Mitsubishi Lancer MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Mitsubishi Lancer MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Mitsubishi Lancer passed on its first attempt in 71.6%, and its overall record sits −4.1 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Mitsubishi Lancer in the 2023–2025 data: 34,736 tests across 20 model years (2000–2020). 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 Lancer MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Mitsubishi Lancer, 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 Lancer's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Mitsubishi Lancer DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Mitsubishi Lancer, each with how many of the model's 34,736 tests it was noted on.

• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 2,215 Mitsubishi Lancer tests, 6.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 1,548 Mitsubishi Lancer tests, 4.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Track rod end ball joint has excessive play" (Major) — noted on about 1,527 Mitsubishi Lancer tests, 4.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Position lamp not working" (Rectified) — noted on about 1,202 Mitsubishi Lancer tests, 3.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Headlamp lens slightly defective" (Minor) — noted on about 1,180 Mitsubishi Lancer tests, 3.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Ball joint excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 956 Mitsubishi Lancer tests, 2.8% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Mitsubishi Lancer Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Mitsubishi Lancer model year on record is 2018 (96.2% across 105 tests), and the weakest is 2010 (72.6%). The gap between them is 23.6 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

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

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Mitsubishi Lancer Owners

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

• 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 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 windscreen — “windscreen damaged”

  Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.

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

Where the Mitsubishi Lancer is most common

Across every Lancer model year on record (2000–2020): 14,963 Mitsubishi Lancer cars tested in a recordable postcode area, across 34,730 tests. Birmingham (B) has the most, with 541 cars tested there. Cars are counted by the postcode area of the MOT station, so this is where they were tested, not necessarily where their owners live.

The twenty areas with the most Mitsubishi Lancer cars in the record, sorted by car count — sort the columns for a different question. Cars tested at a station whose postcode area could not be resolved are counted in the model's total but in no area, so the shares add up to slightly under 100% even across every area, and an area's cars are a subset of the model's. Pass rate is blank below 30 tests in an area, where a percentage is noise rather than a finding. How this model's pass rate varies by postcode →

Frequently Asked Questions: Mitsubishi Lancer MOT & Reliability