Used car guide

2020 Mitsubishi Outlander: common problems and what to check

What gets flagged at MOT on 2020 Mitsubishi Outlanders, from 5,304 tests in 2025, plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

5,304MOT tests in 2025
86%pass first time (all 2020 cars: 86%)
9,000typical miles a year
4×the usual rate for headlights

What stands out

Parts flagged at MOT more often on 2020 Mitsubishi Outlanders than on all cars registered in 2020.

  • Headlights4× usual
    Mitsubishi Outlander
    2.4% All 2020 cars
    0.6%

    Failed outright at MOT: 2.3%, against 0.5% of all 2020 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £40–£400 our estimate

    At the viewing: Check both headlights on dipped and full beam, and look for cloudy or cracked lenses.

By area

The share of 2020 Mitsubishi Outlander MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Tyres
    26% of testsRough price £70–£150

    At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

  • Brakes
    16% of testsRough price £150–£350

    At the viewing: Look for a lip on the disc edges and feel for judder or pulling when braking firmly from about 40mph.

  • Lights and electrics
    6% of testsRough price £10–£80

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light, including brake lights and indicators, while you operate them.

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    6% of testsRough price £15–£250

    At the viewing: Check for chips in the driver's view, and test the wipers and washers.

  • Suspension
    5% of testsRough price £120–£400

    At the viewing: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, and look behind each front wheel for a snapped coil spring.

  • Seats and seatbelts
    3% of testsRough price £80–£250

    At the viewing: Pull each seatbelt sharply. It should lock, and retract cleanly.

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Other years

YearMOT testsMost flagged
20212,495Tyres 25%
20198,674Tyres 27%
201810,790Tyres 25%
20178,824Tyres 26%
201610,938Tyres 27%
201512,549Brakes 31%
20146,984Suspension 37%
20131,947Suspension 50%
20121,046Suspension 61%
20111,166Suspension 62%
20101,304Suspension 62%
20091,049Suspension 64%
20081,182Suspension 65%
2007802Suspension 68%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting tests of 2020 Mitsubishi Outlanders registered in 2020. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score