2025 MOT results
Mitsubishi Eclipse common problems
The most common reason a Mitsubishi Eclipse fails its MOT is worn brake pads, on 20.8% of its 1,671 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 5 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: a worn steering or suspension joint at 2.8% of failures against 0.6% expected; a tyre pressure warning at 6.9% of failures against 2.7% expected; worn brake pads at 20.8% of failures against 10.5% expected.
- Tests in 2025 12,082 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 13.8% 1,671 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 4.9% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 44.9% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Mitsubishi Eclipse MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Mitsubishi Eclipse 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 (10 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 |
|---|---|
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 20.8% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 17.9% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 11.1% |
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 7.2% |
| Tyre pressure monitoring system: malfunctioning or obviously inoperative Tyres | 6.9% |
| Headlamp aim: too high Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.6% |
| Anti-roll bars: pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | 4.7% |
| Headlamp aim: too low Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 3.5% |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 3.2% |
| Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded Brakes | 3.2% |
| Linkage ball joint excessively worn Suspension | 2.8% |
| Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn Brakes | 2.5% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Worn brake pads
20.8% of failures 10.5% expected 2 times as often
Friction material worn under 1.5mm, thinner than the point most manufacturers call the limit.
Look through the wheel spokes at the pad against the disc; wear indicators squeal before they get this far.
-
Wiper blades that do not clear the screen
17.9% of failures 9.8% expected 1.8 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.
-
Tyre worn below the legal limit
11.1% of failures 10.8% expected about as expected
A tyre worn past the 1.6mm legal minimum across the middle three quarters of the tread.
A 20p coin in the main grooves: if the outer band of the coin is visible, the tyre is close to the limit.
-
Cut tyre
7.2% of failures 9.6% expected somewhat less often
A cut in the tyre deep or long enough to reach the structure underneath, usually from a kerb or debris.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
-
Tyre pressure warning
6.9% of failures 2.7% expected 2.6 times as often
The pressure monitoring system is not working, which fails the test on cars first used from 2012.
A warning light that stays on after the tyres are set correctly usually means a sensor has died.
-
Headlamp aim set too high
5.6% of failures 3.2% expected 1.8 times as often
The dipped beam points higher than it should, which dazzles oncoming drivers.
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.
Which parts of the car fail
Brakes is the area that most often fails a Mitsubishi Eclipse, on 29.8% of failed tests. That is also where it differs most from cars of the same registration years, which record 18.3%.
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 |
|---|---|
| Brakes | 29.8% |
| Tyres | 29.4% |
| Visibility | 23.0% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 18.4% |
| Suspension | 13.4% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 3.0% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 2.8% |
| Steering | 1.9% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
44.9% of Mitsubishi Eclipse tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Mitsubishi Eclipses, 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 | 15.1% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 14.4% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 13.8% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 7.2% |
| Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt Non-component advisories | 3.3% |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 2.9% |
| Nail in tyre Non-component advisories | 2.4% |
| Anti-roll bars: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 1.8% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 1.8% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 1.2% |
| Tyres: cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 1.2% |
| Linkage ball joint has slight play Suspension | 1.0% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Mitsubishi Eclipse problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Mitsubishi Eclipse?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick” is the most common: it appears on 20.8% of failed Mitsubishi Eclipse tests. Across categories, brakes is the area that most often fails one, on 29.8% of failed tests.
How often does a Mitsubishi Eclipse fail its MOT?
13.8% of Mitsubishi Eclipse tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 12,082 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 58 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Mitsubishi Eclipse than on other cars?
Yes. “Linkage ball joint excessively worn” appears on 2.8% of its failures against 0.6% for cars of the same age, and “Tyre pressure monitoring system: malfunctioning or obviously inoperative” appears on 6.9% of its failures against 2.7% 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 Eclipse 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 | 12,082 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.