Mitsubishi Outlander MOT failure rate and common faults
75,178 Mitsubishi Outlander cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 23.7% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 24.4% of the time, which makes the Mitsubishi Outlander 3% less likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
23.7%
failed first time
75,178 MOT tests in 2025
-3%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 24.4%
114 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
88.5
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 94.1
What fails on a Mitsubishi Outlander 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 Outlander MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Brakes | 30.5 |
| Position lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 26.3 |
| Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play | Steering | 24.2 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 22.5 |
| Ball joint excessively worn | Suspension | 21.9 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 21.0 |
| Tyres: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords | Tyres | 20.6 |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam | Lights and electrics | 13.7 |
| Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded | Brakes | 13.7 |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | Suspension | 11.3 |
Mitsubishi Outlander 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 | 2,502 | 13.1% | 12.8% | 47,200 |
| 2020 | 5,299 | 13.6% | 14.1% | 50,300 |
| 2019 | 8,683 | 14.0% | 16.5% | 61,000 |
| 2018 | 10,813 | 15.4% | 19.1% | 71,700 |
| 2017 | 8,822 | 19.0% | 21.8% | 80,100 |
| 2016 | 10,920 | 23.3% | 25.1% | 93,700 |
| 2015 | 12,545 | 28.8% | 28.1% | 98,800 |
| 2014 | 6,961 | 34.0% | 31.4% | 103,900 |
| 2013 | 1,952 | 39.7% | 34.3% | 107,800 |
| 2012 | 1,041 | 37.0% | 36.6% | 110,400 |
| 2011 | 1,157 | 41.6% | 38.8% | 121,500 |
| 2010 | 1,299 | 44.7% | 40.7% | 126,700 |
| 2009 | 1,047 | 44.9% | 41.8% | 134,000 |
| 2008 | 1,174 | 46.0% | 42.9% | 137,000 |
| 2007 | 791 | 46.3% | 42.7% | 139,600 |
Advisories to look for in a Mitsubishi Outlander'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 Outlander, 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 edge285.1
- Brake pads: wearing thin137.1
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened132.5
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing94.5
- Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material87.8
- Coil spring: corroded51.1
Checking a used Mitsubishi Outlander before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Mitsubishi Outlander 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 Outlander cars tested: Hybrid 65%, Diesel 24%, Petrol 7%, Electric 4%. Average age at test 8.8 years, average recorded mileage 85,700.
Mitsubishi Outlander MOT questions
What is the Mitsubishi Outlander MOT failure rate?
23.7% of Mitsubishi Outlander cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 75,178 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 24.4% of the time, so the Mitsubishi Outlander was 3% less likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Mitsubishi Outlander MOT?
Brakes caused the most failure items, at 113 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick", recorded 30.5 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Mitsubishi Outlander year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2018 registrations did best: 15.4% failed against an average of 19.1% 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 Outlander will pass?
No. These are averages across every Mitsubishi Outlander 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 ASX25.5% failed
Ranked close to the Mitsubishi Outlander
- Honda Civicrank 111
- Hyundai i10rank 112
- Volkswagen Touranrank 113
- Ford Mondeorank 115
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 Outlander 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.