Mitsubishi Lancer MOT pass rate & common failures
The Mitsubishi Lancer appears in 67,501 MOT tests spanning model years 1980–2025, and 77.5% of them passed. Small family cars of a similar age fail 25.4% of the time, so this is 2.9pp better than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and brakes.
Best and worst Lancer years
Ranked across Lancer years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Not every year is equal — 89.8% of 2004 examples pass against 73.7% of 2010 ones.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (12.5%) and suspension (10.0%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are track rod end, position lamp and headlamp aim — track rod end alone was recorded 3,980 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 29.9% versus 7.7%.
The petrol cars hold up better: 20.4% fail against 29.3% for diesel, a 9.0-point gap across 67,493 tests.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 29.7% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
By model year
Every Lancer model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 43 | 67.4% | 32.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1994 | 34 | 88.2% | 11.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1995 | 54 | 92.6% | 7.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1996 | 181 | 86.2% | 13.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1997 | 82 | 82.9% | 17.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1998 | 612 | 90.7% | 9.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 839 | 90.6% | 9.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 650 | 89.8% | 10.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 710 | 89.3% | 10.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 321 | 92.2% | 7.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 1,353 | 89.2% | 10.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 2,122 | 89.8% | 10.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 7,094 | 78.0% | 22.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 6,963 | 76.7% | 23.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 6,090 | 76.4% | 23.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 9,932 | 76.4% | 23.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 7,926 | 74.9% | 25.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 11,677 | 73.7% | 26.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 8,458 | 74.2% | 25.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 222 | 82.9% | 17.1% | Emissions & environmental |
| 2013 | 72 | 87.5% | 12.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 190 | 93.2% | 6.8% | Emissions & environmental |
| 2015 | 363 | 92.8% | 7.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 311 | 91.3% | 8.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 303 | 93.1% | 6.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 208 | 94.2% | 5.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 265 | 91.7% | 8.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 187 | 87.2% | 12.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 81 | 92.6% | 7.4% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 12.5% | 8,413 |
| 2 | Suspension | 10.0% | 6,769 |
| 3 | Brakes | 7.5% | 5,084 |
| 4 | Steering | 5.5% | 3,699 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 4.5% | 3,066 |
| 6 | Visibility | 4.2% | 2,856 |
| 7 | Tyres | 4.0% | 2,707 |
| 8 | Body, structure & corrosion | 3.3% | 2,228 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Track rod end | 3,980 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 3,778 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 2,604 |
| 4 | Rigid brake pipes | 2,550 |
| 5 | Stop lamp | 2,125 |
| 6 | Catalyst emissions | 1,991 |
| 7 | Ball joint | 1,980 |
| 8 | Wipers | 1,902 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 29.7% | 20,029 |
| 2 | Brakes | 29.0% | 19,604 |
| 3 | Tyres | 22.0% | 14,832 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 12.4% | 8,365 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 11.3% | 7,637 |
| 6 | Other defects | 9.7% | 6,573 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 2,229 | 7.7% |
| 30-60k | 11,005 | 15.6% |
| 60-90k | 21,582 | 20.4% |
| 90-120k | 18,297 | 25.5% |
| 120-150k | 9,758 | 29.2% |
| 150k+ | 4,512 | 29.9% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 51,642 | 20.4% |
| Diesel | 15,851 | 29.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 16,160 | 21.9% |
| 2022 | 14,992 | 22.6% |
| 2023 | 13,643 | 22.9% |
| 2024 | 12,159 | 22.9% |
| 2025 | 10,547 | 22.1% |
What to check before buying a Mitsubishi Lancer
- Lighting & signalling (12.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (10.0% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Brakes (7.5% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Mitsubishi Lancer?
77.5% of the 67,501 Mitsubishi Lancer MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 22.5% fail rate, across model years 1980–2025.
What does the Mitsubishi Lancer most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 12.5% of tests, then suspension (10.0%).
Which Lancer years are best and worst for MOT results?
2004 has the best pass rate at 89.8% and 2010 the weakest at 73.7%, from 2,122 and 11,677 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Lancer MOT results?
Fail rates run at 7.7% for cars in the 0-30k band and 29.9% for 150k+, a 22.3-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Lancer more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 20.4% of the time against 29.3% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 67,501 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.