Know Your MOT
36.0%fail rate

Mitsubishi Fto common MOT failures and failure rate

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

Based on 55,517 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 36.0% of MOT tests recorded on the Mitsubishi Fto in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.

Its most common failure is brakes, which makes up 46.0% of the Mitsubishi Fto's failures, followed by brakes, lamps & electrical, suspension, exhaust & emissions. 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

Brakes46.0% 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.

Lamps & electrical41.3% 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.

Suspension37.5% 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.

Exhaust & emissions35.4% 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.

Steering20.2% 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.

Tyres19.1% 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.

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).

199436.1% fail · 3,326 tests
199537.3% fail · 12,684 tests
199634.7% fail · 3,910 tests
199734.7% fail · 1,722 tests
199836.4% fail · 2,844 tests
199936.9% fail · 3,801 tests
200035.7% fail · 5,151 tests
200137.0% fail · 3,475 tests
200236.5% fail · 3,097 tests
200335.8% fail · 3,423 tests
200435.1% fail · 3,794 tests
200534.3% fail · 3,241 tests
200634.2% fail · 2,752 tests
200733.8% fail · 1,173 tests
200833.3% fail · 534 tests
200939.0% fail · 310 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 brakes failure: Mitsubishi Fto brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Mitsubishi Fto brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Mitsubishi Fto brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the lamps & electrical failure: Mitsubishi Fto headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Mitsubishi Fto headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Mitsubishi Fto headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Mitsubishi Fto suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Mitsubishi Fto suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Mitsubishi Fto suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the exhaust & emissions failure: Mitsubishi Fto exhaustSearch Amazon for Mitsubishi Fto exhaustaffiliate searchFind Mitsubishi Fto exhaust on eBayaffiliate
For the steering failure: Mitsubishi Fto steering track rod endsSearch Amazon for Mitsubishi Fto steering track rod endsaffiliate searchFind Mitsubishi Fto steering track rod ends on eBayaffiliate
For the tyres failure: Mitsubishi Fto tyresSearch Amazon for Mitsubishi Fto tyresaffiliate searchFind Mitsubishi Fto tyres 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