Mitsubishi Mirage common problems

By component

What wears out on a Mirage

Failure items grouped by the part behind them, with the share of failed Mitsubishi Mirage 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.Tyres

   46.1% 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” — explained21.9%
   • “A tyre cords visible or damaged” — explained6.6%
   • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained5.5%
   • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained5.4%

   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

2. 2.Wiper blades and washers

   19.4% 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” — explained14.6%
   • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained3.3%
   • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained1.5%

   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

3. 3.Brake pads and shoes

   18.2% of failed tests

   Friction material wears with use; the MOT limit is 1.5 mm and a pad that thin is close to metal on metal.

   • “a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm” — explained17.1%
   • “Brake lining or pad worn down to wear indicator” — explained1.1%

   Across all cars, brake pads and shoes 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 brake pads and shoes last

4. 4.Suspension bushes

   15.6% 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” — explained11.8%
   • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained2.4%
   • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained1.3%

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

5. 5.Bulbs and lamps

   14.2% 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” — explained7.6%
   • “A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps” — explained2.5%
   • “Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained1.8%
   • “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 functioning” — explained1.3%

   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

6. 6.Brake pipes

   8.7% of failed tests

   Steel pipes under the car corrode from salt and moisture, fastest on cars kept outside in wet or coastal areas; failure is for excessive corrosion or damage.

   • “Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded” — explained8.7%

   Across all cars, brake pipes failures climb from nothing between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long brake pipes last

7. 7.Brake discs

   7.8% of failed tests

   Discs thin with each pad set and pit or corrode when lightly used; failure is for significant wear, fracture or insecurity, advisory for surface condition.

   • “Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn” — explained5.0%
   • “Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured” — explained1.5%
   • “Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution.” — explained1.2%

   Across all cars, brake discs failures climb 3-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 12–14 years. How long brake discs last

8. 8.Tyre pressure sensors

   5.0% of failed tests

   Valve-mounted sensors have sealed batteries that expire after roughly seven to ten years; a system fault lamp is a failure on cars first used from 2012.

   • “A tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative” — explained5.0%

By registration year

Mirage problems by year

MOT pass rate for Mitsubishi Mirage 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 2014, up 5.4 points, is larger than wear explains and most likely marks a change in the cars themselves.

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 Mirage owners about

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

• Tyres42.2% of tests
• Brake discs14.2% of tests
• Brake pads and shoes8.8% of tests
• Brake pipes7.7% of tests
• Suspension arms and mountings4.3% of tests

Go deeper

The rest of the Mirage file

• Mitsubishi Mirage: pass rate, ranking and the full failure record
• Is a Mirage's mileage high for its age?
• Every Mitsubishi model compared
• Check a specific car's MOT history

Common questions

What are the most common problems with a Mitsubishi Mirage?

Going by what fails the MOT, tyres (recorded in 46.1% of failed tests), wiper blades and washers (recorded in 19.4% of failed tests), and brake pads and shoes (recorded in 18.2% of failed tests). These are the items testers actually record across 11,135 tests, not reports from owners, so they describe what goes wrong at the point where it has to be fixed.

Which Mitsubishi Mirage year is the most reliable?

By MOT pass rate, Mitsubishi Mirage cars registered in 2019 do best at 86.4% and 2013 cars do worst at 72.0%. 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 2014, up 5.4 points on 2013.

Is the Mitsubishi Mirage reliable?

Adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, the Mitsubishi Mirage passes 77.3% of MOTs against a national 72.3%. 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 Mirage?

Start with what fails most: tyres, wiper blades and washers, brake pads and shoes. 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.