2020 Mitsubishi Outlander Exceed — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2020 Mitsubishi Outlander Exceed passed 91.8% of its 5,300 recorded MOT tests. All cars of a similar age fail 9.3% of the time, so this is 1.2pp better than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in visibility, tyres and lighting & signalling.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — visibility (3.8%) and tyres (3.6%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, headlamp aim and brake pads — wipers alone was recorded 215 times.
Mileage matters less than usual here: the 2020 Outlander Exceed fails 6.8% of the time in the 0-30k band and 7.9% at 90-120k, a spread of only 1.2 points.
The hybrid cars hold up better: 6.5% fail against 8.9% for petrol, a 2.4-point gap across 5,300 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 21.8% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 9.7% in 2022 to 8.2% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Visibility | 3.8% | 199 |
| 2 | Tyres | 3.6% | 190 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 2.4% | 125 |
| 4 | Brakes | 1.9% | 100 |
| 5 | Suspension | 0.5% | 25 |
| 6 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.4% | 23 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 215 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 117 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 100 |
| 4 | Tread depth | 54 |
| 5 | Tyre pressure monitoring system | 48 |
| 6 | Washers | 31 |
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 | 21.8% | 1,157 |
| 2 | Brakes | 13.8% | 732 |
| 3 | Other defects | 7.6% | 404 |
| 4 | Visibility | 4.1% | 217 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.8% | 98 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.1% | 60 |
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 | 2,465 | 6.8% |
| 30-60k | 2,304 | 9.0% |
| 60-90k | 451 | 11.5% |
| 90-120k | 63 | 7.9% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 3,614 | 8.9% |
| Hybrid | 1,686 | 6.5% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 72 | 9.7% |
| 2023 | 1,785 | 8.0% |
| 2024 | 1,736 | 8.2% |
| 2025 | 1,704 | 8.2% |
What to check before buying a 2020 Outlander Exceed
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: visibility accounted for 3.8% of tests. Start there.
- Visibility (3.8% 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.
- Tyres (3.6% 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 (2.4% 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
How many 2020 Mitsubishi Outlander Exceeds pass their MOT?
91.8% of the 5,300 2020 Mitsubishi Outlander Exceed MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 8.2% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2020 Mitsubishi Outlander Exceed?
Visibility, recorded in 3.8% of tests, followed by tyres (3.6%).
Does the 2020 Outlander Exceed get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 6.8% in the 0-30k band to 7.9% in the 90-120k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 5,300 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.