MOT cost .

Subaru

Outback

8,608 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where Outbacks pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 2.4 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,988 tracked models — a confident result.

Pass

78.2%

Pass-after-fix

3.9%

Fail

17.4%

Avg miles

89,326

Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%

The picture

Outback: middle-of-the-pack on first-time pass

Across 8,608 MOT tests, the Outback returns 78.2% first-time pass — roughly in line with the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a number-plate lamp out. Windscreen damage and a defective headlamp lens round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 89,326, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.

Top ten reasons for rejection.

  1. 01

    A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources

    372 occurrences · 4.3% of tests

  2. 02

    Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

    287 occurrences · 3.3% of tests

  3. 03

    Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective

    221 occurrences · 2.6% of tests

  4. 04

    a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

    218 occurrences · 2.5% of tests

  5. 05

    A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning

    216 occurrences · 2.5% of tests

  6. 06

    A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

    154 occurrences · 1.8% of tests

  7. 07

    A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated

    152 occurrences · 1.8% of tests

  8. 08

    Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

    140 occurrences · 1.6% of tests

  9. 09

    A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc

    140 occurrences · 1.6% of tests

  10. 10

    A tyre seriously damaged

    126 occurrences · 1.5% of tests

Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.

Worst-case fix budget · top 3 failures

£98–£275

If every one of this Outback's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →

Try the calculator

Build your own retest budget.

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.

Item 01 · Amazon UK

H7 / W21W bulb pack

A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.

Search Amazon UK

Item 02 · Amazon UK

Headlight restoration kit

Yellowed lenses fail the light-output test. A restoration kit lifts the haze in an afternoon for £20.

Search Amazon UK

Item 03 · Amazon UK

Brake pad measurement gauge

Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.

Search Amazon UK

Buying or keeping a Outback?

Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.

If you own a Outback and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.