2014 Subaru Forester 2.0L Petrol · EY64 OBR

The 2014 Subaru Forester presents a stable and improving maintenance trend, culminating in a clean pass on 17 March 2026 at 124,382 miles with zero defects recorded. This is a significant turnaround from the preceding years, where the tester repeatedly flagged worn front suspension arm bushes and tyre condition issues. The March 2025 test tells a particularly telling story: the car failed on an offside headlamp aim defect at 120,279 miles, then passed later that same day once corrected, suggesting the previous owner addressed the issue promptly rather than ignoring it. The progression from multiple advisories in 2023 and 2024 to a completely clean bill of health in early 2026 indicates the vehicle has received genuine mechanical attention rather than simply being presented for test with faults left unresolved. The mileage accumulation is consistent and unremarkable for a vehicle of this age. Between the August 2023 test at 107,288 miles and the March 2026 test at 124,382 miles, the car covered roughly 17,094 miles across two and a half years, averaging around 6,800 miles annually during that window. The earlier period from August 2024 at 115,461 miles to March 2025 at 120,279 miles shows a similar pace of approximately 4,800 miles over seven months. There are no suspicious gaps or sudden jumps in the odometer record that would suggest the car sat unused for extended periods or that the mileage has been tampered with. The annualised figure of roughly 10,365 miles over the vehicle's twelve-year life sits squarely within typical UK usage. Despite the clean 2026 result, a buyer should still inspect the front suspension carefully. The rear bushes on both lower suspension arms were flagged as worn in both the 2023 and 2024 tests, and while the 2026 pass suggests these have since been replaced, it is worth confirming the quality of the work and checking for any play or clunking over uneven surfaces. The repeated tyre advisories in 2024, including cracking, perishing, and a cut on the nearside front, point to a period where basic consumable upkeep was neglected. Examine the current tyre set for uneven wear patterns that could indicate lingering suspension geometry issues or neglected wheel alignment. Subaru's symmetrical all-wheel-drive system is sensitive to mismatched tyre diameters, so any uneven wear across the axle warrants further investigation. The offside headlamp aim defect from March 2025, while minor, is worth a quick static check to confirm the beam pattern sits level and the self-levelling system, if fitted, operates correctly.