2013 Mitsubishi Mirage — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 12,745 MOT tests, the 2013 Mitsubishi Mirage recorded an 85.6% pass rate. Against superminis of a similar age (21.1% fail rate), the 2013 Mirage comes out 6.7pp better. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (5.7%) and lighting & signalling (5.6%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are tread depth, wipers and position lamp — tread depth alone was recorded 561 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 7.4% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 29.4% once past 150k — 4.0× the risk.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 27.8% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 11.7% of tests failed in 2021 against 17.6% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 5.7% | 728 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 5.6% | 710 |
| 3 | Visibility | 4.7% | 601 |
| 4 | Suspension | 3.8% | 480 |
| 5 | Brakes | 3.3% | 423 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.5% | 187 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tread depth | 561 |
| 2 | Wipers | 506 |
| 3 | Position lamp | 397 |
| 4 | Ball joint dust cover | 332 |
| 5 | Brake pads | 293 |
| 6 | Headlamp aim | 233 |
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 | 27.8% | 3,539 |
| 2 | Suspension | 19.0% | 2,422 |
| 3 | Brakes | 17.1% | 2,176 |
| 4 | Other defects | 6.5% | 829 |
| 5 | Visibility | 4.1% | 526 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 3.5% | 450 |
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 | 1,900 | 7.4% |
| 30-60k | 5,505 | 12.4% |
| 60-90k | 3,662 | 17.3% |
| 90-120k | 1,259 | 21.8% |
| 120-150k | 293 | 24.2% |
| 150k+ | 119 | 29.4% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,533 | 11.7% |
| 2022 | 2,555 | 12.3% |
| 2023 | 2,582 | 14.4% |
| 2024 | 2,534 | 16.3% |
| 2025 | 2,541 | 17.6% |
What to check before buying a 2013 Mirage
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 5.7% of tests. Start there.
- Tyres (5.7% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (5.6% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (4.7% 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 2013 Mitsubishi Mirages pass their MOT?
85.6% of the 12,745 2013 Mitsubishi Mirage MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 14.4% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2013 Mitsubishi Mirage?
Tyres, recorded in 5.7% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (5.6%).
Does the 2013 Mirage get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 7.4% in the 0-30k band to 29.4% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 12,745 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.