How reliable is the Mitsubishi Delica compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Mitsubishi Delica, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages.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 60.5% across 1,262 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 do testers most often warn about on a Mitsubishi Delica?

The most common advisory is "Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users", noted on 19.0% of all Mitsubishi Delica tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

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

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 117,715 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.

Which Mitsubishi Delica years are the most reliable?

Going by MOT pass rate, Mitsubishi Delica cars first registered 2017–2019 do best at 53.2%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 61.0%. But that ordering is mostly age, not build year: almost every model passes less often as it wears, so the newest cars top this list whatever they are. A specific year looking strong here means little on its own; the failure items above, and the individual car's own MOT history, tell you far more.

Does a Mitsubishi Delica get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 6 to 8 years old, 53.2% of Mitsubishi Delica tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 61.0%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Are most Mitsubishi Delica models petrol or diesel?

Of the Mitsubishi Delica cars tested, 61% are petrol, 39% are diesel, 1% are lpg. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Mitsubishi Delica MOT pass rate & common failures

From 1,262 recorded MOT tests of the Mitsubishi Delica, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 1,262 MOT tests, 60.5% of Mitsubishi Delica tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Mitsubishi Delica 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 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, which appears in 22.9% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 117,715 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

60.5%unadjusted, not comparable1,262 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the Delica. 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 1,262 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

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

1.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 repaired22.9%
102 occurrencesSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
2.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc20.9%
93 occurrencesDriveshaft CV joint gaiter split or missing explained
3.An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning18.8%
84 occurrencesLamp not working explained
4.Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc14.6%
65 occurrencesSteering rack gaiter split, damaged or missing explained
5.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen11.7%
52 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
6.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded9.6%
43 occurrencesBrake pipe corroded explained
7.Service brake efficiency below minimum requirement9.6%
43 occurrencesBraking efficiency below requirement explained
8.A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc9.4%
42 occurrencesSuspension joint dust cover missing or split explained
9.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn8.1%
36 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
10.Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen6.5%
29 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

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

1.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users19.0%
240 tests
2.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded18.8%
237 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
3.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn16.2%
205 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
4.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured11.3%
143 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
5.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements9.8%
124 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
6.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm9.4%
119 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
7.Play in steering rack inner joint(s)9.4%
119 tests
8.A tyre seriously damaged6.9%
87 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained

The rest of the record

Everything else recorded on the Mitsubishi Delica

The 19 other defects testers recorded on this model, beyond the most common listed above. Each links to what it means and what it takes to put right.

How wear changes the picture

Delica pass rate by age and registration year

How often the Mitsubishi Delica passes at each age, with the years those cars were first registered. Tests are from 2025, so a car aged 6 to 8 was first used in 2017–2019.

6–8 yrsreg. 2017–201953%

9–11 yrsreg. 2014–201664%

15+ yrsreg. 2010 and earlier61%

Read this as an age curve rather than a verdict on particular model years. Nearly every car passes less often as it gets older, so a newer Delica outscoring an older one says more about wear than about how that year’s cars were built. Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The Delica fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 117,715
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol60.6%
Diesel38.6%
LPG0.6%

Check a specific Mitsubishi Delica

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 Colt — 54.1% unadjusted
Mitsubishi Mirage — 77.3% adjusted
All Mitsubishi models

Common questions

How reliable is the Mitsubishi Delica compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Mitsubishi Delica, 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 60.5% across 1,262 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 Delica?: The item recorded most often is "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", which appears in 22.9% of failed Mitsubishi Delica 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 Delica?: The most common advisory is "Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users", noted on 19.0% of all Mitsubishi Delica tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Mitsubishi Delica usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 117,715 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.
Which Mitsubishi Delica years are the most reliable?: Going by MOT pass rate, Mitsubishi Delica cars first registered 2017–2019 do best at 53.2%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 61.0%. But that ordering is mostly age, not build year: almost every model passes less often as it wears, so the newest cars top this list whatever they are. A specific year looking strong here means little on its own; the failure items above, and the individual car's own MOT history, tell you far more.
Does a Mitsubishi Delica get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 6 to 8 years old, 53.2% of Mitsubishi Delica tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 61.0%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.
Are most Mitsubishi Delica models petrol or diesel?: Of the Mitsubishi Delica cars tested, 61% are petrol, 39% are diesel, 1% are lpg. 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.