NL Pajero? Check the airbag first
NL Pajeros sold from July 1996 to July 2001 were among 8,081 older Mitsubishis that may have Takata driver airbag inflators. CarsGuide reported in January 2020 that owners were told to stop driving immediately and contact Mitsubishi for an inspection, with a buy-back offered if the inflator was confirmed. Later Pajeros are also in a separate Takata recall. Put the VIN from the rego papers into vehiclerecalls.gov.au, or ask a Mitsubishi dealer.
Why won't my Pajero start?
If it cranks but won't fire, CarsGuide points to two suspects on a 2006 car. The fuel pump comes first, partly because pumps of that age often stop suddenly with no warning. The second is the crank-angle sensor (the part telling the computer when each cylinder should fire), which CarsGuide calls a relatively common Pajero fault. It says the same sensor can make the engine cut out while you're driving.
If yours dies on the road, coast to somewhere safe, put your hazards on and call roadside assistance if you have it. A mechanic can test fuel pressure and read the sensor signal, so you're not paying for parts on a guess.
Mitsubishi Pajero timing belt replacement
Late Pajeros mainly came with a 3.2-litre 4M41 turbo-diesel or a 3.8-litre V6, and earlier ones with a 3.5-litre V6. Whether yours has a belt or a chain depends on that engine, so don't assume. Look in the service book for a timing belt line, and ask a mechanic to confirm from the engine number.
If there's a belt, take the date seriously as well as the kilometres, because a belt that lets go can do serious damage. Good belt jobs usually include the tensioners and pulleys, and the estimate should spell them out. Our guide to timing belts and chains has the plain-English version.
That flashing 4WD light
On a 2000 Pajero, CarsGuide explained that a flashing orange light shows the locking centre differential engaging or disengaging. If the car won't go into gear at the same time, the transmission may be stuck in neutral part-way through that shift, or the sensor that detects it may be faulty. A mechanic who works on 4WDs will check this before suspecting the gearbox.
Head gaskets on an older Pajero
CarsGuide calls a Pajero head gasket pretty specialised work, and says a rebuilt or replacement engine may make more sense if the engine is worn inside. So ask for a compression test before you decide. A Pajero running hot should come off the road straight away: stop somewhere safe and turn the engine off, and leave the radiator cap alone while it's hot.
Pajero service and recalls
CarExpert listed the Pajero at 12 months or 15,000 km in 2020, but an older one may be on a different schedule, so follow its book. Production ended in March 2021, so any Pajero is at least a few years old now, and condition counts for more than the odometer.
Beyond the airbags, 2000 to 2003 Pajeros were part of a 2008 check for a possible brake problem, covering as many as 13,400 vehicles. A qualified independent mechanic working to Mitsubishi's schedule and specifications doesn't by itself void a new car warranty.
Tell us the year, the engine and what it's doing. A local mechanic who specialises in your car.
What we'd do with a Pajero
Run the VIN before you spend a cent on anything else, because an airbag recall outranks every other job. Then get the service history in front of a mechanic who knows these 4WDs and ask three things: when the fuel filter was done, what drives the camshafts on this engine, and when that was last checked.