2025 MOT results
Mitsubishi Mirage common problems
The most common reason a Mitsubishi Mirage fails its MOT is wiper blades that do not clear the screen, on 14.7% of its 2,171 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 6 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: a split joint boot at 6.5% of failures against 1.6% expected; wiper blades that do not clear the screen at 14.7% of failures against 6.5% expected; a bulge in a tyre at 3.9% of failures against 1.8% expected.
- Tests in 2025 11,135 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 19.5% 2,171 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 7.3% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 45.0% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Mitsubishi Mirage MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Mitsubishi Mirage 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 |
|---|---|
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 14.7% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 12.8% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 11.8% |
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 10.5% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Suspension | 6.5% |
| Headlamp aim: too low Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.8% |
| Tyre pressure monitoring system: malfunctioning or obviously inoperative Tyres | 4.7% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility | 4.4% |
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 4.1% |
| Tyres: bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres | 3.9% |
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 3.8% |
| Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn Brakes | 3.2% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Wiper blades that do not clear the screen
14.7% of failures 6.5% 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.
-
Tyre worn below the legal limit
12.8% of failures 9.0% expected somewhat more often
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.
-
Worn brake pads
11.8% of failures 7.7% expected 1.5 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.
-
Sidelight out
10.5% of failures 5.4% expected 1.9 times as 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.
-
Split joint boot
6.5% of failures 1.6% expected 4.1 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.
-
Headlamp aim set too low
4.8% of failures 4.0% expected somewhat more often
The dipped beam points lower than it should, so it lights too little of the 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.
Which parts of the car fail
Tyres is the area that most often fails a Mitsubishi Mirage, on 31.3% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is visibility, on 22.0% against 14.6% 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 |
|---|---|
| Tyres | 31.3% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 26.9% |
| Visibility | 22.0% |
| Brakes | 21.1% |
| Suspension | 15.8% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 7.1% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 5.7% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 4.0% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
45.0% of Mitsubishi Mirage tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Mitsubishi Mirages, 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 | 16.6% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 10.5% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 8.4% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 7.8% |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 4.0% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 2.8% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 2.6% |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 2.0% |
| Nail in tyre Non-component advisories | 1.6% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 1.3% |
| Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt Non-component advisories | 1.3% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 1.1% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Mitsubishi Mirage problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Mitsubishi Mirage?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively” is the most common: it appears on 14.7% of failed Mitsubishi Mirage tests. Across categories, tyres is the area that most often fails one, on 31.3% of failed tests.
How often does a Mitsubishi Mirage fail its MOT?
19.5% of Mitsubishi Mirage tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 11,135 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 54 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Mitsubishi Mirage than on other cars?
Yes. “Suspension arms: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt” appears on 6.5% of its failures against 1.6% for cars of the same age, and “Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively” appears on 14.7% of its failures against 6.5% 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 Mirage 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 | 11,135 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.