Mitsubishi Colt MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Mitsubishi Colt MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Mitsubishi Colt passed on its first attempt in 64.8%, and its overall record sits −7.9 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Mitsubishi Colt in the 2023–2025 data: 86,319 tests across 14 model years (2000–2013). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common Mitsubishi Colt MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Mitsubishi Colt, the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Shares are over the Mitsubishi Colt's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Mitsubishi Colt DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Mitsubishi Colt, each with how many of the model's 86,319 tests it was noted on.

• "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 7,185 Mitsubishi Colt tests, 8.3% of the model's MOT record.
• "Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt" (Minor) — noted on about 4,919 Mitsubishi Colt tests, 5.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 4,547 Mitsubishi Colt tests, 5.3% of the model's MOT record.
• "Position lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 3,913 Mitsubishi Colt tests, 4.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (Major) — noted on about 3,382 Mitsubishi Colt tests, 3.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (Major) — noted on about 2,829 Mitsubishi Colt tests, 3.3% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Mitsubishi Colt Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Mitsubishi Colt model year on record is 2013 (82.1% across 1,791 tests), and the weakest is 2001 (68.5%). The gap between them is 13.6 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Mitsubishi Colt reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 2.2 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Mitsubishi Colt Owners

These checks follow this Mitsubishi Colt's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Mitsubishi Colt.

• the suspension joints — “ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated”

  With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.

• the lights — “registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources”

  Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.

• the wipers and washers — “wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively”

  Run the wipers with the screen wet: they should clear it in one sweep without smearing or juddering. Top the washer bottle up and check both jets hit the screen.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Mitsubishi Colt. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: Mitsubishi Colt MOT & Reliability