2025 MOT results
Mitsubishi Colt common problems
The most common reason a Mitsubishi Colt fails its MOT is a sidelight out, on 17.5% of its 9,019 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 7 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: a split joint boot at 6.8% of failures against 2.4% expected; wiper blades that do not clear the screen at 12.6% of failures against 5.5% expected; a number plate lamp out at 8.8% of failures against 4.4% expected.
- Tests in 2025 19,641 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 45.9% 9,019 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 10.6% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 64.8% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Mitsubishi Colt MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Mitsubishi Colt tests with that defect. Where we can compare it with cars of the same registration years, the marker shows what an average car of those ages records (12 of the 12 items below).
Most common reasons for failure
A test can fail for more than one defect, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 17.5% |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 13.0% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 12.6% |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Body, chassis, structure | 12.5% |
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 8.9% |
| Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 8.8% |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension | 8.0% |
| Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play Steering | 7.8% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Suspension | 6.8% |
| Component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength Suspension | 6.0% |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.3% |
| Catalyst emissions: lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits Noise, emissions and leaks | 5.3% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Sidelight out
17.5% of failures 13.4% expected somewhat more often
A sidelight, also called a position lamp, not working. It marks the width of the car at night.
Walk round the car with the lights on and the hazards going; these are the cheapest failures to avoid.
-
Headlamp aim out of line
13.0% of failures 7.5% expected 1.7 times as often
The beam pattern points too high, too low, or in the wrong place, so it either dazzles others or lights too little road.
Nothing to do at the roadside, but a garage resets the aim in minutes; a sagging suspension corner or a heavy boot load can throw it out.
-
Wiper blades that do not clear the screen
12.6% of failures 5.5% expected 2.3 times as often
Wiper blades that leave the windscreen smeared or streaked across the area the driver looks through.
Look for split or hardened rubber, and lift each blade to see whether it still sits flat.
-
Split joint boot
12.5% of failures 6.4% expected 2 times as often
A split rubber boot on a joint or driveshaft. The joint may still be sound, but dirt and water get in once the boot is open.
Turn the wheels to full lock and look behind them for greasy splits in the rubber concertina.
-
Brake light out
8.9% of failures 9.0% expected about as expected
A brake light not working, from a bulb, a poor earth, or the switch on the pedal.
Reverse up to a wall or window at dusk and press the pedal to see all three lamps light.
-
Number plate lamp out
8.8% of failures 4.4% expected 2 times as often
The lamp over the rear number plate not working, so the plate cannot be read at night.
Walk round the car with the lights on and the hazards going; these are the cheapest failures to avoid.
Which parts of the car fail
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails a Mitsubishi Colt, on 55.3% of failed tests. That is also where it differs most from cars of the same registration years, which record 47.3%.
Failure categories
DVSA's own sections of the test. The marker is what cars of the same registration years record.
| Defect category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 55.3% |
| Suspension | 36.6% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 21.2% |
| Visibility | 19.3% |
| Brakes | 16.9% |
| Tyres | 15.4% |
| Steering | 13.3% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 12.2% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
64.8% of Mitsubishi Colt tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Mitsubishi Colts, these are the items to ask about on a car you are viewing, because they are what the last tester expected to go next.
Most common advisories
Share of all tests, passes included.
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 16.3% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 15.3% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 11.8% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 8.8% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 6.6% |
| Exhaust system: minor leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 5.8% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 5.2% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 5.1% |
| Linkage pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 4.9% |
| Component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive Suspension | 4.6% |
| Shock absorbers: light misting of oil Suspension | 4.1% |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 3.7% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Mitsubishi Colt problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Mitsubishi Colt?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Position lamp: not working” is the most common: it appears on 17.5% of failed Mitsubishi Colt tests. Across categories, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails one, on 55.3% of failed tests.
How often does a Mitsubishi Colt fail its MOT?
45.9% of Mitsubishi Colt tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 19,641 tests of cars aged three and over. Allowing for the age and mileage of the cars tested, that gives it a UK Motoring Reliability Score of 42 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Mitsubishi Colt than on other cars?
Yes. “Suspension arms: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt” appears on 6.8% of its failures against 2.4% for cars of the same age, and “Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively” appears on 12.6% of its failures against 5.5% for cars of the same age. Where an item is missing from the national figures for a year, we use the smallest share those figures show, so the comparison never overstates the difference.
Are these the same as breakdowns or known faults?
No. These are the items a tester recorded at the MOT, which covers condition and safety: lamps, brakes, tyres, suspension, corrosion and emissions. A gearbox that is unpleasant, an infotainment screen that has died, or a car that will not start on a cold morning are not part of the test, so they are not in these figures.
Where do the figures come from?
Every normal MOT test of a Mitsubishi Colt aged three and over in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT results. Retests are excluded, and the same fault on more than one wheel counts once.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT defects and advisories | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 19,641 MOT tests | 19 September 2026 |
- Shares for defects are of failed tests; shares for advisories are of all tests. A test can carry several defects, so shares add to more than 100%.
- The expected share is what an average car of the same registration years records, weighted by where this model’s failures fall. Where an item is outside the national figures for a year, the smallest share those figures show is used in its place, which is an upper bound, so the comparison never overstates a model’s problems. No expectation is published where less than 80% of the model’s failures can be compared.
- Great Britain only: DVSA does not run MOT testing in Northern Ireland. Cars under three years old are not tested.
- The descriptions of what each part does are general and the same on every model. Every figure comes from the MOT data.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.