Does the Subaru Forester fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The Subaru Forester records 1.47 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 3.74 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−2.27, 95% interval −2.38 to −2.15). It ranks 502 of 640 models on steering (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on steering · check a Subaru Forester by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Subaru Forester is “Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated”, recorded 558 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 558 | 0.54 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 466 | 0.45 |
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 199 | 0.19 |
| Power steering fluid leaking or system malfunctioning | 129 | 0.12 |
| Steering linkage retaining or locking device missing or ineffective | 51 | 0.05 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 104,014 (initial tests) · Method: failure items (major and minor) grouped by DVSA's defect tree; wordings with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
If a Subaru Forester gets a steering advisory, how often does it fail next time?
8.6% of Subaru Forester MOTs with a steering advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 6,768 miles later (620 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 620 (advisories followed) · Method: the same vehicles followed to their next ordinary MOT · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Other pages for this model
Subaru Forester 1999 · Subaru Forester 2000 · Subaru Forester 2001 · Subaru Forester 2002 · Subaru Forester 2003 · Subaru Forester 2004 · Subaru Forester 2005 · Subaru Forester 2006 · Subaru Forester 2007 · Subaru Forester 2008 · Subaru Forester 2009 · Subaru Forester 2010 · Subaru Forester 2011 · Subaru Forester 2012 · Subaru Forester 2013 · Subaru Forester 2014 · Subaru Forester 2015 · Subaru Forester 2016 · Subaru Forester 2017 · Subaru Forester 2018 · Subaru Forester 2019 · Subaru Forester 2020 · Subaru Forester in Norway · Subaru Forester in Finland · Subaru Forester in the Netherlands · Subaru Forester by postcode area · Subaru Forester body, chassis and structure failures · Subaru Forester brakes failures · Subaru Forester vehicle identification failures · Subaru Forester lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Subaru Forester noise, emissions and leaks failures · Subaru Forester road wheels failures · Subaru Forester seat belts and airbags failures · Subaru Forester suspension failures · Subaru Forester tyres failures · Subaru Forester visibility failures