Know Your MOT
29.3%fail rate

Mitsubishi P common MOT failures and failure rate

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

Based on 140 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 29.3% of MOT tests recorded on the Mitsubishi P 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 61.0% of the Mitsubishi P's failures, followed by lamps & electrical, suspension, exhaust & emissions, brakes. 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 & electrical61.0% 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.

Suspension46.3% 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 & emissions34.1% 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.

Brakes31.7% 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.

Visibility/wipers22.0% of failures

Visibility failures include torn or smearing wiper blades, a washer jet that does not reach the screen, and chips or cracks in the driver's swept area. Blades and washer fluid are quick, cheap fixes.

Body & structure12.2% of failures

Structural failures are corrosion in load-bearing areas, sharp edges, or insecure panels. These are inspection-and-welding jobs rather than a simple bolt-on part, so weigh them against the value of the car.

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 P headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Mitsubishi P headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Mitsubishi P headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Mitsubishi P suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Mitsubishi P suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Mitsubishi P suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the exhaust & emissions failure: Mitsubishi P exhaustSearch Amazon for Mitsubishi P exhaustaffiliate searchFind Mitsubishi P exhaust on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Mitsubishi P brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Mitsubishi P brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Mitsubishi P brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Mitsubishi P wiper bladesSearch Amazon for Mitsubishi P wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind Mitsubishi P wiper blades 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 ยท DVSA MOT testing data for Great Britain