2006 Mitsubishi Shogun 3.2L Diesel · PS53 TER

A twenty-year-old Shogun with 131,598 miles carries a MOT history dominated not by outright breakdowns but by a consistent thread of suspension and steering wear advisories layered over two older, more serious failures. The most recent test on 27 August 2025 recorded a clean pass with no advisories, and the 2024 examination was similarly unblemished, suggesting the front-end component flagged in 2023 has either been renewed or has not yet deteriorated to an advisory threshold. However, looking back further, 2023 logged a nearside front upper arm ball joint with slight play, 2022 recorded worn rear suspension arm pins or bushes on both sides, and the September 2021 test carried a track rod end with slight play together with a deteriorated lower arm ball joint dust cover. These recurring advisories across the front and rear suspension and steering linkages paint a clear pattern: this is a heavy, live-axle chassis that is steadily consuming its rubber and jointed components, and a buyer should not interpret two clean recent passes as evidence that the underlying wear trend has been permanently resolved. Annual mileage of roughly 6,580 miles is broadly typical for a vehicle of this age and indicates neither prolonged storage nor exceptionally heavy use. The MOT record shows continuous annual testing from 2020 through 2025 with no multi-year gaps, which means the chassis, brakes, and underbody have been exercised and inspected regularly rather than left to corrode while stationary. That said, even at moderate mileage, a ladder-frame Shogun of this vintage accumulates wear in its steering and suspension because of its kerb weight and the fact that off-road-oriented coil springs and linkages tolerate movement that on-road inspection eventually catches. The mileage itself is not a red flag, but it does mean that any advisories recorded are not the result of an unusually high-mileage workhorse and should therefore be taken at face value as genuine component wear rather than statistical noise. The 2020 test is the most important entry for any prospective buyer because it records two Major defects that go well beyond routine wear. The offside front coil spring was fractured or broken, a serious failure that risks the spring dropping from its seat, and both front-to-rear brake pipes were excessively corroded in the rear section, which is a structural-safety item on a vehicle where the brake line runs along the vulnerable underbody. While both were rectified to achieve the subsequent pass on the same date, brake pipe corrosion on a Shogun of this generation is a recurring issue, particularly along the chassis rails and over the rear axle where road salt and mud accumulate. A thorough physical inspection must include a careful look along the full length of the brake lines, not just a visual check at the MOT-standard tester positions, and a torch examination of the rear pipe runs where they pass over the axle and along the inner chassis should be treated as essential. Beyond the historic brake pipe issue, the pattern of suspension advisories gives a clear checklist for a test drive. With the engine running and the vehicle on the move, any knocking or clonking from the front over slow speed bumps would suggest the upper arm ball joint or lower arm bush previously flagged has finally worn past the advisory threshold, while a clunk transmitted through the steering on full lock would point at the track rod end. At the rear, worn arm pins or bushes can manifest as a slight wandering sensation at speed or a vague, unsettled feel over undulating roads rather than a sharp knock. Under the bonnet, the lower arm ball joint dust cover deterioration noted in 2021 should be visually re-checked, as perished covers allow water and grit into the joint and accelerate wear rapidly. The headlamp aim issues recorded in both 2020 and 2021, including an obviously incorrect beam image on the offside, also warrant checking that both lamps are correctly adjusted and producing a clean, level beam pattern, as misaligned lights on a tall vehicle are easy to disturb and were a recurring theme on this particular car.