8,161 tests in 2025
Mitsubishi Lancer reliability and MOT pass rate
73.4% passed first time. The 26.6% fail rate is 4.0 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 17 years old with 89,969 miles.
Pass rate
73.4%
22.6% of all cars failed; 26.6% of these did.
Fixed on the day
6%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
89,969 mi
17 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 33 | — |
| 6-9 years | 141 | — |
| 10-13 years | 121 | — |
| 14+ years | 7,863 | 27.2% |
What the Lancer 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.
- Suspension173 dangerous48.7%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment7 dangerous40.7%
- Brakes249 dangerous29.9%
- Steering35 dangerous22.7%
- Noise, emissions and leaks4 dangerous19.8%
- Tyres404 dangerous16.7%
- Body, chassis, structure17 dangerous16.4%
- Visibility2 dangerous13.6%
Is the Lancer getting worse?
The fail rate fell 1.3 points to 26.7% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 3.3 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 12,103 | 14 | 28% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 11,072 | 15 | 28.1% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 8,753 | 16 | 28.2% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 8,145 | 17 | 26.7% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Lancer 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 Lancer in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play380 tests
- 2Position lamp: not working336 tests
- 3Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn268 tests
- 4Stop lamp: not working196 tests
- 5Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn172 tests
- 6Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases170 tests
- 7Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded151 tests
- 8Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively146 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Lancer collects 3.6 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.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm992 tests
- 2Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded982 tests
- 3Sub-frame: corroded and seriously weakened796 tests
- 4Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened730 tests
- 5Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn720 tests
- 6Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure583 tests
- 7Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick508 tests
- 8Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases465 tests
Questions
What is the Mitsubishi Lancer MOT pass rate?
73.4% of the 8,161 Mitsubishi Lancer first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 26.6% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 6% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Mitsubishi Lancer usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play", recorded on 380 failed tests, followed by "Position lamp: not working" and "Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn". By section, suspension appears in 48.7% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 40.7% of failures, brakes appears in 29.9% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 9.1%; at 14+ years it was 27.2%. The median Mitsubishi Lancer tested in 2025 was 17 years old with 89,969 miles.
Is the Mitsubishi Lancer getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 1.3 points to 26.7% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 3.3 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
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 Lancer 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 10 safety recalls naming the Mitsubishi Lancer: Mitsubishi Lancer recalls.
Other Mitsubishi models
Checking a particular Lancer?
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.