Mitsubishi
16,225 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Mirages pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 5.4 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
82.9%
Pass-after-fix
4.8%
Fail
12.0%
Avg miles
45,095
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Petrol cars first registered from January 2006 meet Euro 4 — compliant in London ULEZ, Birmingham CAZ, Bristol CAZ, and Glasgow LEZ.
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 16,215 tests
Pass rate climbs 7.9 points across the cohorts — newer Mirage examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
81.5%
Fail
12.9%
PRS
5.2%
Avg mileage at test
49,206 mi
Pass
89.4%
Fail
7.6%
PRS
2.7%
Avg mileage at test
26,105 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
The Mitsubishi Mirage is a range of cars produced by the Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi from 1978 until 2003 and again since 2012. The hatchback models produced between 1978 and 2003 were classified as subcompact cars, while the sedan and station wagon models, marketed prominently as the Mitsubishi Lancer, were the compact offerings.
MOT data from 11,817 tests puts this car on a 84.2% first-time pass rate, above the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 40,289 miles. The most common fail item is suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated, followed by tyre tread below the legal limit.
The Mitsubishi Mirage provides small car buyers with low running costs. But with so many more accomplished alternatives on offer, that’s about all there is to recommend it.
For used buyers, the Mirage's pass rate suggests it clears the MOT with fewer surprises than most — but the top failure items above are still worth a pre-purchase inspection, particularly on higher-mileage examples.
ABI Insurance Group
Around the UK fleet average for insurance cost. 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 →
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A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated
957 occurrences · 5.9% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
364 occurrences · 2.2% of tests
Wiper blade defective
324 occurrences · 2.0% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
268 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
247 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
235 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
159 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
155 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
133 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
120 occurrences · 0.7% 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
£260–£585
If every one of this Mirage'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
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 7.9-point gap between bands means the year you buy Mitsubishi Mirage has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
89.4%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 89.4% — a 7.9-point improvement. Tests in this band average 26,105 miles — roughly 23K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: blade defective, 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
81.5%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 81.5% pass rate against a fleet average of 89.4% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated, tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, and blade defective. Average mileage on test for this band is 49,206 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (89.4% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (81.5% pass). That's a 7.9-point spread across 13,344 older tests and 2,871 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
Digital tyre-tread depth gauge
Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
Bosch Aerotwin wiper blades
Cheap wipers fail the test on smear streaks. Bosch Aerotwins last a winter and clear a screen properly.
Search Amazon UK
Item 03 · 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
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Motor World Mitsubishi L200 Double Cab 88-2005- Car Floor Mat Set
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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
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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.
Where it falls short
Disappointing to drive. Steering is slow and lacks feel. Not as good as other similarly priced small cars.
Satnav in Mitsubishi Mirage Attivo would not accept more than four postcode digits. Mitsubishi insisted that is how it was built and nothing could be done. Reader persisted by contacting Clarion and Naviextras who make the unit and software for Mitsubishi. They were a lot more helpful than Mitsubishi. They told him to delete a file, upload a copy of the maps and then install an upgrade to the software available online. This worked fine and he now we has a 7 digit postcode facility. Another problem (but less of a problem) is showing the Speed cameras. According to the Mitsubishi brochure supplied with the unit this should be available, but it appears that software for this addition is not available on this particular unit. [Get the Best Internet in Your Area! Compare Local Prices, Speeds & Plans Now.Compare Providers & Find the Best Internet Deal Near You.HighSpeedInternet.com](https://www.bing.com/api/v1/mediation/tracking?adUnit=11725462&auId=749d8bdf-b001-4d20-82f0-a5d972c80d71&bdc=pb&bidId=1&bidderId=4&cmExpId=RSV&impId=1826726967&impTy=1&ldc=rhf2nc
Source: honestjohn.co.uk · 1 reports indexed
Recall history
The Mirage has 3 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 a Mirage 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.
