2025 MOT results
Mitsubishi Lancer common problems
The most common reason a Mitsubishi Lancer fails its MOT is a sidelight out, on 17.9% of its 2,851 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 3 faults stand out: a worn steering or suspension joint at 14.5% of failures against 4.4% expected; corroded brake pipes at 5.6% of failures against 2.7% expected; an exhaust leak at 6.4% of failures against 4.0% expected.
- Tests in 2025 8,748 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 32.6% 2,851 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 7.8% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 54.6% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Mitsubishi Lancer MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Mitsubishi Lancer 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 | 17.9% |
| Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play Steering | 14.5% |
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 10.8% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint excessively worn Suspension | 8.3% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 7.1% |
| Exhaust system: major leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 6.4% |
| Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 6.0% |
| Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded Brakes | 5.6% |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.5% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 5.4% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 5.1% |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension | 5.0% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Sidelight out
17.9% of failures 13.3% 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.
-
Worn steering or suspension joint
14.5% of failures 4.4% expected 3.3 times as often
Play in a steering or suspension joint, where a worn ball and socket lets the wheel move where it should not.
A knock at low speed over rough ground, or vague steering, is the usual warning.
-
Brake light out
10.8% of failures 8.8% expected somewhat more often
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.
-
Worn steering or suspension joint
8.3% of failures 6.0% expected somewhat more often
Play in a steering or suspension joint, where a worn ball and socket lets the wheel move where it should not.
A knock at low speed over rough ground, or vague steering, is the usual warning.
-
Wiper blades that do not clear the screen
7.1% of failures 5.6% expected somewhat more 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.
-
Exhaust leak
6.4% of failures 4.0% expected 1.6 times as often
A hole or split letting exhaust gas out before the tailpipe.
A blowing or rasping note under load, loudest from cold.
Which parts of the car fail
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails a Mitsubishi Lancer, on 46.9% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is steering, on 18.8% against 8.1% expected.
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 | 46.9% |
| Suspension | 40.1% |
| Brakes | 25.1% |
| Steering | 18.8% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 17.4% |
| Visibility | 14.7% |
| Tyres | 13.7% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 13.5% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
54.6% of Mitsubishi Lancer tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Mitsubishi Lancers, 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 | 13.8% |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 12.1% |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 9.8% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 8.9% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 7.1% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 6.1% |
| Exhaust system: minor leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 5.7% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 5.5% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 4.8% |
| Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 4.8% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 4.7% |
| Track rod end: ball joint has slight play Steering | 4.2% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Mitsubishi Lancer problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Mitsubishi Lancer?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Position lamp: not working” is the most common: it appears on 17.9% of failed Mitsubishi Lancer tests. Across categories, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails one, on 46.9% of failed tests.
How often does a Mitsubishi Lancer fail its MOT?
32.6% of Mitsubishi Lancer tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 8,748 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 55 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Mitsubishi Lancer than on other cars?
Yes. “Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play” appears on 14.5% of its failures against 4.4% for cars of the same age, and “Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded” appears on 5.6% 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 Lancer 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 | 8,748 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.