Common problems
Mitsubishi L200 common problems
What MOT testers find on the Mitsubishi L200: the parts that fail or get advisories most often at each age, against all cars of the same age. From 356,000 DVSA MOT tests taken 2022 to 2025.
MOT data updated
At 6 years, the most tested age
What stands out
- Lights and electrics fails show up on 7.1 of every 100 MOTs of a Mitsubishi L200 at 6 years old (n=31,895), against 4.7 for all cars of that age (n=10,382,720).
- Tyres fails are less common: 2.6 per 100 MOTs against 5.6 for all cars at the same age.
- The fail item testers record most often at 6 years: brake pads under 1.5 mm, on 2.8 per 100 MOTs (all cars 1.9).
- The most common advisory or minor defect: tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge, on 13.0 per 100 MOTs.
Problems by part at 6 years
How many of every 100 MOTs found a fail, or an advisory or minor defect, in each area. A test with faults in two areas counts in both.
| Area | Fails | All cars | Advisories | All cars |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lights and electrics | 7.1 | 4.7 | 3.6 | 1.9 |
| Brakes | 5.9 | 3.5 | 21.0 | 16.9 |
| Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 3.7 | 3.3 | 3.9 | 3.1 |
| Suspension | 2.7 | 2.9 | 8.1 | 6.1 |
| Tyres | 2.6 | 5.6 | 16.5 | 24.3 |
| Exhaust, emissions and leaks | 1.0 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 1.2 |
| Body and structure | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 1.2 |
| Seat belts and airbags | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| Number plates and VIN | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 1.0 |
| Road wheels | 0.2 | 0.2 | under 0.1 | 0.6 |
| Steering | 0.1 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.8 |
What testers fail most on the L200 at 6 years
| Item | Area | Per 100 MOTs | All cars | Typical repair (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brake pads under 1.5 mm | Brakes | 2.8 | 1.9 | £72 to £174 per axle (rough guide) |
| Wipers not clearing screen | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 1.9 | 1.8 | £15 to £30 per blade |
| Tyre tread below 1.6 mm | Tyres | 1.4 | 2.0 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
| Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded | Brakes | 1.4 | 0.1 | £137 to £392 per car (rough guide) |
| Headlight aimed too high | Lights and electrics | 1.4 | 0.6 | £16 to £39 per car (rough guide) |
| Side/position light not working | Lights and electrics | 1.3 | 0.5 | £10 to £47 per lamp |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 1.2 | 0.9 | £2 to £14 per car (rough guide) |
| Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps | Lights and electrics | 0.9 | 0.4 | £10 to £47 per lamp |
| Anti-roll bar pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn | Suspension | 0.8 | under 0.1 | £92 to £237 per arm (rough guide) |
| Rear fog lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 0.8 | 0.2 | £10 to £47 per lamp |
Early warnings: advisories and minor defects at 6 years
Advisories and minor defects are recorded, but the car still passes. Across all cars, a part with an advisory or minor defect failed at the next MOT 5.5 times in 100 (n=88,666,940 pairs of consecutive MOTs), against 0.3 times in 100 when the same part had none (n=12,936,860,350).
| Item | Area | Per 100 MOTs | All cars | If it needs replacing (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge | Tyres | 13.0 | 14.3 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
| Brake pads: wearing thin | Brakes | 8.6 | 9.3 | £72 to £174 per axle (rough guide) |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material | Brakes | 8.5 | 0.5 | £137 to £392 per car (rough guide) |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened | Brakes | 5.5 | 7.3 | £148 to £376 per axle (rough guide) |
| Anti-roll bar pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement | Suspension | 3.1 | 0.1 | £92 to £237 per arm (rough guide) |
| Windscreen: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 2.7 | 1.8 | |
| Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing | Tyres | 2.3 | 9.2 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
| Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources | Lights and electrics | 2.2 | 1.0 | |
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge | Tyres | 1.5 | 2.0 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
| Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt | Other | 1.5 | 2.4 |
Repair estimates are a guide for an independent garage: labour at the national median local garage rate (median £78 an hour from 65 garages, ONS price quotes) times estimated labour hours, plus a parts band. Labour hours and most parts bands are estimates, not quotes, and prices vary by model, engine and region. A warning light fault shows the cost of the diagnosis only.
How problems change with age
| Age | Tests (n) | Lights and electrics | Brakes | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 years | 17,004 | 5.7 | 3.3 | 4.0 |
| 4 years | 25,333 | 5.4 | 4.4 | 5.1 |
| 5 years | 30,398 | 6.4 | 4.9 | 4.0 |
| 6 years | 31,895 | 7.1 | 5.9 | 3.7 |
| 7 years | 29,790 | 9.8 | 7.1 | 3.9 |
| 8 years | 26,671 | 12.4 | 8.0 | 4.3 |
| 9 years | 22,351 | 16.1 | 9.8 | 4.8 |
| 10 years | 18,528 | 20.5 | 11.4 | 5.2 |
| 11 years | 16,394 | 23.4 | 13.0 | 5.5 |
| 12 years | 15,517 | 25.0 | 13.9 | 6.2 |
| 13 years | 14,112 | 26.8 | 14.6 | 6.4 |
| 14 years | 13,711 | 26.3 | 15.9 | 6.7 |
| 15 years | 14,336 | 26.0 | 16.4 | 7.4 |
| 16 years | 16,744 | 26.8 | 15.8 | 7.3 |
| 17 years | 16,902 | 26.9 | 15.4 | 7.7 |
| 18 years | 15,627 | 26.6 | 14.8 | 7.8 |
| 19 years | 12,597 | 27.2 | 13.5 | 7.8 |
| 20 years | 8,233 | 26.8 | 12.8 | 8.4 |
| 21 years | 5,186 | 25.4 | 13.3 | 7.6 |
| 22 years | 3,065 | 26.2 | 13.9 | 9.8 |
| 23 years | 1,606 | 26.8 | 14.1 | 8.7 |
Mileage
At 6 years, Mitsubishi L200 cars showing under 30,000 miles failed 11.3% of MOTs (n=2,541); the band that failed most, 120,000 to 150,000 miles, failed 28.3% (n=1,176). For pass and fail rates by age, see Mitsubishi L200 MOT fail rates.
What to check on a viewing
On the Mitsubishi L200, testers most often record brake pads under 1.5 mm; wipers not clearing screen; tyre tread below 1.6 mm. Look at these first, then the areas below.
Lights and electrics
- With someone outside, try every light: dipped and main beam, indicators, brake lights, fog lights and number plate lamps.
- Check that the warning lights come on with the ignition and go out once the engine runs.
- Look for misted, cracked or yellowed headlamp lenses.
Brakes
- On the test drive the car should stop in a straight line without pulling, juddering or grinding.
- Look at the discs through the wheels for a deep lip, heavy rust or scoring.
- Check that the handbrake or electronic parking brake holds the car on a slope.
- Ask when the pads, discs and brake fluid were last changed, and for the receipts.
Windscreen, wipers and mirrors
- Look for chips or cracks in the windscreen, above all in front of the driver.
- Run the wipers and washers: they should clear the screen without smearing.
- Check that the mirrors are present, secure and not cracked.
Ask for the car's MOT history and service record: advisories that repeat from one year to the next show what has been left. GOV.UK MOT history.
Questions
What are the most common problems on the Mitsubishi L200?
At 6 years, the age with the most MOT tests (31,895), the fail items testers record most often on the Mitsubishi L200 are brake pads under 1.5 mm (2.8 per 100 MOTs), wipers not clearing screen (1.9 per 100 MOTs), tyre tread below 1.6 mm (1.4 per 100 MOTs). The most common advisories or minor defects are tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (13.0) and brake pads: wearing thin (8.6).
Which parts of the Mitsubishi L200 fail more often than on other cars?
At 6 years: lights and electrics (7.1 per 100 MOTs against 4.7 for all cars); brakes (5.9 per 100 MOTs against 3.5 for all cars). Compared with 10,382,720 MOTs of all cars the same age.
Mitsubishi L200 problems by area
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The all cars figures cover all class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans) tested at the same age.
Looking at a Mitsubishi L200?
These figures describe the model, not the car in front of you. Found one you might buy? See what the VetTheCar Buying Report covers, or use the tools that work without a registration.
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Repair estimates: ONS consumer price quotes for local garage labour (09/2025 to 08/2026), the MOT inspection manual for defect wording, and estimated labour hours and parts bands. Not affiliated with or endorsed by ONS.
Source
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources