What goes wrong, what it costs, and what to check before you buy a used Mitsubishi Canter.
The Mitsubishi Canter occupies a niche position on the UK market.
We track 5 known issues across the Mitsubishi Canter range, including 1 rated as safety-critical. Knowing which variants and configurations to approach with caution can save you from expensive surprises after purchase.
Found a Mitsubishi Canter? Enter the reg to see which of our 5 known issues apply to that exact car, plus full MOT history and mileage checks.
FB5 (1996–2010) — Engine options included the 3.0 Diesel. Our database flags 5 known issues on this generation, 1 of which are rated as safety-critical. The most significant concern is Body structure corrosion.
FB6 (2011–2017) — Engine options included the 3.0 Diesel. Our database flags 5 known issues on this generation, 1 of which are rated as safety-critical. The most significant concern is Body structure corrosion.
Commercial vehicles are often used in harsh conditions and may not receive the same care as passenger cars regarding washing and corrosion protection. This typically affects chassis rails, load-bearing sections, and mounting points where salt and moisture accumulate.
Structural corrosion can compromise vehicle safety by weakening mounting points for critical systems like suspension and steering. Severe corrosion may make the vehicle unroadworthy and uneconomical to repair, particularly on older commercial vehicles.
Inspect the wheel arches, sills, jacking points and door bottoms carefully. Press gently on sills to check for soft spots. Look underneath for corrosion on structural components. Check the MOT history for corrosion-related advisories or failures.
Commercial vehicle suspension components experience accelerated wear due to heavy loading and frequent start-stop cycles. The commercial duty cycle creates higher stresses than passenger car use, leading to premature failure of rubber bushes and ball joints. This is a characteristic issue of commercial vehicles operating beyond design load limits.
Worn suspension components affect vehicle stability and braking performance, creating safety risks especially when loaded. Complete failure of a ball joint or suspension arm can cause loss of control. Repair typically requires replacement of multiple components due to interconnected wear patterns.
Listen for knocking, clunking or rattling over bumps during the test drive. Inspect the underside for corroded or cracked suspension components. Check the MOT history for suspension-related advisories, which often predict future failures.
Wheel bearings on commercial vehicles experience higher loads and more frequent loading cycles than passenger cars. MOT data shows this model fails at 6.6 times the fleet average for excessive wheel bearing play. The combination of heavy payloads and frequent stop-start urban delivery cycles accelerates bearing wear. Failed wheel bearings create noise and can affect braking stability.
A failed wheel bearing can cause wheel wobble, affect braking performance, and in extreme cases lead to wheel separation. The noise will progressively worsen and bearing replacement cannot be delayed indefinitely without safety risk.
Listen for knocking, clunking or rattling over bumps during the test drive. Inspect the underside for corroded or cracked suspension components. Check the MOT history for suspension-related advisories, which often predict future failures.
Commercial vehicle brakes work harder due to frequent heavy loading and stop-start cycles. MOT data shows this model fails at 5.4 times the fleet average for binding brakes, with brake imbalance failures at 7.8 times the fleet rate. Brake caliper seizure and uneven brake performance are characteristic issues, often caused by corroded slider pins or seized pistons in the brake calipers.
Binding brakes cause premature disc and pad wear, reduced fuel economy, and can lead to brake fade or complete brake failure if the system overheats. Brake imbalance creates unpredictable stopping behaviour and increases stopping distances.
Check brake disc condition for lipping or scoring. Test braking at moderate speed for pulling to one side or vibration through the steering wheel. Review MOT advisories for brake-related items.
Commercial vehicle transmissions experience higher stress from frequent gear changes and heavy loading cycles. MOT data shows this model fails at 15.2 times the fleet average for worn transmission shaft bearings at high mileages. The input shaft and layshaft bearings are particularly susceptible to wear, often causing noise and eventual gearbox failure if not addressed.
Worn transmission bearings will progressively worsen, leading to complete gearbox failure if not addressed. Bearing fragments can damage other internal components, turning a bearing replacement into a full transmission rebuild.
Check each gear engages smoothly without crunching. Feel the clutch bite point — very high or very low can indicate wear. Listen for bearing noise when the clutch is depressed.
For the full breakdown of all 5 tracked issues with repair costs, see the Mitsubishi Canter common problems page.
Based on 4k real DVSA MOT tests, the Mitsubishi Canter fails more often than average on several items. The biggest outlier is axle or kingpin wear at 2070x the fleet average, followed by track rod ends worn (50x).
When viewing a specific car, check its MOT history for recurring advisories in these categories. See the full Mitsubishi Canter MOT failure breakdown for data at every mileage point.
Routine servicing (oil and filter change every 10k miles) typically costs £80–£120 at an independent garage.
See the full Mitsubishi Canter service schedule for every interval and cost breakdown.
The Mitsubishi Canter has some well-documented weak points, including 1 safety-critical issue that demand careful checking. The right example, properly maintained, can still be a sound purchase — but cutting corners on the pre-purchase inspection is not advisable.
Before committing, check the car's full MOT history, verify the service record is complete, and if possible arrange a specialist inspection. Enter any registration into our free report to see the complete picture.
Get Car Wise maintains a database of known mechanical issues for every popular car on UK roads, tracking the faults that owners, specialists and DVSA data reveal.
When you run a report on a specific Mitsubishi Canter, we cross-reference the exact variant, engine and age against our database of 5 known issues. Combined with full MOT history analysis, mileage verification and DVLA data, you get a complete picture before viewing.
Enter the registration for MOT history, mileage verification, known faults for that exact variant, and a Get Car Wise Score.
This guide was compiled from independent expert reviews, DVSA MOT data, specialist workshops and our own database of 5 known Mitsubishi Canter issues. We are not affiliated with any source listed.