Common problems
SsangYong Musso common problems
What MOT testers find on the SsangYong Musso: the parts that fail or get advisories most often at each age, against all cars of the same age. From 7,522 DVSA MOT tests taken 2022 to 2025.
MOT data updated
At 3 years, the most tested age
What stands out
- Brakes fails show up on 17.8 of every 100 MOTs of a SsangYong Musso at 3 years old (n=2,406), against 1.7 for all cars of that age (n=8,016,463).
- The fail item testers record most often at 3 years: parking brake performance: inoperative on one side, on 7.9 per 100 MOTs (all cars under 0.1).
- The most common advisory or minor defect: brake pads: wearing thin, on 17.2 per 100 MOTs.
Problems by part at 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brakes | 17.8 | 1.7 | 21.7 | 8.8 |
| Lights and electrics | 12.1 | 2.9 | 3.7 | 0.7 |
| Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 4.9 | 2.8 | 4.6 | 2.8 |
| Tyres | 4.7 | 4.8 | 16.0 | 18.1 |
| Suspension | 3.3 | 0.6 | 6.1 | 1.9 |
| Steering | 1.7 | 0.1 | 1.6 | 0.1 |
| Body and structure | 1.0 | 0.3 | 1.1 | 0.3 |
| Exhaust, emissions and leaks | 1.0 | 0.5 | 2.6 | 0.4 |
| Seat belts and airbags | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.1 |
| Road wheels | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.4 |
| Number plates and VIN | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
What testers fail most on the Musso at 3 years
| Item | Area | Per 100 MOTs | All cars | Typical repair (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parking brake performance: inoperative on one side | Brakes | 7.9 | under 0.1 | |
| Handbrake too weak | Brakes | 6.3 | 0.1 | |
| Rear fog lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 5.3 | 0.1 | £10 to £47 per lamp |
| Brake pads under 1.5 mm | Brakes | 4.2 | 1.0 | £72 to £174 per axle (rough guide) |
| Rbt (sp): efficiency less than 50% of the required value | Brakes | 4.0 | under 0.1 | |
| Wipers not clearing screen | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 3.7 | 1.9 | £15 to £30 per blade |
| Tyre tread below 1.6 mm | Tyres | 2.4 | 1.3 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
| Dipped headlight not working | Lights and electrics | 1.7 | 0.3 | £18 to £86 per lamp |
| Suspension ball joint worn | Suspension | 1.5 | 0.1 | £75 to £237 per side (rough guide) |
| Steering track rod end: ball joint play | Steering | 1.5 | under 0.1 | £54 to £128 per side (rough guide) |
Early warnings: advisories and minor defects at 3 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brake pads: wearing thin | Brakes | 17.2 | 4.8 | £72 to £174 per axle (rough guide) |
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge | Tyres | 13.2 | 11.8 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
| Suspension arm ball joint: ball joint has slight play | Suspension | 3.3 | 0.2 | £75 to £237 per side (rough guide) |
| Windscreen: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 3.2 | 1.5 | |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened | Brakes | 2.9 | 3.9 | £148 to £376 per axle (rough guide) |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively | Brakes | 2.7 | 1.1 | £148 to £376 per axle (rough guide) |
| Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive | Exhaust, emissions and leaks | 1.9 | 0.2 | |
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge | Tyres | 1.7 | 1.8 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
| Nail in tyre | Other | 1.4 | 2.3 | |
| Wipers: blade defective | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 1.4 | 1.2 |
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) | Brakes | Lights and electrics | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 years | 2,406 | 17.8 | 12.1 | 4.9 |
| 4 years | 1,969 | 18.2 | 12.8 | 3.7 |
| 5 years | 1,723 | 20.0 | 14.0 | 4.0 |
| 6 years | 1,424 | 21.4 | 16.2 | 4.6 |
What to check on a viewing
On the SsangYong Musso, testers most often record parking brake performance: inoperative on one side; handbrake too weak; rear fog lamp: not working. Look at these first, then the areas below.
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.
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.
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 SsangYong Musso?
At 3 years, the age with the most MOT tests (2,406), the fail items testers record most often on the SsangYong Musso are parking brake performance: inoperative on one side (7.9 per 100 MOTs), handbrake too weak (6.3 per 100 MOTs), rear fog lamp: not working (5.3 per 100 MOTs). The most common advisories or minor defects are brake pads: wearing thin (17.2) and tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (13.2).
Which parts of the SsangYong Musso fail more often than on other cars?
At 3 years: brakes (17.8 per 100 MOTs against 1.7 for all cars); lights and electrics (12.1 per 100 MOTs against 2.9 for all cars); suspension (3.3 per 100 MOTs against 0.6 for all cars). Compared with 8,016,463 MOTs of all cars the same age.
SsangYong Musso problems by area
Other SsangYong models
The all cars figures cover all class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans) tested at the same age.
Looking at a SsangYong Musso?
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.
See a sample report Car tools · MOT fail rates by model · Compare models by MOT record
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