
End of 202412,888
End of 202512,017
End of June 202612,448

How old they are

Licensed Subaru Imprezas by year of first use.

  • Licensed at the end of 2025
  • First registered that year

A further 801 were first used before 2000.

Show the figures
First usedLicensed, end 2025First registered that year
2019129256
2018168280
201778150
2016133249
2015162258
2014107
20135
201213
201179
2010544
2009482
2008650
20071,157
20061,104
20051,425
20041,128
20031,090
2002674
2001539
2000489

Impreza engine sizes

2.0 litre engines made up 71% of Subaru Impreza MOT tests in 2025, followed by 2.5 litre at 21%. Petrol accounts for 99% of licensed Imprezas.

Engine size at MOT, 2025

Share of 16,978 initial MOT tests in 2025.

  • 2.0 litre70.8%
  • 2.5 litre21.4%
  • 1.6 litre4.3%
  • 1.5 litre3.1%

Subaru Impreza recalls

14 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Subaru Impreza. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every Impreza is affected.

  1. Sep 2022 R/2022/260

    The electronic park brake connector may disconnect

    Imprezas built May 2014 to Nov 2018 · 4,769 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Remedy
    Inspect the electronic park brake connector and if necessary fit a retaining clip.

  2. Nov 2021 R/2021/353

    Potential failure of the ignition coil module causing engine stall and a none start condition

    Imprezas built Sep 2016 to Oct 2019 · 2,338 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Ignition coils may short circuit and fail.
    Remedy
    Replace all ignition coils. If a misfire DTC is stored replace the front exhaust pipe.

  3. Nov 2020 R/2020/316

    Due to improper ECM programming under certain circumstances the ignition coil may be energized longer than designed after the engine is off

    Imprezas built Sep 2016 to Oct 2019 · 2,338 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Possible engine stall and restart failure.
    Remedy
    Re-programme the engine control module and replace if required the ignition coil.

  4. Nov 2020 R/2020/315

    Brake hose fitting caulking area has insufficient sealing

    Imprezas built Jul 2016 to Aug 2018 · 585 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Vehicles are equipped with brake hose fittings with insufficient sealing.
    Remedy
    Replace affected brake hoses with a countermeasure part.

  5. Apr 2019 R/2019/106

    Silicone gas may seep into stop light switch housing and lead to a conduction failure

    Imprezas built Jun 2010 to Sep 2016 · 6,975 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The vehicle's brake lights may not operate properly.
    Remedy
    The brake light switch will be replaced on affected vehicles.

  6. Mar 2019 R/2019/025

    The load may exceed the valve spring's fatigue strength and the spring may fracture

    Imprezas built Jan 2013 to Dec 2014 · 812 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Engine valve springs may fracture.
    Remedy
    Replace all engine valve springs.

  7. Dec 2018 R/2018/326

    Mis connection of the fuel pump connector

    Imprezas built Jan 2008 to Jul 2010 · 6,649 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Fuel pump wiring poor connection.
    Remedy
    Replace fuel pump harness and inspect pump flange or damage. Replace if required.

  8. Jul 2018 R/2018/141

    Front passenger airbag inflator may rupture in a deployment event

    7,589 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Potential injury if Airbag deployed
    Remedy
    On Affected vehicles replace Airbag inflator unit
How to check a specific Impreza for recalls

Other Subaru models

The most-tested Subaru models in 2025, against the Impreza's 75.2% MOT pass rate.

All 6 Subaru models

Subaru Impreza FAQs

How many Subaru Imprezas are there in the UK?

12,448 Subaru Imprezas were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 17,151 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.

Is the Subaru Impreza reliable?

MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 75.2% first-time pass rate for the Subaru Impreza across 16,988 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.

Has the Subaru Impreza had any recalls?

14 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Subaru Impreza. The most recent was published in September 2022. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.

What should I check before buying a used Subaru Impreza?

On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, suspension and noise, emissions and leaks. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.

How do I check a Subaru Impreza's history?

Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.

Already found an Impreza?

Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.

Across the 1,548 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Subaru history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Subaru VIN check.

  • Outstanding finance
  • Write-off records
  • Stolen markers
  • Mileage history
  • Previous keepers

MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to October 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.