How reliable is the Mitsubishi Colt compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Mitsubishi Colt, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 54.1% across 19,617 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Mitsubishi Colt?

The item recorded most often is "The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements", which appears in 19.3% of failed Mitsubishi Colt tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a Mitsubishi Colt?

The most common advisory is "A tyre seriously damaged", noted on 21.9% of all Mitsubishi Colt tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Mitsubishi Colt usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 84,558 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Are most Mitsubishi Colt models petrol or diesel?

Of the Mitsubishi Colt cars tested, 93% are petrol, 7% are diesel. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Mitsubishi Colt MOT pass rate & common failures

From 19,617 recorded MOT tests of the Mitsubishi Colt, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 19,617 MOT tests, 54.1% of Mitsubishi Colt tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Mitsubishi Colt fleet does not yet cover a wide enough spread of ages and distances to compare it fairly against other models. Its most commonly recorded failure is aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, which appears in 19.3% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 84,558 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

54.1%unadjusted, not comparable19,617 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the Colt. The examples tested do not cover a wide enough spread of ages and mileages to compare it fairly, and an unadjusted pass rate mostly sorts models by how recently they were bought rather than how well they were built. The failure and advisory patterns below come from the same 19,617 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Mitsubishi Colt tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements19.3%
1,360 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
2.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning18.2%
1,285 occurrencesLamp not working explained
3.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc16.7%
1,176 occurrencesDriveshaft CV joint gaiter split or missing explained
4.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen15.0%
1,057 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
5.A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc12.9%
909 occurrencesSuspension joint dust cover missing or split explained
6.The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired11.4%
805 occurrencesSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
7.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened11.1%
780 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
8.A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play10.6%
751 occurrencesBall joint worn explained
9.A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps8.4%
591 occurrencesLamp not working explained
10.Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning8.1%
568 occurrencesStop lamp not working explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Mitsubishi Colt tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.A tyre seriously damaged21.9%
4,302 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
2.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements19.8%
3,885 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
3.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened17.3%
3,387 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained
4.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured11.2%
2,197 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
5.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm7.3%
1,441 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
6.The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired7.2%
1,408 testsSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
7.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn6.5%
1,269 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
8.Exhaust system leaking or insecure5.8%
1,144 testsExhaust leaking or insecure explained

What gets tested

The Colt fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 84,558
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol93.4%
Diesel6.6%

Check a specific Mitsubishi Colt

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Mitsubishi models

Mitsubishi L200 — 72.0% adjusted
Mitsubishi Outlander — 73.8% adjusted
Mitsubishi Asx — 75.0% adjusted
Mitsubishi Shogun — 75.4% adjusted
Mitsubishi Mirage — 77.3% adjusted
Mitsubishi Eclipse — 85.7% unadjusted
All Mitsubishi models

Common questions

How reliable is the Mitsubishi Colt compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Mitsubishi Colt, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 54.1% across 19,617 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Mitsubishi Colt?: The item recorded most often is "The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements", which appears in 19.3% of failed Mitsubishi Colt tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Mitsubishi Colt?: The most common advisory is "A tyre seriously damaged", noted on 21.9% of all Mitsubishi Colt tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Mitsubishi Colt usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 84,558 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.
Are most Mitsubishi Colt models petrol or diesel?: Of the Mitsubishi Colt cars tested, 93% are petrol, 7% are diesel. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. No adjusted rate is shown because this model's tested examples do not cover enough of the national age and mileage range for standardisation to mean anything.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.