Mitsubishi Pajero MOT pass rate & common failures
The Mitsubishi Pajero appears in 12,918 MOT tests spanning model years 1982–2023, and 76.7% of them passed. That is 2.4 percentage points better than all cars of a similar age, which fail at 25.7%. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, body, structure & corrosion and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (13.0%) and body, structure & corrosion (11.3%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are prescribed areas, chassis condition and rigid brake pipes — prescribed areas alone was recorded 790 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 14.9% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 25.6% once past 150k.
The petrol cars hold up better: 19.9% fail against 24.0% for diesel, a 4.2-point gap across 12,917 tests.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 36.7% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 25.2% in 2021 to 20.6% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every Pajero model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 44 | 68.2% | 31.8% | Steering |
| 1990 | 62 | 75.8% | 24.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1991 | 58 | 82.8% | 17.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1992 | 131 | 79.4% | 20.6% | Body, structure & corrosion |
| 1993 | 246 | 76.8% | 23.2% | Body, structure & corrosion |
| 1994 | 413 | 76.0% | 24.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1995 | 417 | 78.2% | 21.8% | Body, structure & corrosion |
| 1996 | 397 | 78.1% | 21.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1997 | 232 | 82.3% | 17.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1998 | 267 | 82.8% | 17.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 341 | 80.7% | 19.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 468 | 76.3% | 23.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 596 | 74.5% | 25.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 792 | 72.7% | 27.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 1,572 | 75.0% | 25.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 2,142 | 76.0% | 23.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 1,906 | 76.6% | 23.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 1,011 | 76.3% | 23.7% | Body, structure & corrosion |
| 2007 | 434 | 74.4% | 25.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 214 | 74.8% | 25.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 98 | 79.6% | 20.4% | Brakes |
| 2010 | 92 | 72.8% | 27.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 85 | 75.3% | 24.7% | Brakes |
| 2012 | 35 | 74.3% | 25.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 94 | 79.8% | 20.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 78 | 83.3% | 16.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 140 | 87.1% | 12.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 118 | 89.0% | 11.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 137 | 84.7% | 15.3% | Emissions & environmental |
| 2019 | 85 | 80.0% | 20.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 81 | 72.8% | 27.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 87 | 87.4% | 12.6% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 13.0% | 1,683 |
| 2 | Body, structure & corrosion | 11.3% | 1,459 |
| 3 | Brakes | 9.5% | 1,233 |
| 4 | Suspension | 9.2% | 1,192 |
| 5 | Visibility | 4.5% | 579 |
| 6 | Steering | 4.1% | 530 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 3.7% | 474 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 3.5% | 450 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prescribed areas | 790 |
| 2 | Chassis condition | 767 |
| 3 | Rigid brake pipes | 766 |
| 4 | Integral vehicle structure condition | 743 |
| 5 | Rear fog lamp | 736 |
| 6 | Component mounting prescribed areas | 678 |
| 7 | Exhaust system | 528 |
| 8 | Headlamp aim | 452 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 36.7% | 4,744 |
| 2 | Suspension | 35.1% | 4,530 |
| 3 | Body, structure & corrosion | 25.9% | 3,345 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 25.2% | 3,250 |
| 5 | Other defects | 14.3% | 1,849 |
| 6 | Tyres | 13.2% | 1,703 |
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 | 114 | 14.9% |
| 30-60k | 487 | 12.9% |
| 60-90k | 1,403 | 19.8% |
| 90-120k | 2,224 | 20.7% |
| 120-150k | 2,810 | 24.4% |
| 150k+ | 5,854 | 25.6% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 10,546 | 24.0% |
| Petrol | 2,371 | 19.9% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3,538 | 25.2% |
| 2022 | 2,967 | 22.6% |
| 2023 | 2,494 | 22.9% |
| 2024 | 2,117 | 23.7% |
| 2025 | 1,802 | 20.6% |
What to check before buying a Mitsubishi Pajero
- Lighting & signalling (13.0% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Body, structure & corrosion (11.3% of tests): The one to take seriously on older cars — corrosion to structural areas can be costly and is an MOT failure. Typical repair: £200–£1,500+.
- Brakes (9.5% 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 Pajero?
76.7% of the 12,918 Mitsubishi Pajero MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 23.3% fail rate, across model years 1982–2023.
What does the Mitsubishi Pajero most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 13.0% of tests, then body, structure & corrosion (11.3%).
How much does mileage affect Pajero MOT results?
Fail rates run at 14.9% for cars in the 0-30k band and 25.6% for 150k+, a 10.6-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Pajero more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 19.9% of the time against 24.0% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 12,918 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.