2017 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV: a strong drive and a battery at 68%

This 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV was advertised for €11,450 with 162,255 km on the clock, and it turned out to be one of the better-driving cars we have inspected. The finding that matters most is not a fault: the high-voltage battery now holds 68% of its original capacity, so electric range is down to about 28 to 30 km from 42 km when new.

The car

A 2.0 litre petrol plug-in hybrid (4B11 engine) with a single-speed automatic and four-wheel drive, built in Japan for the UK market. It spent its first three and a half years in the UK with one owner, arrived in Ireland in January 2021 at 101,018 km and has had one private owner here since. The history checks were clear on every point: no finance, never written off in Ireland or the UK, not stolen, no Irish damage record and no mileage discrepancy. There was no service book, only service stickers on the car, and one key.

What we found

A full service is needed. With no service book and no record of the last service, a full service with all filters is the one condition of our verdict. The engine oil was above the maximum mark, which can push oil past seals, and the sump had an oil leak.

Front steering and suspension joints. Both front ball joints were sweating and leaking slightly, and both track rod ends were starting to wear, with perished rubber boots. None had play yet, so the car is safe to drive, but these are the early signs that come before looseness.

Battery health. The battery certificate gave a State of Health of 68%, rated Fair: 6.8 kWh usable against 10 kWh new. The 80 cells were evenly balanced, within 8 mV of each other, with uniform internal resistance and no insulation fault. This pack has aged, not failed. Winter electric range is estimated at 19 to 21 km.

Stored fault codes. All 40 control modules were read: 15 stored codes across 6 modules, none active. They point to a past dip in 12V battery voltage, and the steering module had logged 9.88 V at around 156,730 km. An RBS Service Required message (regenerative braking system) appeared on the dashboard, but the scan showed no braking, drive or battery fault and regenerative braking worked on the road, so the message is linked to that low 12V event.

Tyres and bodywork. Three tyres were new and the rear right was at 3.50 mm. That is legal, but on a four-wheel-drive car mismatched tread puts extra load on the drive system. On the passenger side we found dents, repainted doors and an old cosmetic repair with paint readings over 1,300 microns, meaning filler under the paint. There was no sign of structural damage. A rattle from the engine bay when the petrol engine switched off is worth checking at the service.

What it would cost

The total estimate was €960 to €1,620 at Irish independent garage rates including VAT. Of that, €350 to €550 is the must-do full service. The rest covers both front ball joints (€250 to €500), the track rod ends (€150 to €250), a four-wheel alignment (€80 to €120) and a matching rear tyre (€130 to €200). The reduced battery capacity is not a repair item and was not costed.

Our verdict

Conditional pass, subject to rectification. The condition is a full service with all filters, done either by the seller before handover or by the buyer with the cost taken into account. Beyond that, this was a mechanically sound car. The road test was excellent: strong response, quiet suspension, and the hybrid system took the battery from about half full to almost full in 10 to 15 minutes. Engine data was clean, the brakes were only 10% to 15% worn, and the mileage was consistent across three control modules and every external record. The battery simply has to be part of the buying decision.

Buying a used Outlander PHEV in Ireland: what to check

• Get the high-voltage battery State of Health measured. At this age and mileage the electric range can be well below the figure quoted when new, and the indicative battery warranty (8 years or 160,000 km) may no longer apply.
• Look for stored low-voltage codes and an RBS Service Required message. A draining 12V battery is a known issue on this model and can leave codes across many modules.
• Listen for a clunk from the rear, a known wear point on the rear electric motor mount bush.
• Feel for hesitation when the car switches between electric and petrol power, and confirm the electric air conditioning compressor works.
• Ask a Mitsubishi dealer to check the VIN for outstanding recalls, and request the digital service history if there is no service book.

A test drive alone would have shown a great car; only measuring the battery and reading every module showed what 162,255 km had really taken out of it.