Subaru XV, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
7,205 Subaru XVs are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 80.8% of initial MOT tests, 8.5 points above the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific XV? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Subaru XV at the MOT
80.8% of 6,950 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the XV 186th of 575 models. Subaru XVs aged 3 to 5 years passed 91.6% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 65.3%.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Pass rate by age at test
Subaru XV tests in 2025.
Where XVs fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Subaru XV tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were ball joint excessively worn (8.8%), position lamp not working (8.1%) and pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn (7.7%).
The MOT page lists every common XV MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The XV's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.27.2% of XV failure items
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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.27% of XV failure items
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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.17.5% of XV failure items
Subaru XVs in the UK
7,205 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has grown 299% since the end of 2014, although it peaked at 7,458 at the end of 2023.
- Change since 2014
- +299%from 1,806 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2018half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2018 or earlier
- First registered in 2025
- 1against 1,132 in 2018
- Declared off the road
- 1662.3% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Subaru XVs since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 1,806 |
| End of 2015 | 2,420 |
| End of 2016 | 3,178 |
| End of 2017 | 3,745 |
| End of 2018 | 4,798 |
| End of 2019 | 5,670 |
| End of 2020 | 6,066 |
| End of 2021 | 6,676 |
| End of 2022 | 6,961 |
| End of 2023 | 7,458 |
| End of 2024 | 7,405 |
| End of 2025 | 7,268 |
| End of June 2026 | 7,205 |
How old they are
Licensed Subaru XVs by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
A further 2 were first used before 2012.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 13 | 17 |
| 2023 | 527 | 574 |
| 2022 | 371 | 392 |
| 2021 | 552 | 589 |
| 2020 | 318 | 340 |
| 2019 | 925 | 961 |
| 2018 | 1,071 | 1,132 |
| 2017 | 589 | 624 |
| 2016 | 710 | 753 |
| 2015 | 593 | 660 |
| 2014 | 583 | |
| 2013 | 530 | |
| 2012 | 471 |
593 XVs first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 90% of the 660 first registered that year.
XV engines and fuel
2.0 litre engines made up 91% of Subaru XV MOT tests in 2025, followed by 1.6 litre at 9.2%. Petrol accounts for 55% of licensed XVs and hybrid electric for 24%.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 6,950 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed XVs
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 3,988 | 55% |
| Diesel | 1,490 | 21% |
| Hybrid electric | 1,725 | 24% |
| Gas | 2 | <0.1% |
Subaru XV recalls
7 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Subaru XV. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every XV is affected.
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Sep 2022 R/2022/260
The electronic park brake connector may disconnect
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- Inspect the electronic park brake connector and if necessary fit a retaining clip.
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Nov 2021 R/2021/353
Potential failure of the ignition coil module causing engine stall and a none start condition
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.
-
Nov 2021 R/2021/352
The bolts of the rear stabiliser bracket might become loose
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The bolts on the rear stabilizer bracket might become loose.
- Remedy
- Inspect the bolts and tighten them to the specified torque. If the bolt(s) are missing new bolts will be attached.
-
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
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Possible engine stall and restart failure.
- Remedy
- Re-programme the engine control module and replace if required the ignition coil.
-
Nov 2020 R/2020/315
Brake hose fitting caulking area has insufficient sealing
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Vehicles are equipped with brake hose fittings with insufficient sealing.
- Remedy
- Replace affected brake hoses with a countermeasure part.
-
Apr 2019 R/2019/106
Silicone gas may seep into stop light switch housing and lead to a conduction failure
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The vehicle's brake lights may not operate properly.
- Remedy
- The brake light switch will be replaced on affected vehicles.
-
Mar 2019 R/2019/025
The load may exceed the valve spring's fatigue strength and the spring may fracture
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Engine valve springs may fracture.
- Remedy
- Replace all engine valve springs.
Other Subaru models
The most-tested Subaru models in 2025, against the XV's 80.8% MOT pass rate.
Subaru XV FAQs
How many Subaru XVs are there in the UK?
7,205 Subaru XVs were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 166 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Subaru XV 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 80.8% first-time pass rate for the Subaru XV across 6,950 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Subaru XV had any recalls?
7 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Subaru XV. 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 XV?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: suspension, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and brakes. 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 XV'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 XV?
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.