The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross PHEV was commonly sold on
personal contract purchase (PCP) and
hire purchase (HP) finance agreements during a period when motor finance practices were under scrutiny by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This investigation, which spanned from 6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024, revealed significant issues related to
discretionary commission arrangements in the UK automotive finance industry.
How the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross PHEV was Typically Financed
During the period of interest, the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross PHEV was frequently financed through PCP and HP agreements. Typical PCP terms ranged from £15,000 to £30,000 for a 36-48 month term, with some agreements including a final balloon payment that would need to be settled at the end of the contract. Common lenders who provided finance for Mitsubishi vehicles during this period included
Black Horse, Barclays Partner Finance,
Close Brothers Motor Finance,
MotoNovo Finance, and
Santander Consumer Finance.
These financing options were popular among consumers due to their flexibility, allowing drivers to manage monthly payments while having the option to return or purchase the vehicle at the end of the agreement. However, many drivers might have been unaware of the potential mis-selling practices that occurred during this time.
The FCA Motor Finance Investigation
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) launched an investigation into motor finance arrangements from 6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024, focusing on discretionary commission schemes. These schemes were alleged to incentivise lenders and dealerships to push customers towards higher interest rate agreements or more complex financing structures that maximised profits for the lender rather than providing transparent and fair terms for consumers.
The investigation found that 12.1 million eligible agreements (FCA estimate) across various car models, including the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross PHEV, were affected by these practices. The total mis-selling amounted to £7.5 billion (FCA, March 2026), with an average mis-sold amount of £829 per agreement (FCA estimate). This revelation highlighted significant concerns about the transparency and fairness in motor finance dealings.
How to Check Your Agreement Look for any clauses or references that mention "Discretionary Commission Arrangements" (DCA) or similar terminology indicating an indirect payment arrangement between the lender and dealership.
Relevant dates to consider include agreements made from 6 April 2007 up until 1 November 2024, as these are within the timeframe of the FCA investigation. check if your agreement includes any unusual terms such as high early settlement fees or unexpected charges that might indicate a potential mis-selling issue.
If you suspect that your Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross PHEV finance agreement was part of an unfair
commission arrangement, you can complain directly to the relevant lender without needing to use any
claims management company. Common lenders for Mitsubishi vehicles include Black Horse, Barclays Partner Finance, Close Brothers Motor Finance, MotoNovo Finance, and Santander Consumer Finance.
When contacting your lender, be prepared with details from your finance agreement such as your name, address, loan reference number, the date of application or issue of the contract, and any specific concerns you have about mis-selling practices. You do not need a claims management company to handle this process; lenders are required by law to provide free avenues for redress.
Sources and References
- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). "Motor Finance: Final Report." Retrieved from https://www.fca.org.uk/publications/final-reports/motor-finance-final-report
- Office for National Statistics (ONS). Census 2021. Retrieved from https://www.ons.gov.uk/census/2021census
Based on 360 MOT tests conducted in 2024 (source: DVSA anonymised test data), the Mitsubishi I has a pass rate of 80.6%. This is close to the national average of 79.6%, meaning the I performs about average in MOT testing.
The I pass rate is in line with the overall Mitsubishi average of 79.8%. The average mileage at MOT for this model is 47,402 miles.
- MOT pass rate: 80.6%
- MOT failure rate: 19.4%
- Tests analysed: 360 (2024 DVSA data)
- Average mileage at test: 47,402 miles
- Mitsubishi average pass rate: 79.8%
- National average pass rate: 79.6%
Data source: DVSA anonymised MOT test results 2024, published under the Open Government Licence v3.0.