Mitsubishi Mirage MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 23 model years and 58,123 tests, the Mitsubishi Mirage passes its MOT 88.7% of the time. Superminis of a similar age fail 16.4% of the time, so this is 5.1pp better than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are tyres, visibility and lighting & signalling.
Best and worst Mirage years
Ranked across Mirage 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
Build year matters more than the headline suggests: 2019 cars pass 92.4% of the time while 2013 cars manage 85.6%, a 6.9-point spread.
No single area dominates — tyres (5.2%) and visibility (4.1%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, tread depth and brake pads — wipers alone was recorded 2,223 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 7.1% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 26.7% once past 150k — 3.7× the risk.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 23.5% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 9.4% of tests failed in 2021 against 13.2% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Mirage model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 44 | 84.1% | 15.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 12,745 | 85.6% | 14.4% | Tyres |
| 2014 | 10,019 | 87.4% | 12.6% | Tyres |
| 2015 | 8,495 | 88.3% | 11.7% | Tyres |
| 2016 | 7,705 | 89.6% | 10.4% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 6,927 | 90.8% | 9.3% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 5,688 | 90.7% | 9.3% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 4,875 | 92.4% | 7.6% | Visibility |
| 2020 | 1,581 | 91.4% | 8.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 36 | 97.2% | 2.8% | Visibility |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 5.2% | 3,012 |
| 2 | Visibility | 4.1% | 2,382 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 3.9% | 2,279 |
| 4 | Brakes | 3.5% | 2,039 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.6% | 939 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.8% | 488 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 0.6% | 364 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.6% | 323 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 2,223 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 1,893 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 1,451 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 1,098 |
| 5 | Position lamp | 941 |
| 6 | Washers | 699 |
| 7 | Ball joint dust cover | 576 |
| 8 | Tyre pressure monitoring system | 461 |
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 | 23.5% | 13,644 |
| 2 | Brakes | 17.5% | 10,176 |
| 3 | Suspension | 8.5% | 4,966 |
| 4 | Other defects | 5.3% | 3,103 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.5% | 2,040 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 2.0% | 1,182 |
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 | 23,898 | 7.1% |
| 30-60k | 22,239 | 12.1% |
| 60-90k | 8,982 | 17.4% |
| 90-120k | 2,320 | 20.1% |
| 120-150k | 508 | 22.8% |
| 150k+ | 161 | 26.7% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 10,285 | 9.4% |
| 2022 | 11,619 | 10.5% |
| 2023 | 12,087 | 10.8% |
| 2024 | 12,031 | 12.4% |
| 2025 | 12,101 | 13.2% |
What to check before buying a Mitsubishi Mirage
- Tyres (5.2% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
- Visibility (4.1% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (3.9% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£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
What is the MOT pass rate for the Mitsubishi Mirage?
88.7% of the 58,123 Mitsubishi Mirage MOT tests in this dataset passed, an 11.3% fail rate, across model years 2000–2022.
What does the Mitsubishi Mirage most often fail its MOT on?
Tyres, recorded in 5.2% of tests, then visibility (4.1%).
Which Mirage years are best and worst for MOT results?
2019 has the best pass rate at 92.4% and 2013 the weakest at 85.6%, from 4,875 and 12,745 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Mirage MOT results?
Fail rates run at 7.1% for cars in the 0-30k band and 26.7% for 150k+, a 19.6-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 58,123 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.