2003 Mitsubishi Lancer: MOT pass rate and reliability
90.4% of 2003 Mitsubishi Lancers pass the MOT first time, measured across 250 DVSA tests on that model year alone. The average one had covered 77,790 miles.
How the 2003 compares
- Against all Mitsubishi Lancers (72.1%, 9,931 tests): +18.3 points
- Against all 2003 cars (64.7%): +25.7 points
- National first-time pass rate, all cars and years: 77%
Every Mitsubishi Lancer model year
Pass rates fall as cars age, so the only fair comparison for a 2003 car is other cars of the same age. The full run for the Mitsubishi Lancer:
| Year | Pass rate | Tests | Avg mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 90.4% | 250 | 77,790 |
| 2004 | 89.5% | 382 | 77,259 |
| 2005 | 72.8% | 1,038 | 87,575 |
| 2006 | 71.1% | 971 | 87,992 |
| 2007 | 71.6% | 857 | 87,371 |
| 2008 | 69.6% | 1,415 | 97,620 |
| 2009 | 68.3% | 1,131 | 104,118 |
| 2010 | 64.7% | 1,638 | 102,360 |
| 2011 | 64.9% | 1,201 | 99,810 |
What this means if you are buying a 2003 Lancer
The 2003 is one of the stronger years for this model, passing 18.3 points more often than the Mitsubishi Lancer average. That is a point in its favour, though condition and service history still matter more than the model year. Check the exact car with the free MOT history checker before you buy, and run its VIN and mileage through our free VIN decoder and clocking check.
What a 23-year-old car fails on
A 2003 car is 23 years old now, and age drives the failure mix more than the badge does. Across all cars tested, these are the categories that actually cause failures:
- Lights and electrical: 10.36% of all cars tested
- Suspension: 8.65% of all cars tested
- Tyres: 6.23% of all cars tested
- Brakes: 6.1% of all cars tested
- Visibility: wipers, washers, glass: 4.65% of all cars tested
- Body, chassis and structure: 3.18% of all cars tested
That is a shade above the middle of the range, still ordinary wear rather than a red flag, but worth checking against the service book for the car's age. On a 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer the average at test was 77,790 miles, so treat anything far above that as a car that has worked harder than its peers, and anything far below as one worth checking for the faults that come from standing still.
2003 is the strongest year on record for this model at 90.4%, ahead of every other year we hold data for.
Nearby model years
- 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer - 89.5%
- 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer - 72.8%
- 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer - 71.1%