February 21, 2019

Mitsubishi Pajero reliabilty

We love the Mistubishi Pajero. We think it’s a great car in many ways. One thing that some ask us about is how is the Mitsubishi Pajero reliability? We have had a lot of them and we have over the years gotten to know them well.

This article covers mostly the 90s 2nd gen Mitsubishi Pajero, just because thats the model we have owned the most.

Off road cars

There is a lot of brands out there who makes off road vehicles. Nowadays there are more city SUVs than pure off road vehicles on the roads. But in the 90s car makers where building proper off road vehicles. The Mitsubishi Pajero for instance has rear diff lock as standard which is  pretty unusual.

Japanese brands

There is a number of Japanese car manufactures and most of them have their own off road model. Japanese brands in general are well known for good reliability and simple mechanics. The only thing that wasn’t very good for the Swedish climate was that they all rusted a lot in the 80s and 90s. They have probably improved a lot in recent years though. But overall if you are looking for a car that is low in maintenance you go for a Japanese brand.

Famous japanese off roaders is Toyota, Nissan, Suzuki and Mitsubishi.

Most famous for reliability is Toyota. But as we are dealing with “modern classics” we think prices for older used Toyota off roaders is a bit high for what you get. This is where the Mitsubishi Pajero comes in. They are cheaper to buy and offers the same features as the Toyotas. But is there a reason that they are cheaper? Does it have to do with the Mitsubishi Pajero reliability?

Simplicity

One thing we like about the Mitsubishi Pajero is the simplicity. Compared to some european brands like the Range Rover, the Mitsubishi is usually less equipped. Some may think this  is a bad thing. But for reliability it is better. Less things so go wrong. On the 2nd gen Pajero there is usually no air suspension, advanced computers or fancy electric seats. You are happy to get electric windows in a 2nd gen pajero!

Common faults

So after owning a few Pajeros what common faults have we found?

Rust

Rust is something every car will get after enough use in Swedish winters. But some cars are better than others. Our experience is that the Pajero can rust in the front fenders. Some people say that the gas tank rusts, but we never experienced it. The frame is very nicely rustproofed and we never experienced any heavy rust on the frame. One place though is the rear right of the frame where the chassis number is stanced there can be some surface rust which makes it hard to readout the number for the inspection. Another thing that can rust is the exhaust but that is pretty easily replaced.

Overall it’s good. In our experience it is on par with Toyotas from same years.

The best thing to prevent the rust is to wash the underside of the car regularly and also use some rust proofing. We’we had good experience with linseed oil for rust proofing.

Engine

The Mitsubishi Pajero V6 is very reliable. The Mitsubishi name of the engine is 6G72 and is used in a lot of other cars, including some dodge and chrysler models. The camshaft covers can leak, and are it requires some work to change them. Camshaft is driven by a belt that needs service every 90 000 kms. Other than that they seem to run very good without hickups. what we have heard from people is that the 12 valve version is the most reliable. It is really slow to drive though. The 24 valve version feels much more modern to drive.  What engine that suits you depends on your use of the car.

Conclusion

The Mitsubishi reliability is very good in our experience of owning a couple of them. A 2nd gen Pajero is still pretty cheap to buy. So if you are looking out for a nice off road vehicle we would highly recommend the Pajero!

Here’s a youtube clip from Top Gear where the famous Jeremy Clarkson reviews the 2nd gen Mitsubishi Pajero when it was new.

Do you agree on our opinion? Make a comment below!