Does the Subaru Legacy fail the MOT on suspension more than it should?
The Subaru Legacy records 27.86 suspension failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 26.49 expected for a car of the same age mix: more than expected for its class and age (+1.37, 95% interval +0.87 to +1.87). It ranks 214 of 701 models on suspension (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on suspension · check a Subaru Legacy by registration
What exactly fails on suspension?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Subaru Legacy is “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn”, recorded 5,616 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 5,616 | 13.23 |
| The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired | 1,764 | 4.15 |
| A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated | 955 | 2.25 |
| A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 723 | 1.70 |
| A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened | 646 | 1.52 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 42,459 (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 Legacy gets a suspension advisory, how often does it fail next time?
21.4% of Subaru Legacy MOTs with a suspension advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12.1 months and 4,884 miles later (10,685 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 10,685 (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
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