Know Your MOT
34.8%fail rate

Mitsubishi Coupe common MOT failures and failure rate

What a Mitsubishi Coupe fails its MOT on, from real DVSA test data, and the part that resolves each item.

Based on 1,263 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 34.8% of MOT tests recorded on the Mitsubishi Coupe in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.

Its most common failure is lamps & electrical, which makes up 44.2% of the Mitsubishi Coupe's failures, followed by lamps & electrical, brakes, exhaust & emissions, suspension. Each item below links to the part that resolves it. Confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying, and have safety-critical work done by a competent mechanic.

What it fails on, and why

Lamps & electrical44.2% of failures

Lighting is the single most common MOT failure and the cheapest to put right. A blown headlight, brake-light or number-plate bulb, a cracked lens, or a headlamp beam that points too high or low will all fail. Most are a two-minute bulb swap.

Brakes41.0% of failures

Brake failures cover worn pads and discs, an imbalance between wheels, corroded or scored discs, or a binding caliper. Braking efficiency is measured on a rolling road, so a spongy or pulling brake shows up as a low reading.

Exhaust & emissions34.4% of failures

Exhaust failures cover leaks, insecure mountings and emissions over the limit. A blowing exhaust, a failed lambda reading or a diesel that smokes beyond the limit will fail.

Suspension32.8% of failures

Suspension failures usually mean a worn or snapped coil spring, a leaking shock absorber, or play in a lower arm ball joint or bush. The tester checks for corrosion, fractures and excessive movement. A broken front spring is one of the most common failures on higher-mileage cars and is a straightforward replacement.

Tyres17.5% of failures

Tyres fail for tread below the 1.6mm legal limit across the central three-quarters, uneven or exposed-cord wear, or sidewall damage. The tester inspects all four; a single illegal tyre is a fail.

Steering17.3% of failures

Steering faults are typically worn track-rod ends or ball joints, play in the rack, or a split gaiter letting grease out and dirt in. Excessive free play at the wheel fails.

Failure rate by year

How the MOT failure rate varies by the car's year of first registration (older examples generally fail more as wear sets in).

199536.7% fail · 188 tests
199934.8% fail · 112 tests
200039.7% fail · 126 tests
200133.0% fail · 106 tests
200432.1% fail · 134 tests

The parts that fix each

If your car has just failed, you have 10 working days to fix the items and get a free partial retest. These are the usual parts; confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying.

For the lamps & electrical failure: Mitsubishi Coupe headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Mitsubishi Coupe headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Mitsubishi Coupe headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Mitsubishi Coupe brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Mitsubishi Coupe brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Mitsubishi Coupe brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the exhaust & emissions failure: Mitsubishi Coupe exhaustSearch Amazon for Mitsubishi Coupe exhaustaffiliate searchFind Mitsubishi Coupe exhaust on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Mitsubishi Coupe suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Mitsubishi Coupe suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Mitsubishi Coupe suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the tyres failure: Mitsubishi Coupe tyresSearch Amazon for Mitsubishi Coupe tyresaffiliate searchFind Mitsubishi Coupe tyres on eBayaffiliate
For the steering failure: Mitsubishi Coupe steering track rod endsSearch Amazon for Mitsubishi Coupe steering track rod endsaffiliate searchFind Mitsubishi Coupe steering track rod ends on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Mitsubishi Shogun MOT failures28.1% failure rateMitsubishi L200 MOT failures25.8% failure rateMitsubishi Colt MOT failures27.6% failure rateFord Fiesta MOT failures27.1% failure rate

Sources: DVSA MOT History API: MOT test results and defect data · DVSA MOT testing data for Great Britain