Used car guide

2015 Mitsubishi Mirage: common problems and what to check

What gets flagged at MOT on 2015 Mitsubishi Mirages, from 1,482 tests in 2025, plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

1,482MOT tests in 2025
80%pass first time (all 2015 cars: 72%)
4,700typical miles a year
4.4×the usual rate for ball joint dust cover

What stands out

Parts flagged at MOT more often on 2015 Mitsubishi Mirages than on all cars registered in 2015.

  • Ball joint dust cover4.4× usual
    Mitsubishi Mirage
    8% All 2015 cars
    1.8%

    Failed outright at MOT: 1.2%, against 0.7% of all 2015 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £60–£150 (one joint) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for knocking over bumps and check the rubber boots behind the wheels aren't split.

  • Rigid brake pipes3.1× usual
    Mitsubishi Mirage
    7.8% All 2015 cars
    2.5%

    Failed outright at MOT: 1.5%, against 0.3% of all 2015 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £100–£400 our estimate

    At the viewing: Ask to see underneath, or check the MOT advisories: corroded brake or fuel pipes get worse every year and fail the MOT when they do.

  • Sub-frame2× usual
    Mitsubishi Mirage
    3.2% All 2015 cars
    1.6%

    Failed outright at MOT: 0.1%, against 0.1% of all 2015 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £300–£1,000 our estimate

    At the viewing: Look underneath at the frame the suspension bolts to. Flaky rust or holes are expensive to fix.

By area

The share of 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Tyres
    32% of testsRough price £70–£150

    At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

  • Brakes
    25% of testsRough price £150–£350

    At the viewing: Look for a lip on the disc edges and feel for judder or pulling when braking firmly from about 40mph.

  • Suspension
    17% of testsRough price £120–£400

    At the viewing: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, and look behind each front wheel for a snapped coil spring.

  • Lights and electrics
    10% of testsRough price £10–£80

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light, including brake lights and indicators, while you operate them.

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    7% of testsRough price £15–£250

    At the viewing: Check for chips in the driver's view, and test the wipers and washers.

  • Exhaust and emissions
    2% of testsRough price £100–£1,200

    At the viewing: Look for black soot in the tailpipe, listen for blowing from the exhaust and check for engine or DPF warning lights.

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Other years

YearMOT testsMost flagged
2020705Tyres 23%
20191,132Tyres 26%
20181,029Tyres 28%
20171,266Tyres 28%
20161,387Tyres 30%
20141,724Tyres 32%
20132,136Tyres 34%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting tests of 2015 Mitsubishi Mirages registered in 2015. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score