88.5%
Subaru Wrx pass rate
Used Subaru Wrx buying guide
In 2025, Subaru Wrx cars passed 88.5% of 1,806 initial MOT tests, 16.2 points above the 72.3% UK average. Here is where it fails and what to check before you buy.
Looking at a specific Wrx? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Subaru Wrx MOT record in brief
Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded.
72.3%
UK average, all cars
+16.2
percentage points above average
Ranked on pass rate the Wrx sits 59th of 575 models in the data. Subaru as a brand averaged 74.5%, so this model runs 14.1 points ahead of its own brand. Subaru Wrx cars aged 6 to 10 years passed 91.1% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 83.1%.
A pass rate is not a reliability score. The full Subaru Wrx MOT record has the pass rate by age, every common failure and how the Wrx compares with similar cars.
Wrx fuel types
Petrol was the most common fuel among Subaru Wrx cars tested in 2025. None of the tested examples were diesel.
Where the Wrx fails its MOT
Where Subaru Wrx cars that failed their 2025 MOT were marked down, as a share of all recorded failure items.
The specific items testers recorded most often were catalyst emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits (7.8%), wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively (5.1%) and catalyst emissions lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (4.9%). See every common Wrx MOT failure.
These are DVSA failure records across every Subaru Wrx that failed, not a claim that every Wrx has these problems.
What should you check when buying a used Wrx?
The areas above, most common first, and what an MOT tester looks at in each.
1
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. 30.3% of Wrx failure items.
2
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% of Wrx failure items.
3
Tyres
Check tread depth across the full width of every tyre (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear. 12.5% of Wrx failure items.
4
Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing. 9.1% of Wrx failure items.
5
Visibility
Check the windscreen for chips or cracks in the driver's view, and that the wipers and washers clear it properly. 7.3% of Wrx failure items.
None of this replaces the car's own record. Run a free MOT history check on the registration to see every test, advisory and recorded mileage for that car.
What the MOT record doesn't tell you
Knowing Subaru Wrx failures cluster around noise, emissions and leaks and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment tells you what to inspect. It tells you nothing about whether the car is safe to buy. An MOT does not show money still owed on the car, a write-off, a theft record or a clocked odometer.
Check the exact Wrx you are looking at. One £15 report, instant results, backed by a £30,000 data guarantee. More on the Subaru history check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
Other used Subaru models
The most-tested Subaru models in 2025, with how their MOT pass rate compares with the Wrx.
Used Subaru Wrx FAQs
Is the Subaru Wrx 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 an 88.5% first-time pass rate for the Subaru Wrx across 1,806 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Do older Subaru Wrx cars fail their MOT more often?
Subaru Wrx cars aged 6 to 10 years passed 91.1% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 83.1%. On an older example, the car's own MOT history tells you more than the model average.
What should I check before buying a used Subaru Wrx?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: noise, emissions and leaks, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and tyres. Then check the individual car's history: outstanding finance, insurance write-off records, stolen markers, mileage and previous keepers. None of these appear in the MOT record or on the V5C.
How do I check a Subaru Wrx'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.
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability.