Mitsubishi Shogun, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
24,323 Mitsubishi Shoguns are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 67.6% of initial MOT tests, 4.7 points below the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific Shogun? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Mitsubishi Shogun at the MOT
67.6% of 28,376 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the Shogun 392nd of 575 models. Mitsubishi Shoguns aged 3 to 5 years passed 84.2% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 61.8%.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Pass rate by age at test
Mitsubishi Shogun tests in 2025.
Where Shoguns fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Mitsubishi Shogun tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength (6.2%), position lamp not working (4%) and ball joint excessively worn (3.7%).
The MOT page lists every common Shogun MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The Shogun's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.24% of Shogun failure items
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Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.20% of Shogun failure items
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Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing.17.7% of Shogun failure items
Mitsubishi Shoguns in the UK
24,323 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has fallen 64% since the end of 2014.
- Change since 2014
- −64%from 66,738 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2010half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2010 or earlier
- Declared off the road
- 19,82645% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Mitsubishi Shoguns since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 66,738 |
| End of 2015 | 63,915 |
| End of 2016 | 60,681 |
| End of 2017 | 56,277 |
| End of 2018 | 52,176 |
| End of 2019 | 47,367 |
| End of 2020 | 43,920 |
| End of 2021 | 40,929 |
| End of 2022 | 36,333 |
| End of 2023 | 32,295 |
| End of 2024 | 28,599 |
| End of 2025 | 25,783 |
| End of June 2026 | 24,323 |
How old they are
Licensed Mitsubishi Shoguns by year of first use.
A further 1,242 were first used before 2002.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,130 |
| 2020 | 642 |
| 2019 | 686 |
| 2018 | 1,121 |
| 2017 | 1,185 |
| 2016 | 1,572 |
| 2015 | 1,906 |
| 2014 | 1,563 |
| 2013 | 900 |
| 2012 | 678 |
| 2011 | 1,038 |
| 2010 | 954 |
| 2009 | 521 |
| 2008 | 836 |
| 2007 | 1,576 |
| 2006 | 1,882 |
| 2005 | 2,345 |
| 2004 | 2,051 |
| 2003 | 1,017 |
| 2002 | 580 |
Shogun engines and fuel
3.2 litre engines made up 66% of Mitsubishi Shogun MOT tests in 2025, followed by 2.5 litre at 12%. Diesel accounts for 93% of licensed Shoguns and petrol for 6.5%.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 28,365 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed Shoguns
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 1,574 | 6% |
| Diesel | 22,714 | 93% |
| Gas | 35 | 0.1% |
Mitsubishi Shogun recalls
12 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Mitsubishi Shogun. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every Shogun is affected.
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Nov 2020 R/2020/147
The right front lower arm assembly could be broken due to improper welding
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The right front lower arm assembly could be broken due to improper welding by the supplier.
- Remedy
- The right front lower arm will be replaced
-
Oct 2017 R/2017/275
Propellant in the driver and passenger side airbag inflators may have deteriorated
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The propellant (ammonium nitrate) in the inflator of the drivers and passengers front airbag inflator may deteriorate due to high temperature and humid conditions over a longer period in use. As a result the inflator body may rupture during airbag deployment in the event of an accident where the airbags are required to be deployed. The inflator body may rupture during airbag deployment with the potential to cause injury.
- Remedy
- Replacement of the driver and passenger front airbag inflators.
-
Feb 2015 R/2015/004
Engine may stall
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Due to a high carbon build up the check ball seat of the timing chain tensioner can show premature wear. It is possible that the check ball may stick to the seat preventing the tensioner from functioning properly. This in turn will result in an un-tensioned timing chain which causes a rattling noise and in the worst cases the chain will break.
- Remedy
- Replace tensioner on all affected vehicles. Depending on outcome of further inspections the timing chain may also need to be replaced.
-
Feb 2015 R/2015/003
Engine may stall
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Due to a fault in the engine ECU software it is possible that the 4M41 engines in the Shogun will not learn the variations or age deterioration in injectors and be able to adjust the amount of fuel being injection accordingly. This inability to learn these values correctly can result in the engine emits an excessive amount of soot to the DPF which can block it. This can result in the engine stalling and not being able to restart.
- Remedy
- Recall all affected vehicles and reprogramme engine ECU software.
-
Feb 2009 R/2008/191
Brake pedal assist function may not operate correctly
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Due to an incorrect manufacturing process the resin film within the brake assist accumulator may become damaged. If use continues in this condition a crack in the diaphragm may occur resulting in the depletion of the nitrogen gas resulting in (1) delay of the brake assist function under rapid braking. (2) An increase in the required brake pedal effort when the engine is started following a long period with the engine stopped.
- Remedy
- Recalled vehicles will have the accumulator checked to identify whether or not it is one within the affected batch. Should this be the case the accumulator will be replaced with one of a modified type.
-
Jan 2008 R/2008/004
Drive shaft securing nuts may loosen
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The front and rear propeller shafts and the right hand front drive shaft have been fitted with nuts of an incorrect specification. The concern could lead to vibration which if not attended to could lead to the detachment of a shaft and loss of drive.
- Remedy
- Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected to replace the nuts and washers fitted to the front and rear propeller shafts and the right hand front drive shaft.
-
Aug 2007 R/2007/103
Drive may be lost
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- It has been identified that the possibility exists that a bolt welded to the gearshift lever may fracture. Should this occur the adjustment may loosen and the shift cable may move. This can result in a mismatch between the gear shift selector and the actual gear selected. In the worst case the bolt may break which can cause the control cable to become disconnected and drive to be lost.
- Remedy
- Affected vehicles will have the transmission shift lever replaced with a quality assured item.
-
Jun 2007 R/2007/074
Steering control may be lost
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- When used regularly in severe off road conditions the ball joint of the pitman arm may break resulting in loss of steering control.
- Remedy
- Recalled vehicles will be fitted with a modified pitman arm if this has not already been accomplished following a previous intervention.
Other Mitsubishi models
The most-tested Mitsubishi models in 2025, against the Shogun's 67.6% MOT pass rate.
- Mitsubishi L200
- Mitsubishi Outlander
- Mitsubishi ASX
- Mitsubishi Colt
- Mitsubishi Eclipse
- Mitsubishi Mirage
Mitsubishi Shogun FAQs
How many Mitsubishi Shoguns are there in the UK?
24,323 Mitsubishi Shoguns were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 19,826 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Mitsubishi Shogun reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 67.6% first-time pass rate for the Mitsubishi Shogun across 28,376 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Mitsubishi Shogun had any recalls?
12 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Mitsubishi Shogun. The most recent was published in November 2020. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.
What should I check before buying a used Mitsubishi Shogun?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: suspension, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and brakes. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.
How do I check a Mitsubishi Shogun's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
Already found a Shogun?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Across the 1,548 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Mitsubishi history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Mitsubishi VIN check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to October 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.