Used buying checklist

Mitsubishi Outlander reliability, common problems and used buying checks

A used Mitsubishi Outlander looks better than average for reliability in UK MOT data: 15.5% of 82,159 tests failed, compared with 18.7% across all indexed models. A good example should have a clean MOT history for corrosion and structure, suspension and steering, and lights and electrical.

Sources used: DVSA MOT tests (Apr 2026); vehicle recalls (Apr 2026); MOT fault wording (May 2025). MOT data does not capture every reliability issue, especially intermittent engine, gearbox or infotainment faults that do not appear during the test.

• 15.5% MOT failure rate
• Median tested mileage 71,283 miles
• 12,712 failed MOT tests analysed

Most useful finding

Corrosion and structure is the clearest area to check

Corrosion and structure is the clearest named problem area in this model's MOT history (25.7 MOT notes per 100 tests). Example MOT phrases from this area include corroded and seriously weakened, excessively corroded, and corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened.

Example MOT phrases to search in the car's history:

• corroded and seriously weakened
• excessively corroded
• corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened
• corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced
• ball joint excessively worn
• across an axle
• ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt
• ball joint has excessive play
• has a product on the lens so that the light output is severely reduced
• inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources

Before you view one

Focus on corrosion and structure, suspension and steering, and lights and electrical

The model's recorded failure rate is 15.5%, -3.3 percentage points compared with the average across all models. Use the seller questions below to check whether repeat MOT notes have actually been repaired.

• MOT tests analysed82,159 tests
• Median tested mileage71,283 miles
• Failed MOT tests12,712

Used buyer verdict

Should you buy a used Mitsubishi Outlander?

84.5% of the MOT tests we analysed for this model passed. The model's recorded failure rate is 15.5%, -3.3 percentage points compared with the average across all models. This is a buying brief for the exact car in front of you: clean repeat history matters more than badge reputation.

Better than average in our MOT data

Green light if The car has a tidy MOT pattern, recent repairs for corrosion and structure, suspension and steering, and lights and electrical, matching tyres, and paperwork for service or recall work.

Renegotiate if The latest MOT mentions corrosion and structure, suspension and steering, and lights and electrical, consumables are due together, or the seller cannot show what was fixed after advisories.

Walk away if Dangerous defects, corrosion near structural areas, warning lights, or the same component family keep returning without clear repair evidence.

• Repeat unresolved MOT notes for corrosion and structure, suspension and steering, and lights and electrical
• corrosion and structure appearing across more than one MOT
• Any dangerous MOT failure on the exact car, especially if the same area appears again later
• No paperwork showing applicable recall work has been completed
• A seller who cannot explain MOT wording such as "corroded and seriously weakened"

What should I check first?

Start with corrosion and structure, suspension and steering, lights and electrical, and windscreen, wipers, and mirrors. The checklist on this page explains why each area is being recommended, what to inspect, and what to ask the seller. Each item shows whether it comes from MOT results, recall notices, or a standard used-car check.

• Corrosion and structure Seen in MOT results

  Corrosion and structure is one of the most common MOT problem areas for this model (25.7 MOT notes per 100 tests).

  What to check: Inspect sills, subframes, mounting points, arches, and underside corrosion advisories.

  • Ask the seller: Has any sill, subframe, mounting-point, chassis, or structural corrosion advisory been repaired properly?
  • Example MOT wording: corroded and seriously weakened; excessively corroded; corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened
  • Where it shows up: seen across most mileage ranges
• Suspension and steering Seen in MOT results

  Suspension and steering is one of the most common MOT problem areas for this model (19.8 MOT notes per 100 tests).

  What to check: Listen for knocks, check uneven tyre wear, and inspect steering play.

  • Ask the seller: Has any suspension, steering, ball-joint, spring, or wheel-bearing advisory been repaired?
  • Example MOT wording: ball joint excessively worn; across an axle; ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt
  • Where it shows up: seen across most mileage ranges
• Lights and electrical Seen in MOT results

  Lights and electrical is one of the most common MOT problem areas for this model (7.8 MOT notes per 100 tests).

  What to check: Check every lamp, warning light, horn, battery condition, and dashboard messages.

  • Ask the seller: Have any lighting, warning-light, horn, battery, or electrical MOT notes come back more than once?
  • Example MOT wording: has a product on the lens so that the light output is severely reduced; inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources; lens slightly defective
  • Where it shows up: most visible around 50-100k, 100-150k, 150-200k, and 200k+ miles
• Windscreen, wipers, and mirrors Seen in MOT results

  Windscreen, wipers, and mirrors is one of the most common MOT problem areas for this model (6.5 MOT notes per 100 tests).

  What to check: Check windscreen damage, wiper operation, washers, mirrors, and demisting.

  • Ask the seller: Have windscreen, wiper, washer, mirror, or demisting faults appeared in recent MOT history?
  • Example MOT wording: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view; to the front outside the swept area of the windscreen wipers restricted by an obstruction; does not clear the windscreen effectively
  • Where it shows up: most visible around 0-50k and 50-100k miles
• Emissions, engine, and exhaust Seen in MOT results

  Emissions, engine, and exhaust is one of the most common MOT problem areas for this model (4.9 MOT notes per 100 tests).

  What to check: Check warning lights, smoke, exhaust leaks, recent emissions failures, and service history.

  • Ask the seller: Has the car had repeat emissions, smoke, exhaust, lambda, or engine-warning MOT failures?
  • Example MOT wording: has a major leak of exhaust gases; leaking excessively from engine; emissions exceed manufacturer's specified limit
  • Where it shows up: most visible around 100-150k, 150-200k, and 200k+ miles
• Tyres and wheels Seen in MOT results

  Tyres and wheels is one of the most common MOT problem areas for this model (2.8 MOT notes per 100 tests).

  What to check: Check tyre age, tread depth, sidewall damage, wheel condition, and alignment wear.

  • Ask the seller: Have uneven tyre wear, damaged tyres, wheel damage, or alignment issues been corrected?
  • Example MOT wording: Nail in tyre; Spare tyre defective; has no recorded effort at a wheel
  • Where it shows up: most visible around 0-50k miles

What changes with mileage?

Past 100k miles on the Mitsubishi Outlander, MOT records most often point to corrosion and structure, suspension and steering, and lights and electrical.

Common MOT problem areas

82,159 MOT tests analysed for this model

64,350 Distinct vehicles represented

15.5% Recorded MOT test failure rate — -3.3 percentage points vs all models

Common faults: what usually fails on this model?

Corrosion and structure is the clearest named problem area in the MOT history (25.7 MOT notes per 100 tests). These counts are issue notes, not failure rates, because a single MOT can list several faults.

Corrosion and structure

• corroded and seriously weakened
• excessively corroded

25.7 MOT notes per 100 tests

Suspension and steering

• ball joint excessively worn
• across an axle

19.8 MOT notes per 100 tests

Lights and electrical

• has a product on the lens so that the light output is severely reduced
• inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources

7.8 MOT notes per 100 tests

Windscreen, wipers, and mirrors

• damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view
• to the front outside the swept area of the windscreen wipers restricted by an obstruction

6.5 MOT notes per 100 tests

Emissions, engine, and exhaust

• has a major leak of exhaust gases
• leaking excessively from engine

4.9 MOT notes per 100 tests

Tyres and wheels

• Nail in tyre
• Spare tyre defective

2.8 MOT notes per 100 tests

Seatbelts and safety systems

• Standard fitment seat belt missing

0.0 MOT notes per 100 tests

Recall-related areas to verify

Official recall areas

Manufacturer recall notices for the Mitsubishi Outlander mainly involve 6 areas: brakes, lights and electrical, suspension and steering, and emissions, engine, and exhaust. Treat each as something to verify on the specific car you are viewing; the recall table below shows the official notice text.

Brakes

• The brake hydraulic unit function may be interrupted
• Parking brake caliper shaft boots incorrectly sealed

11 recalls · 141,222 vehicles

Lights and electrical

• Ecu relay may overheat and cause ecu to malfunction
• Internal combustion engine may not perform as expected

5 recalls · 55,854 vehicles

Suspension and steering

• The flange of the drive belt automatic tensioner may crack
• Water ingress may cause windscreen wipers to fail

4 recalls · 20,202 vehicles

Emissions, engine, and exhaust

• Short circuit may occur
• Engine may stall

3 recalls · 10,088 vehicles

Mixed recall notices

• Sunroof glass may detach from the sunroof assembly
• Door latching mechanism may malfunction in hot temperatures

2 recalls · 24,358 vehicles

Tyres and wheels

• Rear wheel and hub may detach

1 recall · 174 vehicles

Mileage and age checks

Mileage changes: what starts showing up after high mileage?

Past 100k miles on the Mitsubishi Outlander, MOT records most often point to corrosion and structure, suspension and steering, and lights and electrical. On lower-mileage cars, the most common named areas are windscreen, wipers, and mirrors, corrosion and structure, and suspension and steering.

Mileage range	Tests	Vehicles	Failure rate (vs all models)	Median mileage
0-50k	21,916	19,034	9.0%-1.8 percentage points vs all models	36,865 miles
50-100k	38,741	31,305	15.2%-5.5 percentage points vs all models	71,750 miles
100-150k	16,470	12,014	22.2%-4.0 percentage points vs all models	118,422 miles
150-200k	4,077	2,771	25.8%-1.5 percentage points vs all models	165,351 miles
200k+	574	368	23.5%-3.0 percentage points vs all models	215,750 miles

Problem areas by mileage

Past 100k miles on the Mitsubishi Outlander, MOT records most often point to corrosion and structure, suspension and steering, and lights and electrical.

Mileage range	Car areas most often recorded	Specific MOT defect examples
0-50k	Windscreen, wipers, and mirrors (5.9 MOT notes per 100 tests) Corrosion and structure (5.4 MOT notes per 100 tests) Suspension and steering (4.3 MOT notes per 100 tests)	No exact MOT wording is available for this mileage range.
50-100k	Corrosion and structure (20.4 MOT notes per 100 tests) Suspension and steering (16.1 MOT notes per 100 tests) Windscreen, wipers, and mirrors (6.2 MOT notes per 100 tests)	No exact MOT wording is available for this mileage range.
100-150k	Corrosion and structure (52.2 MOT notes per 100 tests) Suspension and steering (39.1 MOT notes per 100 tests) Lights and electrical (17.6 MOT notes per 100 tests)	No exact MOT wording is available for this mileage range.
150-200k	Corrosion and structure (75.7 MOT notes per 100 tests) Suspension and steering (55.3 MOT notes per 100 tests) Lights and electrical (26.4 MOT notes per 100 tests)	No exact MOT wording is available for this mileage range.
200k+	Suspension and steering (60.5 MOT notes per 100 tests) Corrosion and structure (47.9 MOT notes per 100 tests) Lights and electrical (28.8 MOT notes per 100 tests)	No exact MOT wording is available for this mileage range.

Fair comparisons: is this problem normal for its age?

The MOT failure rate rises from 5.7% at 0-3 years to 30.4% at 15+ years. Compare the car with the nearest age range before treating a fault as normal wear or a warning sign. The average MOT failure rate across all models in the same dataset is 18.7%. The highest failure rate by age is 30.4% for 15+ years cars, based on 4,086 tests.

Age range	Tests	Vehicles	Failure rate (vs all models)	Median age
0-3 years 2023–2026 reg.	122	115	5.7%-2.7 percentage points vs all models	3.0 years
3-6 years 2020–2023 reg.	25,283	21,368	9.4%-1.1 percentage points vs all models	5.0 years
6-10 years 2016–2020 reg.	42,551	33,735	15.1%-1.5 percentage points vs all models	7.9 years
10-15 years 2011–2016 reg.	10,117	7,335	26.3%+2.7 percentage points vs all models	12.6 years
15+ years pre-2011 reg.	4,086	2,861	30.4%+4.5 percentage points vs all models	15.8 years

Recall records and data freshness

Recall context: are there safety notices to know about?

6 relevant recall notices appear for this model. Treat them as safety checks to verify for the exact car, not as normal MOT wear.

2020-10-09	THE RIGHT SIDE SECOND ROW SEAT BELT MAY BE ASSEMBLED INCORRECTLY The right side second row seat belt may be assembled incorrectly. Inspect the installation of the seat belt and replace if necessary.
2019-01-02	SUNROOF GLASS MAY DETACH FROM THE SUNROOF ASSEMBLY The sunroof glass may detach from the sunroof assembly. Replace the sunroof glass and bonding material.
2019-01-02	THE FLANGE OF THE DRIVE BELT AUTOMATIC TENSIONER MAY CRACK Power steering drive belt automatic tensioner may crack and fail. Replace the automatic tensioner and bolts.
2018-11-03	THE BRAKE HYDRAULIC UNIT FUNCTION MAY BE INTERRUPTED Driver assist programme functions through the hydraulic brake unit may be interrupted. The ECU will be rewritten with modified software.
2018-08-08	PARKING BRAKE CALIPER SHAFT BOOTS INCORRECTLY SEALED Due to improper sealing of parking brake caliper shaft boots water might penetrate inside and rust the shaft. As the result of continuous use the rust will erode into the internal caliper and the shaft becomes stuck causing decreased parking brake force. Due to improper manufacturing process automatic adjuster for brake pad clearance of rear brake caliper might not work properly. As the result as brake pad wear the clearance is not correctly adjusted and brake force becomes insufficient to hold a vehicle. In the worst case scenario parking brake will not work even though a lever is fully operated and parked vehicle may move. Anti-rust coating (Fluorine) has been applied to parking brake shaft from 27/01/2016 supplied parts & the Inspection process for the caliper has been changed from 14/12/2014 supplied parts.
2018-05-26	WATER INGRESS MAY CAUSE WINDSCREEN WIPERS TO FAIL Due to inappropriate waterproofing water may be drawn into the front wiper motor and/or may cause corrosion of the wiper link ball joint. This may over time cause the wipers to fail. On affected vehicles replace the wiper motor which has a modified breather and wiper link ball joint.

Related searches

Common ways people look up the Mitsubishi Outlander. Each link runs the search and lands on the relevant section of this report.

• Mitsubishi Outlander common problems
• Mitsubishi Outlander reliability
• Mitsubishi Outlander after 100k miles
• Mitsubishi Outlander after 200k miles
• Mitsubishi Outlander high mileage common problems
• Mitsubishi Outlander age related problems
• Mitsubishi Outlander MOT failures
• Mitsubishi Outlander recalls

Related reliability guides

Sources used: DVSA MOT tests (Apr 2026); vehicle recalls (Apr 2026); MOT fault wording (May 2025). These are patterns from many MOT tests and recall notices. They help you decide what to inspect and what to ask; they do not certify the condition of one specific car.