Mitsubishi
47,633 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where Asxs pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 2.1 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
79.6%
Pass-after-fix
3.3%
Fail
16.6%
Avg miles
76,262
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Trim variants
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 47,625 tests
Pass rate climbs 9.7 points across the cohorts — newer Asx examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
78.8%
Fail
17.4%
PRS
3.3%
Avg mileage at test
79,561 mi
Pass
88.5%
Fail
7.6%
PRS
3.6%
Avg mileage at test
38,555 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
Generations on file · 2
Mitsubishi Asx · UK market
2010–2023
2023–now
Photos: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA / CC BY / public domain.
The picture
The Mitsubishi ASX is a subcompact crossover SUV manufactured by the Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors. On introduction, it was positioned below the Outlander in Mitsubishi's crossover SUV line-up, until the Eclipse Cross filled the gap between the ASX and Outlander in 2017.
MOT data from 32,584 tests puts this car on a 80.8% first-time pass rate, above the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 69,657 miles. The most common fail item is steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, followed by brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded.
Mitsubishi’s ASX is a more capable SUV on poor terrain than many rivals, and all models come decently kitted out with equipment.
Buyers weighing up a used Asx should treat the failure breakdown as a pre-purchase checklist. The pass rate is reasonable, but the gap between first attempt and a clean sheet narrows with age and mileage.
ABI Insurance Group
Below the fleet average — generally reasonable to insure. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.
Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →
14–24
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Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated
1,482 occurrences · 3.1% of tests
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
1,229 occurrences · 2.6% of tests
Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded
1,226 occurrences · 2.6% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
1,102 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated
1,026 occurrences · 2.2% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
857 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
728 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
542 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement
531 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
527 occurrences · 1.1% 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 5 failures
£288–£765
If every one of this Asx'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 →
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Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 9.7-point gap between bands means the year you buy Mitsubishi Asx has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
88.5%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 88.5% — a 9.7-point improvement. Tests in this band average 38,555 miles — roughly 41K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, less than 1.5 mm thick — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. The stricter post-2018 MOT test rules meant manufacturers had to tighten up emissions and electrical checks, but this band still shows far fewer major failures on suspension and bodywork than the older fleet.
Band to be cautious about
78.8%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 78.8% pass rate against a fleet average of 88.5% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt, inoperative in the case of multiple lamps…, and excessively corroded. Average mileage on test for this band is 79,561 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (88.5% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (78.8% pass). That's a 9.7-point spread across 43,810 older tests and 3,815 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
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
Brake pad measurement gauge
Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.
Search Amazon UK
My Motor World · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
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Motor World Mitsubishi Colt 2004- Car Floor Mat Set
£32.99
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Motor World Mitsubishi L200 Double Cab 88-2005- Car Floor Mat Set
£32.99
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Motor World Mitsubishi L200 4 Work Club Cab 2006- Car Floor Mat Set
£32.99
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Motor World Mitsubishi L200 Double Cab 2006-2015 L/Rears Warrior Car Floor Mat Set
£32.99
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Click Mechanic · affiliate
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Mobile mechanic · UK-wide
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Owner reports · Honest John
Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.
What's good
Well-equipped as standard. Impressive Real MPG scores. Plenty of room for five plus luggage.
Where it falls short
Disappointing interior quality. Noisy diesel engines. 1.6-litre petrol lacks pace.
Recall history
The Asx has 19 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.
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 an Asx 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.
