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1988 Mitsubishi Pajero MOT Pass Rate

Pass rate for Pajero models manufactured in 1988, based on 404 real MOT test results.

45.0%
Pass Rate
55.0%
Fail Rate
404
Total Tests
183,420
Avg Mileage

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

This page shows all Pajero cars tested in 1988. Want to see how cars built in 1988 hold up over time?

View 1988 Mitsubishi Pajero vintage page โ†’ (27.0% current pass rate)

1988 Mitsubishi Pajero MOT Analysis

The 1988 Mitsubishi Pajero has an MOT pass rate of 45.0% based on 404 tests โ€” significantly below the UK average for UK vehicles. Cars of this vintage present for MOT with an average of 183,420 miles on the odometer. With a 55.0% failure rate, the 1988 Pajero is rated as "Very Poor" for MOT reliability.

The leading cause of MOT failure for the 1988 Mitsubishi Pajero is Steering, responsible for 0.7% of failures. Steering failures include excessive play in the steering wheel, leaking power steering fluid, worn track rod ends, and damaged steering rack. These affect vehicle control and are closely related to suspension wear. Typical repair costs range from ยฃ150โ€“600. Brakes is the second most common issue at 0.5%. Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment follows at 0.5%.

Top failures specific to 1988 models only. The overall Pajero page may show different rankings.

What Fails Most

What Fails on This Car?

Click a category to see specific failure items.

View as table
MOT failure categories ranked by failure rate
RankFailure CategoryRate (%)Count
1Steering0.7%3
2Brakes0.5%2
3Lamps, Reflectors And Electrical Equipment0.5%2
4Suspension0.2%1
5Tyres0.2%1
6Visibility0.2%1

Failures per 10,000 Miles

avg. 183,420 mi

For every 10,000 miles driven, this shows what percentage of MOT tests fail for each category. This accounts for how far cars are actually driven, not just raw pass/fail counts.

Steering0.04% per 10K miBrakes0.03% per 10K miLamps & Electrical0.03% per 10K miSuspension0.01% per 10K miTyres0.01% per 10K miVisibility0.01% per 10K mi
View as table
Mileage-normalised failure rates by category
CategoryRate / 10K miRaw %Count
Steering0.040.7%3
Brakes0.030.5%2
Lamps & Electrical0.030.5%2
Suspension0.010.2%1
Tyres0.010.2%1
Visibility0.010.2%1

Mileage Statistics

183,420
Mean
174,340
Median
151,494
25th Percentile
241,297
75th Percentile
3.00% failures per 10K miles

Mileage-adjusted failure rate โ€” accounts for how much this model year is typically driven.

About This Data

The 1988 Mitsubishi Pajero has an MOT pass rate of 45.0% based on 404 tests โ€” significantly below the UK average for UK vehicles. Cars of this vintage present for MOT with an average of 183,420 miles on the odometer. With a 55.0% failure rate, the 1988 Pajero is rated as "Very Poor" for MOT reliability.

If you own or are considering buying a 1988 Mitsubishi Pajero, be prepared for above-average maintenance costs. Before your MOT, pay particular attention to steering: Check for excessive steering wheel play (more than a few inches of free movement). Listen for whining from the power steering pump. Look for fluid leaks under the car near the front wheels. With an average mileage of 183,420 miles, these vehicles are in the higher-mileage bracket where wear-related failures become more common.

Steering โ€” 0.7% of failures

Steering issues account for 0.7% of MOT failures on 1988 Mitsubishi Pajero models. Steering failures include excessive play in the steering wheel, leaking power steering fluid, worn track rod ends, and damaged steering rack. These affect vehicle control and are closely related to suspension wear. Typical repair costs: ยฃ150โ€“600. Pre-MOT check: Check for excessive steering wheel play (more than a few inches of free movement). Listen for whining from the power steering pump. Look for fluid leaks under the car near the front wheels.

Brakes โ€” 0.5% of failures

Brakes issues account for 0.5% of MOT failures on 1988 Mitsubishi Pajero models. Brake-related failures include worn brake pads, corroded brake discs, leaking brake lines, and faulty brake servos. These are safety-critical components โ€” any brake deficiency will result in an MOT fail. Typical repair costs: ยฃ150โ€“400. Pre-MOT check: Listen for squealing or grinding noises. Check brake pedal feel โ€” if it feels spongy or goes to the floor, have the system inspected immediately. Look at brake pad thickness through the wheel spokes (minimum 3mm).

Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment โ€” 0.5% of failures

Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment issues account for 0.5% of MOT failures on 1988 Mitsubishi Pajero models. Lighting failures cover all external lights: headlights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights, and reflectors. A single blown bulb will cause an MOT fail. This is one of the most preventable failure categories. Typical repair costs: ยฃ5โ€“50. Pre-MOT check: Walk around the car and check every light โ€” headlights (dipped and main beam), side lights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, hazard lights, reverse light, rear fog light, and number plate lights. Replace any blown bulbs before the test.

Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005โ€“2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.

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