Mitsubishi Mirage
Registered from 2012 to 2020.
About this model
The Mitsubishi Mirage is a range of cars produced by the Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi from 1978 until 2003 and again since 2012. The hatchback models produced between 1978 and 2003 were classified as subcompact cars, while the sedan and station wagon models, marketed prominently as the Mitsubishi Lancer, were the compact offerings. The liftback introduced in 1988 complemented the sedan as an additional compact offering, and the coupé of 1991 fitted in with the subcompact range. The current Mirage model is a subcompact hatchback and sedan and it replaces the Mitsubishi Colt sold between 2002 and 2012.
From the Wikipedia article Mitsubishi Mirage, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
What fails its inspection
Great Britain's MOT record for the 2013 1.2 petrol. 351 of 2,425 tests failed, 14%.
Better than 75% of 2013 cars. The typical one fails 19%, across 828 models with enough tests behind them to say.
| Where | Share of failures | Failed tests |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres and wheels | 37% | 131 |
| Brakes | 24% | 85 |
| Suspension | 24% | 84 |
| Visibility | 21% | 73 |
| Lights and electrics | 15% | 54 |
| Body and structure | 10% | 35 |
The defects inspectors cite
- Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
- A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
- Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
- A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
- A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
- A tyre seriously damaged
Where it stands out against its peers
- Visibility: failed more often than 93% of 2013 cars — 21% of its 351 failed tests, where an ordinary 2013 car has 10%.
Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.
NHTSA's investigations are American; no European regulator publishes an equivalent record, so this section has nothing to draw on for a European car. There is no European equivalent of the service-bulletin register either.
Before you buy one
Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.
- Tyres and wheels — 37% of its failures
- Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
- A tyre seriously damaged
- A tyre cords visible or damaged
- Brakes — 24% of its failures
- A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
- Suspension — 24% of its failures
- A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
- Lights and electrics — 15% of its failures
- A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
- Visibility — 21% of its failures
- Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
- Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen
- Body and structure — 10% of its failures
When it starts failing
At 120–140k miles this one fails 26% of its inspections, against the 24% an ordinary car of the same age fails.
| Odometer | Failure rate | Rate | Its age | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–20k miles | 6% | 8% | 124 | |
| 20–40k miles | 9% | 12% | 555 | |
| 40–60k miles | 15% | 16% | 746 | |
| 60–80k miles | 16% | 20% | 522 | |
| 80–100k miles | 19% | 22% | 288 | |
| 100–120k miles | 21% | 24% | 113 | |
| 120–140k miles | 26% | 24% | 42 |
2,390 British inspections, grouped by the odometer reading recorded at the test.
Half of these have more than 40k miles on them. That is how far people drive this car, not how long it lasts.
Specification
| Year | Measured |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 1.2 petrol · 79 hp · 950 kg · 2450 mm wheelbase · 4.7 L/100km (WLTP) |
| 2019 | 1.2 petrol · 980 kg · 2450 mm wheelbase · 5.6 L/100km (WLTP) |
| 2018 | 1.2 petrol · 940 kg · 2450 mm wheelbase · 4.1 L/100km (NEDC) |