2017 Mitsubishi Lancer — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 303 MOT tests, the 2017 Mitsubishi Lancer recorded a 93.1% pass rate. That is 4.5 percentage points better than small family cars of a similar age, which fail at 11.5%. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, emissions & environmental and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (5.9%) and emissions & environmental (4.3%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are catalyst emissions, rear fog lamp and position lamp — catalyst emissions alone was recorded 20 times.
Mileage matters less than usual here: the 2017 Lancer fails 4.8% of the time in the 30-60k band and 4.2% at 90-120k, a spread of only 0.5 points.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 9.9% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 11.8% in 2021 to 7.0% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 5.9% | 18 |
| 2 | Emissions & environmental | 4.3% | 13 |
| 3 | Visibility | 1.3% | 4 |
| 4 | Brakes | 1.0% | 3 |
| 5 | Seat belts & restraints | 1.0% | 3 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.3% | 1 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Catalyst emissions | 20 |
| 2 | Rear fog lamp | 7 |
| 3 | Position lamp | 6 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 5 |
| 5 | Headlamp | 5 |
| 6 | SRS malfunction indicator lamp | 3 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 9.9% | 30 |
| 2 | Suspension | 7.9% | 24 |
| 3 | Brakes | 6.3% | 19 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 5.0% | 15 |
| 5 | Steering | 3.3% | 10 |
| 6 | Other defects | 3.0% | 9 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 30-60k | 42 | 4.8% |
| 60-90k | 144 | 7.6% |
| 90-120k | 71 | 4.2% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 76 | 11.8% |
| 2022 | 70 | 4.3% |
| 2023 | 60 | 1.7% |
| 2024 | 54 | 9.3% |
| 2025 | 43 | 7.0% |
What to check before buying a 2017 Lancer
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 5.9% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (5.9% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Emissions & environmental (4.3% of tests): More common on older diesels (DPF/EGR) — can be expensive; check for warning lights and smoke. Typical repair: £100–£600.
- Visibility (1.3% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£150.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 2017 Mitsubishi Lancers pass their MOT?
93.1% of the 303 2017 Mitsubishi Lancer MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 6.9% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2017 Mitsubishi Lancer?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 5.9% of tests, followed by emissions & environmental (4.3%).
Does the 2017 Lancer get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 4.8% in the 30-60k band to 4.2% in the 90-120k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 303 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.