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MOT fail rates by first-use year

2012 Mitsubishi Outlander MOT fail rate and common faults

How Mitsubishi Outlander cars first used in 2012 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 4,669 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated

At 13 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 13 (n=1,052)36.6%
All cars at 13 years (n=6,612,160)38.3%
Difference−1.7 pts
MOT tests of 2012 cars, 2022 to 20254,669

What stands out

  • In 2025, at 13 years old, Mitsubishi Outlander cars first used in 2012 failed 36.6% of MOTs (1,052 tests), 1.7 points below the 38.3% for all cars that age.
  • From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 10 to 13 years old, the fail rate moved from 31.2% to 36.6%.
  • Mitsubishi Outlander cars first used a year earlier, in 2011, failed 40.2% at the same age of 13 years (1,320 tests, in 2024).
  • The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Mitsubishi Outlander at 13 years, is steering track rod end: ball joint play, at 9.9 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 1.9).

MOT fail rate by test year

Mitsubishi Outlander cars first used in 2012: 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
202210 years31.2%1,27030.3%+0.9 pts
202311 years35.7%1,21933.3%+2.4 pts
202412 years35.7%1,12836.0%−0.3 pts
202513 years36.6%1,05238.3%−1.7 pts

Most common faults at 13 years

These figures cover all Mitsubishi Outlander MOTs at 13 years: cars first used 2009 to 2012, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=5,619). 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
Steering track rod end: ball joint play9.91.9
Side/position light not working Wear7.04.8
Anti-roll bar link worn3.71.3
Brake pads under 1.5 mm Wear3.02.1
Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded2.80.9
Suspension ball joint worn2.82.5
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear2.73.0
Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases2.71.2
Wipers not clearing screen Wear2.52.1
Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt2.41.4

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=5,619). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

AdvisoryPer 100 MOTsAll cars
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear19.818.2
Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material17.95.1
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened16.610.6
Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened11.93.8
Coil spring: corroded11.15.6
Brake pads wearing thin Wear9.87.3
Suspension arm ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated8.91.2
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Wear7.95.2
Suspension pin or bush worn, without excessive movement7.58.0
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive7.57.2

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=5,619). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 13 years

These figures cover all Mitsubishi Outlander MOTs at 13 years: cars first used 2009 to 2012, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=5,619). 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
Diesel95.2%41.9%5,34739.1%117,427 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 13 years

These figures cover all Mitsubishi Outlander MOTs at 13 years: cars first used 2009 to 2012, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=5,619). At 13 years, Mitsubishi Outlander cars at 120,000 to 150,000 miles failed more often (45.4%, n=1,605) than those at 90,000 to 120,000 miles (43.2%, n=1,873). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at testMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars
90,000 to 120,000 miles43.2%1,87342.2%
120,000 to 150,000 miles45.4%1,60543.2%

Car tax rules for a 2012 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 2012 diesel usually pays the ULEZ daily charge. A few models met Euro 6 early.
  • Hybrids follow the Euro standard of their petrol or diesel engine.
  • 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 Outlander

Other Mitsubishi models first used in 2012

ModelAge at testMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars
Mitsubishi L200 (2012)13 years in 202541.8%2,66938.3%
Mitsubishi ASX (2012)13 years in 202533.1%2,01238.3%
Mitsubishi Colt (2012)13 years in 202536.8%1,39338.3%

More on the Mitsubishi Outlander

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 2012 Mitsubishi Outlander 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.