Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 3,330 tests

Pass rate climbs 9.8 points across the cohorts — newer Canter examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 2,200

Pass

67.9%

Fail

23.7%

PRS

7.5%

Avg mileage at test

102,390 mi

2018–2020 cohort 767

Pass

73.1%

Fail

19.4%

PRS

7.3%

Avg mileage at test

68,031 mi

2021+ cohort 363

Pass

77.7%

Fail

11.8%

PRS

8.8%

Avg mileage at test

47,186 mi

Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.

The picture

Canter: middle-of-the-pack on first-time pass

Across 2,200 MOT tests, the Canter returns 70.2% first-time pass — below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is windscreen damage. A number-plate lamp out and a lamp out round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 91,212, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

Hide wear items to see the model's real defects.

01

Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

257 occurrences · 7.7% of tests
02

A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources

138 occurrences · 4.1% of tests
03

A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning

119 occurrences · 3.6% of tests
04

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

113 occurrences · 3.4% of tests
05

Obligatory mirror or device slightly damaged or loose

95 occurrences · 2.9% of tests
06

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

89 occurrences · 2.7% of tests
07

Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction

77 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
08

Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

75 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
09

Wiper blade defective

66 occurrences · 2.0% of tests
10

Service brake efficiency below minimum requirement

64 occurrences · 1.9% of tests

Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.

Worst-case fix budget · top 3 failures

£96–£335

If every one of this Canter's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →

Try the calculator

Build your own retest budget.

Year-band analysis

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 9.8-point gap between bands means the year you buy Mitsubishi Fuso Canter has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

77.7%

2021+ registration

the 2021-on band climbs to 77.7% — a 9.8-point improvement. Tests in this band average 47,186 miles — roughly 55K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, does not clear the windscreen effectively — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. Post-2020 examples are early in their MOT life and generally show the cleanest records.

Band to be cautious about

67.9%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 67.9% pass rate against a fleet average of 77.7% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, inoperative in the case of multiple lamps…, and not working. Average mileage on test for this band is 102,390 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2021+ (77.7% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (67.9% pass). That's a 9.8-point spread across 2,200 older tests and 363 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.

Year-spread leaderboard →

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.

Item 01 · Amazon UK

H7 / W21W bulb pack

A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.

Search Amazon UK

Item 02 · Amazon UK

Replacement wing mirror glass

A cracked mirror glass on the offside is a fail; nearside is an advisory. £8 of self-adhesive replacement glass clears it.

Search Amazon UK

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Denso

Denso W14E Spark Plug (Single)

£1.09

View at My Motor World →

Denso

Denso W16EX-U Spark Plug (Single)

£1.09

View at My Motor World →

Denso

Denso W16FSR Spark Plug (Single)

£1.09

View at My Motor World →

Denso

Denso W9LM-US Spark Plug (Single)

£1.09

View at My Motor World →

Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Mobile mechanic · UK-wide

Book a mechanic at your door.

Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.

Get a quote →

Buying or keeping a Canter?

Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.

If you own a Canter and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.