Buying Report · £14.99
Tools

MOT fail rates by first-use year

2006 Mitsubishi Colt MOT fail rate and common faults

How Mitsubishi Colt cars first used in 2006 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 11,473 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated

At 19 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 19 (n=2,090)49.0%
All cars at 19 years (n=2,479,858)43.2%
Difference+5.9 pts
MOT tests of 2006 cars, 2022 to 202511,473

What stands out

  • In 2025, at 19 years old, Mitsubishi Colt cars first used in 2006 failed 49.0% of MOTs (2,090 tests), 5.9 points above the 43.2% for all cars that age.
  • From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 16 to 19 years old, the fail rate moved from 45.9% to 49.0%.
  • Mitsubishi Colt cars first used a year earlier, in 2005, failed 47.0% at the same age of 19 years (1,871 tests, in 2024).
  • The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Mitsubishi Colt at 19 years, is coil spring broken, at 4.6 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 2.8).

MOT fail rate by test year

Mitsubishi Colt cars first used in 2006: share of MOT tests that failed, by test year, against all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Test yearAgeMOT fail rateTests (n)All carsDifference
202216 years45.9%3,62142.6%+3.3 pts
202317 years47.8%3,16343.1%+4.7 pts
202418 years48.2%2,59943.3%+4.9 pts
202519 years49.0%2,09043.2%+5.9 pts

Most common faults at 19 years

These figures cover all Mitsubishi Colt MOTs at 19 years: cars first used 2004 to 2006, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=4,524). The list uses every first-use year so it has enough tests. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.

MOT fail items

Fail itemPer 100 MOTsAll cars
Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Wear11.94.1
Side/position light not working Wear7.05.4
Wipers not clearing screen Wear6.53.3
Coil spring broken4.62.8
Brake light not working Wear4.54.0
Steering track rod end: ball joint play4.42.0
Driveshaft CV boot split3.73.2
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps Wear3.41.9
Handbrake too weak3.12.9
Dipped headlight not working Wear3.12.0

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=4,524). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

AdvisoryPer 100 MOTsAll cars
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear15.89.9
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear15.716.6
Coil spring: corroded14.97.9
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Wear10.35.6
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened10.110.8
Suspension arm ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated7.42.1
Headlamp: lens slightly defective Wear7.34.3
Brake pads wearing thin Wear7.06.0
Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Wear7.05.8
Exhaust system: has a minor leak of exhaust gases6.65.3

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=4,524). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 19 years

These figures cover all Mitsubishi Colt MOTs at 19 years: cars first used 2004 to 2006, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=4,524). Each fuel is set against all cars of the same fuel and age. Fuels with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

FuelShare of testsMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars, same fuelMedian mileage
Petrol91.2%48.0%4,12143.0%88,093 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 19 years

These figures cover all Mitsubishi Colt MOTs at 19 years: cars first used 2004 to 2006, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=4,524). At 19 years, Mitsubishi Colt cars at 90,000 to 120,000 miles failed more often (53.9%, n=1,338) than those at 60,000 to 90,000 miles (48.4%, n=1,478). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at testMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars
60,000 to 90,000 miles48.4%1,47841.7%
90,000 to 120,000 miles53.9%1,33846.2%

Car tax rules for a 2006 car

  • Cars first registered from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017 are taxed by CO2 emissions band, from band A (the lowest emissions) to band M. The band is set by the CO2 figure on the V5C logbook.

These are the rules, not the amount for a specific car. Car tax check

ULEZ and clean air zones

  • Petrol cars first registered from 2006 usually meet Euro 4, the petrol standard for the London ULEZ, so they usually do not pay the daily charge.
  • Diesel cars first registered before September 2015 usually do not meet Euro 6, so a 2006 diesel usually pays the ULEZ daily charge. A few models met Euro 6 early.
  • The clean air zones in Birmingham and Bristol use the same Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 diesel standards. The low emission zones in Scotland use them too, but enforce them with fines, not a daily charge.

The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. ULEZ checker

Other years of the Mitsubishi Colt

Other Mitsubishi models first used in 2006

ModelAge at testMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars
Mitsubishi L200 (2006)19 years in 202544.2%4,08643.2%
Mitsubishi Shogun (2006)19 years in 202539.4%1,39543.2%

More on the Mitsubishi Colt

Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.

Found one you might buy? Vet the specific car.

These figures describe 2006 Mitsubishi Colt cars as a group, not any one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at the car you are buying: its MOT history, what similar cars did next, and what to ask the seller.

See an example Buying Report All car tools

Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources

Car tax and clean air zone rules are summarised from GOV.UK and Transport for London guidance. They are general rules and are not drawn from the MOT data.