1,484 tests in 2025
Mitsubishi Pajero reliability and MOT pass rate
75.7% passed first time. The 24.3% fail rate is 1.7 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 22 years old with 133,487 miles.
Pass rate
75.7%
22.6% of all cars failed; 24.3% of these did.
Fixed on the day
6.3%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
133,487 mi
22 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 17 | — |
| 6-9 years | 59 | — |
| 10-13 years | 26 | — |
| 14+ years | 1,381 | 24.6% |
What the Pajero 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.
- Body, chassis, structure16 dangerous44.7%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment4 dangerous43.6%
- Brakes53 dangerous35%
- Suspension22 dangerous34.7%
- Steering6 dangerous18.6%
- Noise, emissions and leaks3 dangerous14.7%
- Visibility13.9%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems13.6%
Is the Pajero getting worse?
The fail rate fell 3 points to 24.1% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 4 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (-0.7 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2,466 | 18 | 27.1% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 2,098 | 19 | 27.1% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 1,629 | 21 | 27.6% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 1,469 | 22 | 24.1% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Pajero 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 Pajero in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Rear fog lamp: not working55 tests
- 2Chassis condition: or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of a body mounting47 tests
- 3Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases47 tests
- 4Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded41 tests
- 5Prescribed areas: prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced39 tests
- 6Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength36 tests
- 7Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt34 tests
- 8Position lamp: not working25 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Pajero collects 3.96 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.
- 1Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine333 tests
- 2Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded308 tests
- 3Wheel bearings: has excessive play136 tests
- 4Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn134 tests
- 5Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened130 tests
- 6Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure107 tests
- 7Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases102 tests
- 8Chassis condition: corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced98 tests
Questions
What is the Mitsubishi Pajero MOT pass rate?
75.7% of the 1,484 Mitsubishi Pajero first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 24.3% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 6.3% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Mitsubishi Pajero usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Rear fog lamp: not working", recorded on 55 failed tests, followed by "Chassis condition: or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of a body mounting" and "Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases". By section, body, chassis, structure appears in 44.7% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 43.6% of failures, brakes appears in 35% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 29.4%; at 14+ years it was 24.6%. The median Mitsubishi Pajero tested in 2025 was 22 years old with 133,487 miles.
Is the Mitsubishi Pajero getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 3 points to 24.1% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 4 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (-0.7 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 Pajero trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
Other Mitsubishi models
Checking a particular Pajero?
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.