At a Glance
The Mitsubishi Carisma has 16 identified common problems across 1 generation, with the Mk1 (1995-2004) being the most affected generation and brakes the most common problem category. Based on 279K MOT tests from DVSA data.
Problems are patterns in the DVSA data that occur significantly more often on a specific model than the UK average — confirmed at 99% statistical confidence. Read our DVSA MOT data methodology →
Below: generation-by-generation comparison of Mitsubishi Carisma common problems, MOT failure types, and pass-rate data drawn from DVSA records. Click any generation to see fuel- and engine-specific fault patterns, mileage-banded repair guidance, and the most common MOT failures testers record.
MOT Tests & Failures by Generation
Mitsubishi Carisma generations by MOT tests, failures, and identified problems from DVSA data
Hover over each bar for a full breakdown. Tap any bar to view that generation's problems.
Showing total MOT tests, failures, and known problems per make. Hover over each bar for a full breakdown.
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Browse Mitsubishi Carisma Generations
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Most Common Mitsubishi Carisma MOT Failures
Every reason Mitsubishi Carisma vehicles fail their MOT, ranked by frequency. Select an individual year to see only that year’s failures, or stay on ‘All time’ for the combined picture across our 20 years of DVSA data. Scroll inside the table for the full list.
| # | Failure | % of failures |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brake hydraulic component worn | 12.78% |
| 2 | Tyre tread depth below limit | 11.66% |
| 3 | Suspension joint or bush worn | 9.66% |
| 4 | Stop lamp not working | 6.53% |
| 5 | Brake performance below minimum | 5.25% |
| 6 | Front lamp not working | 5.05% |
| 7 | Brake pads or linings worn | 4.96% |
| 8 | Tyre condition | 4.66% |
| 9 | Number plate lamp not working | 4.60% |
| 10 | Headlamp aim defect | 4.05% |
| 11 | Brake disc or drum worn | 2.36% |
| 12 | Exhaust system fault | 2.30% |
| 13 | Track rod end worn | 2.03% |
| 14 | Windscreen washer not working | 1.83% |
| 15 | Wiper blades deteriorated | 1.68% |
| 16 | Front suspension joint worn | 1.68% |
| 17 | Fog lamp not working | 1.58% |
| 18 | Parking brake condition | 1.32% |
| 19 | Driveshaft fault | 1.27% |
| 20 | Coil spring broken or corroded | 1.23% |
| 21 | Rear lamp not working | 1.17% |
| 22 | Indicator fault | 0.76% |
| 23 | Mirror damaged or missing | 0.72% |
| 24 | Shock absorber worn or leaking | 0.67% |
| 25 | Windscreen damage affecting view | 0.58% |
| 26 | Headlamp fault | 0.56% |
| 27 | Parking brake performance below minimum | 0.55% |
| 28 | Steering rack fault | 0.54% |
| 29 | Rigid brake pipe corroded or damaged | 0.53% |
| 30 | Ball joint dust cover split | 0.47% |
| 31 | Seat belt condition | 0.45% |
| 32 | Spark ignition emissions above threshold | 0.43% |
| 33 | Position lamp not working | 0.41% |
| 34 | Battery loose or leaking | 0.33% |
| 35 | Suspension mounting corroded | 0.32% |
| 36 | Tyre size or type not matched | 0.32% |
| 37 | Body corrosion or damage | 0.30% |
| 38 | MacPherson strut worn | 0.26% |
| 39 | Horn not working | 0.26% |
| 40 | Brake pedal fault | 0.25% |
| 41 | Fuel cap damaged or missing | 0.25% |
| 42 | Brake fluid leak | 0.23% |
| 43 | Front suspension fault | 0.22% |
| 44 | Flexible brake hose damaged | 0.19% |
| 45 | Brake pedal movement restricted | 0.18% |
| 46 | Rear fog lamp not working | 0.15% |
| 47 | ABS fault | 0.15% |
| 48 | Suspension linkage fault | 0.14% |
| 49 | Rear suspension fault | 0.14% |
| 50 | Airbag warning light on | 0.11% |
| 51 | Handbrake cable fault | 0.09% |
| 52 | Catalytic converter efficiency low | 0.09% |
| 53 | Tyre valve stem damaged | 0.09% |
| 54 | Chassis condition | 0.08% |
| 55 | Brake caliper fault | 0.07% |
| 56 | Bonnet catch or hinge fault | 0.06% |
| 57 | Steering free play excessive | 0.06% |
| 58 | Suspension arm worn or corroded | 0.06% |
| 59 | Bonded suspension condition | 0.06% |
| 60 | Steering lock fault | 0.06% |
| 61 | Compression ignition emissions above threshold | 0.06% |
| 62 | Steering arm worn | 0.05% |
| 63 | Steering operation fault | 0.05% |
| 64 | Dashboard warning lamp fault | 0.05% |
| 65 | Body security fault | 0.05% |
| 66 | Brake air or vacuum system fault | 0.05% |
| 67 | Fuel tank corroded or leaking | 0.04% |
| 68 | Power steering pipe or hose leaking | 0.04% |
| 69 | Fuel pipe corroded or damaged | 0.04% |
| 70 | Tie bar or rod worn or corroded | 0.03% |
| 71 | Power steering pump fault | 0.03% |
| 72 | Brake back plate corroded or damaged | 0.03% |
| 73 | Engine oil leak | 0.03% |
| 74 | Vehicle structure corrosion | 0.03% |
| 75 | Anti-roll bar worn or corroded | 0.03% |
| 76 | Brake cable, rod, lever or linkage fault | 0.03% |
| 77 | Wheel bearing worn | 0.03% |
| 78 | Drag link end worn | 0.02% |
| 79 | Rear reflector damaged or missing | 0.02% |
| 80 | Brake fluid level low or contaminated | 0.02% |
| 81 | Engine mounting worn or broken | 0.02% |
| 82 | Boot lid damaged or insecure | 0.02% |
| 83 | Brake lever fault | 0.02% |
| 84 | Steering drive system fault | 0.02% |
| 85 | Steering column fault | 0.02% |
| 86 | Handbrake lever fault | 0.02% |
| 87 | Brake fluid warning light on | 0.02% |
| 88 | Exhaust emissions above threshold (non-catalyst) | 0.02% |
| 89 | Electrical switch fault | 0.02% |
| 90 | Electrical wiring fault | 0.01% |
| 91 | King pin or swivel pin worn | 0.01% |
| 92 | CV joint worn | 0.01% |
| 93 | Subframe mounting corroded | 0.01% |
| 94 | Headlamp levelling device fault | 0.01% |
| 95 | Towbar fault | 0.01% |
| 96 | Suspension unit fault | 0.01% |
| 97 | Suspension linkage attachment bracket or mounting corroded | 0.01% |
| 98 | Trailing arm worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 99 | Bumper damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 100 | Rear fog lamp warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 101 | Brake wheel cylinder fault | <0.01% |
| 102 | Propshaft fault | <0.01% |
| 103 | Subframe corrosion or damage | <0.01% |
| 104 | Suspension retaining or locking device fault | <0.01% |
| 105 | Fuel hose damaged or leaking | <0.01% |
| 106 | Power steering ram fault | <0.01% |
| 107 | Tailgate damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 108 | Spring mounting corroded | <0.01% |
| 109 | Brake relay lever fault | <0.01% |
| 110 | Speedometer fault | <0.01% |
| 111 | Radius arm worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 112 | Driver door fault | <0.01% |
| 113 | Driver seat fault | <0.01% |
| 114 | Steering wheel damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 115 | Steering coupling worn | <0.01% |
| 116 | Brake fluid reservoir fault | <0.01% |
| 117 | Access panel damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 118 | Front passenger door fault | <0.01% |
| 119 | Hydraulic brake cylinder fault | <0.01% |
| 120 | Semaphore indicator fault | <0.01% |
| 121 | Additional braking device fault | <0.01% |
| 122 | Hydraulic fluid leak | <0.01% |
| 123 | Brake master cylinder fault | <0.01% |
| 124 | Spare wheel fault | <0.01% |
| 125 | Steering shaft fault | <0.01% |
| 126 | Passenger seat fault | <0.01% |
| 127 | Undertray damaged or missing | <0.01% |
| 128 | Brake pressure or vacuum buildup insufficient | <0.01% |
| 129 | Brake servo fault | <0.01% |
| 130 | Halfshaft fault | <0.01% |
| 131 | Axle beam corroded or cracked | <0.01% |
| 132 | Driver airbag fault | <0.01% |
| 133 | Exhaust leak | <0.01% |
| 134 | Hinged tailboard damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 135 | Mirror or camera fault | <0.01% |
| 136 | Stub axle worn | <0.01% |
| 137 | Torsion bar worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 138 | Speed limiter fault | <0.01% |
| 139 | Axle corroded or damaged | <0.01% |
| 140 | Hazard warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 141 | Loading door damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 142 | Steering damper fault | <0.01% |
| 143 | Steering intermediate drop arm worn | <0.01% |
| 144 | Suspension rod worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 145 | Transmission oil leak | <0.01% |
| 146 | Vehicle floor corroded | <0.01% |
| 147 | Wheel hub fault | <0.01% |
| 148 | Window damaged or won't operate | <0.01% |
| 149 | Body strengthening plate corroded | <0.01% |
| 150 | Brake clevis joint worn | <0.01% |
| 151 | Brake pedal linkage fault | <0.01% |
| 152 | Brake slack adjuster fault | <0.01% |
| 153 | Brake valve fault | <0.01% |
| 154 | Dip switch fault | <0.01% |
| 155 | Electronic braking system fault | <0.01% |
| 156 | Electronic stability control fault | <0.01% |
| 157 | Hand-operated brake valve condition | <0.01% |
| 158 | Handbrake mechanism or mounting fault | <0.01% |
| 159 | Leaf spring broken or corroded | <0.01% |
| 160 | Leaf spring eye worn or broken | <0.01% |
| 161 | Passenger airbag fault | <0.01% |
| 162 | Steering box fault | <0.01% |
| 163 | Torque or reaction arm worn | <0.01% |
| 164 | Transmission drive belt fault | <0.01% |
Showing all 164 reasons — scroll inside the table for the full list.
Mitsubishi Carisma MOT Failures by Category
Total MOT failure occurrences for the Mitsubishi Carisma, grouped by category. Same data as the failures table above — just sliced by category instead of fault title. Hover a slice for the top failures in each category.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common Mitsubishi Carisma problems?
Based on analysis of 279K Mitsubishi Carisma MOT tests from DVSA data, we have 16 identified common problems across 1 generation. The most frequently flagged issue is "Catalytic converter efficiency low". Brakes is the most common problem category.
Which Mitsubishi Carisma generation has the most problems?
The Mitsubishi Carisma Mk1 (1995-2004) (1995–2004) has the highest number of identified common problems (18). Click the generation card above for the full breakdown.
How is this data calculated?
We analyse anonymised DVSA MOT test records under the Open Government Licence. An issue is classified as a "Common Problem" when it occurs significantly more often on a specific model than the UK average, confirmed at 99% statistical confidence. Read the full methodology page for details.
Can I report a problem with my Mitsubishi Carisma?
Yes — use the "Tell Us About Your Problem" form on this page. Your report helps other Mitsubishi Carisma owners spot problems early. All submissions are reviewed before being added to the public database.
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