88.5%
Subaru Wrx
Subaru Wrx MOT pass rate and common problems
The Subaru Wrx passed 88.5% of its initial MOT tests in 2025, 16.2 percentage points above the 72.3% UK average. The item testers recorded most often was catalyst emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits.
Checking a specific car? Its own results, advisories and recorded mileages are in a free MOT history check.
How the Wrx compares
Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded. A car that failed and was repaired at the test station counts as a fail.
74.5%
Subaru average
72.3%
UK average, all cars
The Wrx runs 14.1 points ahead of the Subaru average. It is 1st of the 6 Subaru models in the data. The average Wrx arrived at its test 10.7 years old with 57,265 miles recorded.
A pass rate records whether cars met the roadworthiness standard on test day. It is not a reliability score, and part of any gap reflects how old the tested cars were.
Wrx MOT pass rate by age
The same 2025 tests split by the car's age at test.
Subaru Wrx cars aged 6 to 10 years passed 91.1% of MOT tests. For cars aged 11 years and over that fell to 83.1%, a drop of 8 percentage points.
| Age at test | Tests | Pass rate | vs UK average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 to 5 years (small sample) | 9 | 77.8% | 5.5 pts above |
| 6 to 10 years | 1,239 | 91.1% | 18.8 pts above |
| 11 years and over | 557 | 83.1% | 10.8 pts above |
That is a typical decline as cars age. The UK average of 72.3% covers cars of every age, so compare like with like.
Where Wrx failures cluster
Every failure item recorded on Subaru Wrx cars in 2025, grouped into the DVSA's test areas.
Noise, emissions and leaks and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment together account for 53.3% of recorded failure items. These are recorded failures across the model, not faults every car has.
The 10 most common Wrx MOT failures
Specific items recorded on Subaru Wrx cars that failed their 2025 MOT, as a share of all recorded failure items.
Together these 10 items make up 41.8% of everything testers recorded against failed Subaru Wrx cars. The rest is spread across many smaller items, and one failed test often records several at once.
What to look at on a Wrx
The recorded failures above, grouped by area, biggest first.
1
Noise, emissions and leaks
Recorded most often: catalyst emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits, catalyst emissions lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits, catalyst emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds default limits and catalyst emissions carbon monoxide content at idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits. 19.8% of failure items.
2
Tyres
Recorded most often: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm and condition has ply or cords exposed. 7.1% of failure items.
3
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Recorded most often: position lamp not working and headlamp aim too high. 7.1% of failure items.
4
Visibility
Recorded most often: wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively. 5.1% of failure items.
The car's own MOT history matters more than any model average. A free MOT history check shows whether a specific Wrx has failed on these items before, or had them noted as advisories. Buying one? See the used Subaru Wrx buying guide.
Already found one?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Subaru Wrx MOT FAQs
What is the Subaru Wrx MOT pass rate?
88.5% of Subaru Wrx cars passed their initial MOT first time in 2025, from 1,806 tests. That is 16.2 percentage points above the 72.3% average for all cars, and ranks 59th of 575 models.
What does a Subaru Wrx most commonly fail its MOT on?
The item testers recorded most often on Subaru Wrx cars failing their 2025 MOT was catalyst emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits, on 7.8% of failure items. Next were wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively (5.1%) and catalyst emissions lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (4.9%).
Which area causes the most Subaru Wrx MOT failures?
Across every recorded failure item, the largest area was noise, emissions and leaks at 30.3%, followed by lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment at 23%.
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, against 83.1% for cars aged 11 years and over.
Does this mean every Subaru Wrx has these problems?
No. These are the items testers recorded across every Subaru Wrx that failed in 2025. They show where the model most often needs attention, not the condition of any individual car.
How do I see a specific Subaru Wrx's MOT history?
Enter its registration on the free Carpeep MOT history check to see that car's own test results, failures, advisories and recorded mileages.
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025: class 4 initial tests, retests excluded, with failure items from failed tests (advisories and minor defects excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability.