Model Reports 8 min read Updated 11 Sep 2026 DVSA open data · 1,967 tests analysed

Subaru Impreza 2005: reliability & common MOT faults

495 first-attempt MOT failures were recorded on the 2005 Subaru Impreza in 2025. Figures are among first-attempt failed MOT tests, not among all tests.

Catalyst emissions was the most common reason a 2005 Impreza failed its MOT — 21.8% of its failed first attempts.

First-attempt pass

74.8%

of 1,967 first tests (2025)

First tests

1,967

test year 2025

Failed first attempts

495

failed first-attempt tests

MOT pass rates

First-attempt and official-style rates among class 4 first tests of the year.

First-attempt pass

74.8%

of 1,967 first tests (2025)

Official-style pass

78.8%

incl. same-day PRS fixes

First tests

1,967

class 4 · first MOT of the year

Typical age 20.0 yrs · median mileage 103,418 mi

vs 2024: +0.8 pp first-attempt

Note:

  • Class 4 cars · first MOT of the year per vehicle · P/PRS/F outcomes (2025 data).
  • PRS (fixed at the station the same day) counts as a fail in the first-attempt rate.
  • Raw outcomes for this cohort — not adjusted for age, mileage, or peer mix.
  • MOT doesn't test engine or gearbox internals.

Common faults

Failure patterns that show up more often on this registration year than on similar cars.

These MOT failure patterns show up more often on this registration year than on similar cars of the same class, age, and mileage.

Shares below are measured across the 495 failed first attempts in 2025 that the age-and-mileage comparison can be computed on.

Standout: Catalyst emissions — 21.8% of this year's failed first attempts

Recorded on 108 of those tests. It tops the table on elevation — about 4.0× more often than on similar cars of the same age and mileage. On this year it is also the commonest failure, so it answers both questions at once. The full ranked list is in the table below.

No patterns met the strongest callout thresholds on this page; showing the highest-lift rows that still cleared the display floors.

Fault pattern Location Failures vs similar cars Share of fails Confidence
Catalyst emissions
Noise, emissions and leaks > Exhaust emissions > Spark ignition > Catalyst emissions
 Any 108 ×4.0 21.8% Likely
Component mounting prescribed areas (rear)
Suspension > Component mounting prescribed areas
 Rear 83 ×3.2 16.8% Likely
Emissions not tested
Noise, emissions and leaks > Exhaust emissions > Spark ignition > Emissions not tested
 Any 32 ×3.1 6.5% Likely

Only patterns that clear minimum sample and elevation thresholds are shown (at least 20 failures and about 2.0× more often than similar cars).

Note: Rates and comparisons are among first-attempt failed tests, not all MOTs. Patterns come from MOT defect codes — not manufacturer service bulletins, recalls, or a diagnosis of any individual car. Failures and advisories are listed separately.

If you are buying one

What this year's MOT record means for the decision in front of you.

Nothing separates this year from the Imprezas either side of it, so buy on the individual car. The checks below are the items that actually failed 2005 Imprezas, commonest first.

What to check on a 2005 Impreza

The items that failed 2005 Imprezas most often, as a share of the year's failed first attempts. This is what goes wrong, not what is unusual — the table further up the page covers that.

  • Catalyst emissions — recorded on 21.8% of failed first attempts
  • Component mounting prescribed areas (rear) — recorded on 16.8% of failed first attempts
  • Headlamp aim — recorded on 13.3% of failed first attempts
  • Malfunction indicator lamp — recorded on 11.9% of failed first attempts
  • Position lamp (front) — recorded on 11.1% of failed first attempts

Every figure here is a first-attempt MOT rate from DVSA open data for this model line. MOTs do not test engine or gearbox internals, so this is a pre-purchase checklist, not a full reliability score.

FAQs

Short answers about how to read this model-year guide.

Catalyst emissions was the most common reason a 2005 Impreza failed its MOT — 21.8% of its failed first attempts. In 2025, 74.8% of 1,967 first MOTs on the 2005 Subaru Impreza passed first time (PRS — items fixed at the station the same day — counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 78.8%. Among 495 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Catalyst emissions appears more often than on sim…
Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that failed 2005 Subaru Imprezas most often at the first attempt were Catalyst emissions (21.8%), Component mounting prescribed areas (rear) (16.8%) and Headlamp aim (13.3%) — each as a share of the year's failed first attempts. That is what goes wrong on the car. It is a different question from which patterns are unusual for the class, which the common-faul…
Among failed first-attempt tests we highlight patterns that appear more often than on similar cars. Top example: Catalyst emissions (21.8% of those tests; 108 observed failures; about 4.0× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Catalyst emissions shows up more often than on similar cars (21.8% of those tests; 108 observed failures; about 4.0× more often than similar cars). That does not prove a design fault — age, mileage, and how the car was used still matter. Treat it as a pre-purchase check point, not a manufacturer service bulletin.
Common MOT problem areas for the 2005 Subaru Impreza include Catalyst emissions, Component mounting prescribed areas (rear), Emissions not tested. These patterns show up more often than on similar cars after we filter out sparse noise — not a full list of every possible fault on an individual car.
This page highlights MOT failure patterns for the 2005 Subaru Impreza (registration year) using UK DVSA open data for the selected test year. Patterns are compared with cars of a similar age and mileage. It is a buyer checklist from MOT defect statistics — not a full service history or manufacturer service-bulletin list.
No. MOT tests do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronic modules. Patterns here come from MOT defect statistics only and should not be read as engine or gearbox reliability scores.

About this data

How this page is built and what it can (and can't) say.

These figures come from UK MOT open data for this model year. We surface common failure patterns against similar cars — not a full reliability score, and not a pass/fail verdict on any individual vehicle.

2024 2025

What we include

UK Class 4 cars only. Normal MOT tests (not retests); first test per vehicle per calendar year; results pass, PRS, or fail.

Same-day repairs

PRS means the car failed items that were fixed at the test station and then passed the same day. We count PRS as a first-attempt fail in headline rates so same-day repairs do not hide problems.

How we compare

We compare this model year with other Class 4 cars of similar age and mileage in the same test year. This model family is left out of the peer group so the car is not measured against itself.

What this does not cover

  • MOTs do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronics — this is not a full reliability score.
  • Common faults come from MOT defect stats, not manufacturer TSBs or recalls.
  • Age and mileage matching reduces — but does not remove — differences in how cars were used and maintained.
  • We never invent pass rates, star scores, or ranks when those data marts are missing.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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