Does the Subaru Legacy fail the MOT on tyres more than it should?
The Subaru Legacy records 9.07 tyres failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 10.01 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−0.94, 95% interval −1.25 to −0.64). It ranks 401 of 751 models on tyres (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on tyres · check a Subaru Legacy by registration
What exactly fails on tyres?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Subaru Legacy is “A tyre seriously damaged”, recorded 1,522 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A tyre seriously damaged | 1,522 | 3.58 |
| Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 1,012 | 2.38 |
| A tyre cords visible or damaged | 914 | 2.15 |
| Tyre obviously under inflated | 100 | 0.24 |
| A tyre has a lump, bulge or tear caused by separation or partial failure of its structure. This includes any lifting of the tread rubber | 73 | 0.17 |
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 tyres advisory, how often does it fail next time?
10.9% of Subaru Legacy MOTs with a tyres advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12.1 months and 5,320 miles later (6,587 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 6,587 (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 Legacy 2000 · Subaru Legacy 2001 · Subaru Legacy 2002 · Subaru Legacy 2003 · Subaru Legacy 2004 · Subaru Legacy 2005 · Subaru Legacy 2006 · Subaru Legacy 2007 · Subaru Legacy 2008 · Subaru Legacy 2009 · Subaru Legacy 2010 · Subaru Legacy 2011 · Subaru Legacy 2012 · Subaru Legacy 2013 · Subaru Legacy in Norway · Subaru Legacy in Finland · Subaru Legacy in the Netherlands · Subaru Legacy by postcode area · Subaru Legacy body, chassis and structure failures · Subaru Legacy brakes failures · Subaru Legacy vehicle identification failures · Subaru Legacy lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Subaru Legacy noise, emissions and leaks failures · Subaru Legacy road wheels failures · Subaru Legacy seat belts and airbags failures · Subaru Legacy steering failures · Subaru Legacy suspension failures · Subaru Legacy visibility failures