Mitsubishi Colt
Smart/Renault 3-cylinder with 1.1-litre displacement and timing chain. Simple naturally aspirated engine with no known serious weaknesses. Oil change every 10,000 km; check thermostat occasionally.
City dwarf
The 1.1 Smart engine is just barely enough for city traffic. Little comfort, but frugal and nimble in town.
Engine Weaknesses 3
The M134.910 thermostat tends to stick — either running too cool (stuck open) or too hot (stuck closed). Replace preventively on vehicles over 100,000 km. A cheap measure with a big payoff.
Symptoms: Engine fails to reach normal operating temperature or overheats, poor heater output
The three-cylinder M134.910 is more sensitive to worn spark plugs than four-cylinder units — a single cylinder misfire means a 33% power loss. Stick to the 60,000 km replacement interval.
Symptoms: Rough idle, noticeable stumble on cold start, increased fuel consumption
The M134.910 throttle body is prone to carbon deposits on poorly maintained vehicles. Erratic idle and sluggish throttle response can result. Cleaning during a service is recommended.
Symptoms: Rough idle, poor throttle response when accelerating, occasional stalling at idle
Vehicle Weaknesses 10
Around 1,348 vehicles from model years 2010–2011 were recalled because the fuel tank sender unit could allow fuel to escape due to insufficient material strength.
The immobiliser fails to recognise the key reliably. The starter battery gives up prematurely, and light bulbs generally have a short service life. On 2005–2006 model years the throttle body can cause sudden engine shutdown.
The AC compressor fails particularly on 2006–2009 models, often already from 70,000 km. Cooling performance slowly deteriorates until the system fails completely. Compressor replacement is relatively expensive on this small car.
The throttle body becomes dirty or fails particularly on 2005–2006 models. Engine enters limp mode, check engine light illuminates. Cleaning or a software update often resolves it.
Brake discs wear above average and are frequently flagged as defective at MOT. Failed rear lights are another typical MOT issue. Regular brake system inspection recommended.
The front axle tends to rumble due to worn steering ball joints and drop links. Ball joints are frequently flagged at MOT.
Low-beam bulbs and rear light clusters fail on the Colt above-average often. This was a recurring ADAC breakdown reason and an MOT advisory point.
The starter battery on the Colt Z30 quits early. In ADAC reliability reports the battery was among the most frequent breakdown causes.
Reverse gear requires increased effort to engage. Other gears can also become stiff over time.
The dashboard and trim panels rattle on pre-facelift models due to poor panel fit. Adding sound-deadening material is the only remedy.