The MOT Files

Known faults, from the test record

Mitsubishi Colt common problems

What fails on the Mitsubishi Colt at MOT, which parts are behind it, and how each model year compares. From 19,617 DVSA test records.

Data updated

Quick answer

The Mitsubishi Colt's most common MOT problems are bulbs and lamps, suspension bushes, headlamp aim, recorded in 48.3%, 23.7% and 23.6% of failed tests respectively. By model year, 2012 cars pass most often (63.0%) and 2007 cars least (50.2%), though most of that gap is age. Every figure here is what testers recorded, not what owners reported.

A “common problems” list is usually a forum thread: whoever had the worst day writes the longest post. This one is built the other way, from every Mitsubishi Colt that took an MOT last year and what the tester wrote down. It cannot see breakdowns, electrical gremlins or a gearbox that hunts, because the test does not check those. What it can see, it sees across 19,617 cars.

By component

What wears out on a Colt

Failure items grouped by the part behind them, with the share of failed Mitsubishi Colt tests recording each. A part can carry several DVSA wordings; they are listed beneath. One failed test often lists several items, so shares do not sum to 100%.

  1. 1.Bulbs and lamps

    48.3% of failed tests

    Filament bulbs simply expire; the cheapest and most avoidable failure on the test, and one of the most recorded.

    • “A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained18.2%
    • “A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps” — explained8.4%
    • “Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained8.1%
    • “Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements” — explained5.3%

    Across all cars, bulbs and lamps failures climb 15-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long bulbs and lamps last

  2. 2.Suspension bushes

    23.7% of failed tests

    Rubber bushes in arms and links perish and split with age and load; the most recorded suspension item on the test.

    • “A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained12.9%
    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained7.3%
    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained3.5%

    Across all cars, suspension bushes failures climb 20-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long suspension bushes last

  3. 3.Headlamp aim

    23.6% of failed tests

    Aim drifts with sagging suspension, a knocked lamp or a botched bulb change; adjustment, not a part.

    • “The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements” — explained19.3%
    • “The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements” — explained2.4%
    • “Headlamp aim unable to be tested” — explained1.9%

  4. 4.Tyres

    21.9% of failed tests

    Tread wears with every mile and sidewalls age and take kerb damage; the legal minimum is 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters.

    • “Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements” — explained7.9%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained5.4%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained4.4%
    • “A tyre cords visible or damaged” — explained4.1%

    Across all cars, tyres failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long tyres last

  5. 5.Wiper blades and washers

    19.8% of failed tests

    Rubber blades harden and split within a year or two; washer jets block and pumps fail.

    • “Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen” — explained15.0%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained2.9%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained1.8%

    Across all cars, wiper blades and washers failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long wiper blades and washers last

  6. 6.Driveshaft gaiters

    16.7% of failed tests

    The rubber boot over each CV joint splits with age and flexing, then throws grease and lets grit destroy the joint.

    • “A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained16.7%

    Across all cars, driveshaft gaiters failures climb 21-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long driveshaft gaiters last

  7. 7.Suspension arms and mountings

    11.4% of failed tests

    Arms bend on impact and mountings corrode into the body; a corroded mounting is a structural item and fails as one.

    • “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 repaired” — explained11.4%

  8. 8.Coil springs

    11.1% of failed tests

    Springs fatigue and corrode where the coating chips, then snap, often at the bottom coil; potholes and salt accelerate it.

    • “A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened” — explained11.1%

    Across all cars, coil springs failures climb 20-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 12–14 years. How long coil springs last

By registration year

Colt problems by year

MOT pass rate for Mitsubishi Colt cars by the year they were first registered, from years with at least 1,000 tests. Every car in a row is the same age, so the rate is raw. Neighbouring years differ by a year of wear — a step of a point or two is age. The step at 2011, up 5.7 points, is larger than wear explains and most likely marks a change in the cars themselves.

200552%
200651%−1.2
200750%−0.6
200850%+0.2
200954%+3.3
201056%+2.3
201162%+5.7
201263%+1.3

Last column: change on the previous year, in points. Years registered within the last three years have not yet been tested and are not shown.

Before it fails

What testers warn Colt owners about

Advisories are the same parts a year or two earlier. Share of all Mitsubishi Colt tests carrying an advisory for each.

Go deeper

The rest of the Colt file

Common questions

What are the most common problems with a Mitsubishi Colt?
Going by what fails the MOT, bulbs and lamps (recorded in 48.3% of failed tests), suspension bushes (recorded in 23.7% of failed tests), and headlamp aim (recorded in 23.6% of failed tests). These are the items testers actually record across 19,617 tests, not reports from owners, so they describe what goes wrong at the point where it has to be fixed.
Which Mitsubishi Colt year is the most reliable?
By MOT pass rate, Mitsubishi Colt cars registered in 2012 do best at 63.0% and 2007 cars do worst at 50.2%. Most of that ordering is simply age — newer cars pass more — so read the year table for steps larger than a couple of points between neighbouring years; those mark a change in the cars rather than the calendar. The largest such step is at 2011, up 5.7 points on 2010.
Is the Mitsubishi Colt reliable?
The Mitsubishi Colt passes 54.1% of MOTs unadjusted; its fleet is too narrow in age or mileage for a fair national comparison. An MOT measures roadworthiness on the day rather than breakdowns or running costs, so this is a reliability measure in the narrow sense: how often the car meets the legal standard, and what stops it.
What should I check when buying a used Mitsubishi Colt?
Start with what fails most: bulbs and lamps, suspension bushes, tyres. Then read the car's own MOT history for advisories carried year to year without repair — the model tells you what to expect, the history tells you whether this owner dealt with it.

Analysis built from DVSA data of