Mitsubishi ASX MOT failure rate and common faults
28,733 Mitsubishi ASX cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 25.5% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 27.4% of the time, which makes the Mitsubishi ASX 7% less likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
25.5%
failed first time
28,733 MOT tests in 2025
-7%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 27.4%
99 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
98.6
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 102.5
What fails on a Mitsubishi ASX MOT
Failure items recorded per 1,000 tests, by part of the car, set against an average car with exactly the same spread of ages. A figure well above average is a weak spot worth checking before you buy.
The most common Mitsubishi ASX MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded | Brakes | 40.4 |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Brakes | 36.2 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 29.5 |
| Position lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 27.7 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 25.5 |
| Ball joint excessively worn | Suspension | 19.8 |
| Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play | Steering | 19.6 |
| Parking brake efficiency: efficiency below requirements | Brakes | 19.5 |
| Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Suspension | 17.7 |
| Linkage ball joints: ball joint excessively worn | Suspension | 16.7 |
Mitsubishi ASX MOT failure rate by year
Every car fails more often as it ages, so each registration year is compared with the average for all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 500 tests are left out.
| First registered | Tests | Failed | Same age average | Average mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 511 | 9.4% | 12.8% | 33,000 |
| 2020 | 1,485 | 10.2% | 14.1% | 34,500 |
| 2019 | 1,610 | 10.4% | 16.5% | 41,700 |
| 2018 | 2,196 | 15.9% | 19.1% | 52,600 |
| 2017 | 3,982 | 21.4% | 21.8% | 61,200 |
| 2016 | 3,177 | 22.1% | 25.1% | 69,900 |
| 2015 | 4,456 | 25.3% | 28.1% | 79,200 |
| 2014 | 3,656 | 31.8% | 31.4% | 88,100 |
| 2013 | 2,337 | 35.5% | 34.3% | 93,400 |
| 2012 | 1,998 | 33.3% | 36.6% | 103,100 |
| 2011 | 1,917 | 37.1% | 38.8% | 111,800 |
| 2010 | 1,408 | 39.4% | 40.7% | 119,200 |
Advisories to look for in a Mitsubishi ASX's MOT history
An advisory is a tester's warning that something is wearing but has not failed yet. These are the ones written most often on the Mitsubishi ASX, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge273.3
- Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material211.2
- Brake pads: wearing thin173.0
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened149.7
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing117.2
- Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened78.2
Checking a used Mitsubishi ASX before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Mitsubishi ASX fails more often than average on brakes and steering. Start there.
Brakes
Look through the wheel spokes at the discs for a deep lip or scoring, check the handbrake holds the car on a slope, and feel for a pull to one side when braking hard.
Steering
With the engine running, rock the wheel gently: there should be almost no free play. Listen for knocks on full lock and look for power steering fluid leaks.
Averages only take you so far. The specific car's MOT history shows whether it has already failed on any of these, how often advisories were ignored, and whether the mileage climbs steadily from test to test. Read our guide to reading a car's MOT history before you go to view it.
Fuel mix of the Mitsubishi ASX cars tested: Diesel 51%, Petrol 50%. Average age at test 9.8 years, average recorded mileage 76,500.
Mitsubishi ASX MOT questions
What is the Mitsubishi ASX MOT failure rate?
25.5% of Mitsubishi ASX cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 28,733 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 27.4% of the time, so the Mitsubishi ASX was 7% less likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Mitsubishi ASX MOT?
Brakes caused the most failure items, at 174 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded", recorded 40.4 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Mitsubishi ASX year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2019 registrations did best: 10.4% failed against an average of 16.5% for cars that age. Older cars always fail more often, so compare a year with its age group rather than with newer cars.
Does this tell me whether a particular Mitsubishi ASX will pass?
No. These are averages across every Mitsubishi ASX tested in 2025. The car in front of you has its own record: its full MOT history shows every pass, failure and advisory it has had, and it is free to view by registration.
Other Mitsubishi models
- Mitsubishi L20030.6% failed
- Mitsubishi Outlander23.7% failed
Ranked close to the Mitsubishi ASX
- Land Rover Discovery Sportrank 96
- Volkswagen Sharanrank 97
- Mazda CX-5rank 98
- Toyota Versorank 100
How these figures are calculated
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 release. We count first tests of cars and small vans (class 4) aged 3 to 20, so a car that fails and is retested is counted once. A failure includes faults fixed and passed within the same visit. The same age average weights the national failure rate for each age by how many Mitsubishi ASX cars of that age were tested, so a model is never penalised for having an older fleet. Make and model are as recorded at the test; trim levels are combined. Full method and rankings.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.