18,294 tests in 2025
Mitsubishi Colt reliability and MOT pass rate
64% passed first time. The 36% fail rate is 13.4 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 17 years old with 82,690 miles.
Pass rate
64%
22.6% of all cars failed; 36% of these did.
Fixed on the day
9.9%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
82,690 mi
17 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 3 | — |
| 6-9 years | 6 | — |
| 10-13 years | 1,738 | 26.1% |
| 14+ years | 16,547 | 37.1% |
What the Colt fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment40 dangerous49.9%
- Suspension458 dangerous46.4%
- Body, chassis, structure46 dangerous25.4%
- Brakes647 dangerous21.2%
- Tyres1,307 dangerous18.8%
- Visibility3 dangerous17.7%
- Steering44 dangerous16.7%
- Noise, emissions and leaks2 dangerous14.6%
Is the Colt getting worse?
The fail rate rose 3.2 points to 36% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (3.3 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 28,105 | 14 | 32.8% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 25,578 | 15 | 34.3% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 19,839 | 16 | 35.7% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 18,269 | 17 | 36% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Colt at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a Colt in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Position lamp: not working1,002 tests
- 2Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt956 tests
- 3Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect932 tests
- 4Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively786 tests
- 5Coil spring: fractured or broken672 tests
- 6Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play640 tests
- 7Ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt602 tests
- 8Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps518 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Colt collects 2.95 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure2,790 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm2,671 tests
- 3Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened2,152 tests
- 4Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened1,611 tests
- 5Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick1,213 tests
- 6Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases1,069 tests
- 7Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine947 tests
- 8Registration plates: inscription illegible941 tests
Questions
What is the Mitsubishi Colt MOT pass rate?
64% of the 18,294 Mitsubishi Colt first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 36% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 9.9% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Mitsubishi Colt usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Position lamp: not working", recorded on 1,002 failed tests, followed by "Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" and "Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect". By section, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 49.9% of failures, suspension appears in 46.4% of failures, body, chassis, structure appears in 25.4% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 0%; at 14+ years it was 37.1%. The median Mitsubishi Colt tested in 2025 was 17 years old with 82,690 miles.
Is the Mitsubishi Colt getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 3.2 points to 36% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (3.3 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every Colt trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 7 safety recalls naming the Mitsubishi Colt: Mitsubishi Colt recalls.
Other Mitsubishi models
Checking a particular Colt?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.