The Mitsubishi Mirage was commonly sold on
Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) and
Hire Purchase (HP) finance agreements during the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) investigation period from 6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024. The FCA found that many car dealerships, including those offering the Mirage, used
discretionary commission arrangements (DCAs) that could have been unfair and misleading to consumers.
How the Mitsubishi Mirage was Typically Financed
The Mitsubishi Mirage, a popular subcompact car known for its fuel efficiency and affordability, was often financed through PCP or HP agreements during its sales period. Typical financing amounts ranged from £15,000 to £30,000, with terms spanning 36 to 48 months. Common finance lenders for the Mirage included
Black Horse, Barclays Partner Finance,
Close Brothers Motor Finance,
MotoNovo Finance, and
Santander Consumer Finance.
PCP agreements typically included a balloon payment at the end of the term, which represents the remaining value of the vehicle if you choose not to purchase it outright or do a part-exchange. This final lump sum can be significant and may affect your decision on whether to continue with the car or return it to the lender.
The FCA Motor Finance Investigation
The FCA investigation uncovered that many lenders had discretionary commission arrangements (DCAs) during the period from 6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024. These DCAs allowed dealerships and brokers to receive additional payments for selling certain finance products, potentially influencing sales practices in a way that did not benefit customers.
According to the FCA’s findings, 12.1 million eligible agreements (FCA, March 2026) by these arrangements (FCA estimate) (FCA, March 2026).2 billion total; FCA estimate). This mis-selling involved steering consumers towards more expensive financing options than they might have otherwise chosen based on their individual circumstances.
How to Check Your Agreement Look specifically at the dates of your agreement and any mentions of DCAs or discretionary commissions. If your finance contract was signed between 6 April 2007 and 1 November 2024, there is a possibility that it may have been influenced by these arrangements.
You can also check if your lender is one of those commonly associated with the Mirage: Black Horse, Barclays Partner Finance, Close Brothers Motor Finance, MotoNovo Finance, or Santander Consumer Finance. If your agreement includes any unusual terms or conditions that seem out of place for a typical finance deal, it might be worth investigating further.
If you suspect your Mitsubishi Mirage finance agreement was affected by the FCA investigation and DCAs, you do not need a
claims management company to handle your complaint. You can complain directly to your lender for free.
Contacting lenders such as Black Horse, Barclays Partner Finance, Close Brothers Motor Finance, MotoNovo Finance, or Santander Consumer Finance is straightforward and often leads to quicker resolution than going through intermediaries. Provide them with the details of your agreement and any concerns you have about discretionary commissions or unfair sales practices. Remember that you do not need a claims management company; your lender should be able to handle all aspects of your complaint.
Sources and References
- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). (2024). FCA Motor Finance Investigation.
- Office for National Statistics (ONS) Census 2021
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.