New Pajero not to be used off road

[It'sNotWorthComplaining!]

Saw of TV an article where a bloke bought a new Pajero, hooked up his camper trailer and went exploring Australia.
He had a problem with the front end so took it to dealer for a warranty claim.
We was told by dealer they are not to be used offroad , so his warranty is void. He argued that he bought the vehicle on the understanding it was a 4x4 and it was supposed to be an offroad vehicle.
Then it was suggested that he used it beyond it's capabilties.
Basically Pajeros are designed for soccer mums and shopping trips.
Take it off road and something breaks, it's beyond the vehicles capabilitys, if you lift a wheel on a rut it may break.

[robbotd5]

Not that I care but its a Pajero!!
Regards
Robbo

[roverfan]

Dont they advertise them as capeable of winning Dakar, then driving to the shops?

Sounds look an arsehole dealer to me who wants to rob this bloke of his cash, i know a few jeep guys who have had warranty claims knocked back on their new JK thermo fans because they got wet.

Its a joke you buy an off roader surely its not unreasonable to think you can take it off road.

[87County]

there are stories (urban myths?) around that say that Toyota applies similar rules to Pravdos, Klugers & RAVs...

ie. ..show any subfloor knocks or scrapes and there'll be no warranty ..

maybe this is just another urban myth?

[VladTepes]

I suspect that such issues are dealer specifi and that in general they are an urban myth happening very rarely.

[Kremlin]

Its amazing what happens when you don't have a factory team of mechanics following you around. Ah well, it is only a Mitsubishi.

[Lotz-A-Landies]

AFAIK the dealer carries much of the cost of warranty and would want to reduce their expenses, so giving the impression that off-road activities are not included could be their strategy.

I would also assume that the dealer who made the statement was a metro dealer used to selling to school run mums. You could bet if a country dealer tried to make that claim to a farmer, the story would be around the district quicker that a rooster into the hen house and the dealers business would tank very quickly.

[Sleepy]

Yes, I would love to see someone (with more money than me;)) test that in court. I suspect, as mentioned above, that was a specific dealer. You would only have to present the Mitsubishi sales brochure as evidence.

I reckon one area they get you is wading depth for most 4x4 (including LR) - its usually only a piddly few hundred mm and they can sometimes prove that you took it deeper. I met a bloke who's A/C compressor failed and Nissan wouldn't fix under warranty because he had been deeper than the wading depth specified.

I had a LR dealer try and tell me my warranty was void because I had it serviced (as per the schedule) by a non-LR workshop. I asked him for the telephone number for Land Rover Aus......he then said he would fix the issue under warranty...never did get that number though.;)

[It'sNotWorthComplaining!]

The guy took it to consumer affairs under "the product not being fit for the designed purpose"

[Davehoos]

NOT URBAN MYTH--very little is covered by warrantee if they wish it.

the deal is that the legal guys can answer is in australia warantee must be honoured for implied advertising or condition of sale.but not normal wear and tear.or paintwork and trim after delivery.
the car bloke when i did ......because I asked the salesman and they said it would.........thats why i bought it.

when i first started at suzuki the knocked back sand warranty issues---but in the adds they show the products being driven on a beach.
on the vitara we helped owners fit skid plates.
we had to wait for the importer to give aproval but the skid plate stopped the fan blowing sand into the engine bay destroying oil seals-clutch and starter motor.

each state is different and ive see plenty of cars parked in workshops waiting for this to be worked out the clasic is warranty cancelation for mechanical brake downs because of scrape marks or sand in heat sheild.

but i seen heeps of refusals backed up by the legal people when rubber particals are present in the rear inner guards

[vnx205]

Way back when the first Freelander came out, I was told by someone whose job it was to assess Land Rover warranty claims, that he had knocked back a claim made by a LR dealer near Newcastle.

The dealer's son had been demonstrating the Freelander to a potential buyer on Stockton Beach. He bogged it and burned out the clutch trying to get out.

Apparently the reason for the rejection was that he had not followed the instructions in the owners manual where it said that tyre pressures should be lowered when driving on sand.

He also said that he knocked back a Defender claim by the navy involving rusted brake disks. His argument was that having the vehicle chained down on the deck of a navy ship to be used when they visited port did not constitute normal usage. :)

[Davehoos]

the waterwading level is a buety.like 200mm on some heavy duty 4X4.
lots of jeep engines with bent bits.

why would you fit compressors under the engines...I know...they arnt covered by the dealer warranty-only the installers vendor warranty.

had case with holden in the 80's..they had coolant issues but only had to honour vehicles that had all the coolant services carried out by the dealers that used genuine coolant,also the V6 VN engine issues we did under waranty long after the warranty expired if the car was dealer serviced.

consumer afairs dont always favour the car owner against the dealer---ive loaded plenty of stripped cars into boxes for transportation.

did plenty of pajero diff housings years ago,vehicles without towbars no problem.auto transmisions most brands---same deal.

12 yrs since i worked for a dealer---but nothings changed
The guy took it to consumer affairs under "the product not being fit for the designed purpose"
I was told it was intended purpose.

[slippery]

Bit of trivia do you know what pajero means in spanish,,,,,,,,,******, lol

[Tank]

I remember (getting old) back when toyota brought out Disc brakes on their top range 4x4's, owners were flooding into toyota dealers with warped front discs to be fixed under warranty and they were all knocked back because they had driven through water higher than the tyre to rim (about 5") and the discs got wet while hot and warped. Toyotas advertising at the time showed a Landcruiser tearing across a creek/river crossing with water flying everywhere, even over the bonnet and up the windscreen. John Laws was the Toyota spokesperson back then and his radio show was swamped by ****ed off Toyota owners, I think they finally caved and fixed most, Oh what a feelin', Regards Frank.

[roverv8]

Not at all suprised,
Auto companies are making everything more lightweight & cutting on costs to try make it more economical to run & bring down the price of a finished vehicle,
The consumer ends up paying for it in the long run,
cheap v's quality wherever they can get away with it,
If it doesn't last for the term of the warranty, they will try & find a way out, unless it's something thats constantly failing & they do a recall

[Davehoos]

The sand on stocton beach is not like any other sand in the world--IM told

[VladTepes]

You can drive on it in an AU falcon with TDV6 in it I am informed.
Bonnet wom't close of course but that's what race tape is for.

[Homestar]

A few years back Suzuki did an advert up past Licola (they used the camp as a staging area). The ad shows a Vitara roaring through the bush and shows it with the front wheels off the ground as it went over a small jump. The ad didn't show the result of that jump - the front LH wheel and strut assembly broke off the vehicle:eek:... They limped it back and it sat in the camp for a couple of days before they finished up and left - we were told not to take photos under any circumstances...

That showed clearly the difference between what they want you to believe the vehicle is capable of versus what it actually is...

[Bushie]

there are stories (urban myths?) around that say that Toyota applies similar rules to Pravdos, Klugers & RAVs...

ie. ..show any subfloor knocks or scrapes and there'll be no warranty ..

maybe this is just another urban myth?


I know I've mentioned this before .................

Around the time Toymota released the playdough, I was involved in making one of their ads, we supplied the water in the river ;). When we asked at the time why they didn't just park it in the river, - "we don't want to give the impression they can go into water" was the response. :twisted::twisted:

Martyn

[It'sNotWorthComplaining!]

I know I've mentioned this before .................

Around the time Toymota released the playdough, I was involved in making one of their ads, we supplied the water in the river ;). When we asked at the time why they didn't just park it in the river, - "we don't want to give the impression they can go into water" was the response. :twisted::twisted:

Martyn
What about all the car adds you see now playing in the surf on the beach.
Look we can drive in sea water, but when it rusts don't come crying.
German tourists copy cat this on Fraser I believe.

what about the Disco 2's compressor for the airsuspension, it's under the passenger side on the chassis rail, does it get water logged on crossings?????

[Basil135]

SWMBO's FG XR6 is currently at the dealer with an intermittent transmission issue.

The trans feels like it is holding 2nd gear too long before moving into 3rd for maybe a second, and then up into 4th.

The dealer has said that this is a known issue with this particular transmission series, BUT as the ECU has not logged a fault, they cant fix it under warranty - YET.

As we still have 12 months left on the warranty, he asked that we bring it back in 6 months or so to have the ECU read, provided it doesn't get worse. As soon as it gets worse, or the fault is logged, the transmission will be replaced.

We were basically told to drive it "a lot" and see if we can get the fault logged, and from then on, things will be easy.

[land864]

Interesting

I basically sold my D2 because I was ****ed off at the $ I had put into it over my final year of ownership.

The guy who bought it was lucky because everything that was likely to need doing had been done.

His good luck not mine because it was time for me to turn it over regardless.

My 2 Japanese vehicles ( 02 Mazda and 03 Subaru) have had nery a fault or major problem and both now over 130 000kms. ( I do acknowledge that neither of them are 4WD)

I will be up for a comfy touring / 4WD replacement in a couple of years and seriously considering either a 2004 L322 TDV6 Range Rover or a much newer Pajero.

Up to reading this post , head said Pajero due to Japanes reliability , heart said RR.

Given this example of poor cutsomer relations and a statement made that Pajeros are not really suited for off road , together with all Toyota's recent woes is it just that any newer vehicle has crap build quality and reliabilty?

[loanrangie]

Dont they advertise them as capeable of winning Dakar, then driving to the shops?

Sounds look an arsehole dealer to me who wants to rob this bloke of his cash, i know a few jeep guys who have had warranty claims knocked back on their new JK thermo fans because they got wet.

Its a joke you buy an off roader surely its not unreasonable to think you can take it off road.

Thats a laugh, the vehicles that race (and win ) in Dakar have nothing in common with a showroom poojero than the shape of its shell. Same with the VW Underarock, support vehicle - ppfftt.

[roverfan]

Basil is your wifes xr6 a 6 speed? If it is I had the same issue with my turbo. My dealer ended up getting a zf tech out who was able to sort it for me.

[F4Phantom]

pajeros are a very capable 4x4 but so is just about every 4x4, because they all have traction control which is just about as being locked up at each end, for the average driver this makes an excellent 4x4.

[It'sNotWorthComplaining!]

May be monocoque are not as strong as the ladder chassis, may be a D3 or D4 driven harshly off road could have the same response for the landy dealerships

[DiscoMick]

Yet another reason to save money and buy vehicles that are out of warranty for maybe half the new price, if the warranty is basically worthless.

[ATH]

Luckily the only warranty claim in 3 years on our plastic Prado has been the chrome peeling off the plastic wing mirror. The dealer did check it for impact damage but it was passed OK as a claim and fixed promptly.
Damn good job they didn't look underneath and see the bashing and bruising of sidesteps, sump guard and tank protectors! :D
AlanH.

[George130]

From what I have read. Just don't buy a manual as the clutch has no hope of surviving and is not covered.

[Davehoos]

clutch has always been a non warranty item unless it falls apart.automatics are pushed in OZ compared to europe because the way we use light vehicles.

I replaced loads of clutches under warranty for poor gear selection--but only a few for early failure.in the 80s the slow car sales led to the clutches growing on to the flywheel and imput shaft.

the 4X4 2.6 rodeo had an undersized clutch im told due to shortages--but it was only replaced with the upgrade when the original failed before warranty period.

the toyota hiluxes at work used to tow a 900KG mower/trailer have had diff and clutch replacments at 60K with no warranty..the uprated clutch was supplied by nongenuine with gen parts in the kit box.the agent said when picked up this should be good for 30K.

with a large volume product unusual warranty issue are extreamly rare.
like if you get a mechanical fuel pump leaking oil you get ready to do a few a week.

[Davehoos]

P/S
mum a dad have a 89 pajero
that they drove into the groundin the bush north of here you see more of these parked under trees than you do landies.

neighbours loved the hyundia terracan.
i see lots of these outlanders without a towbar..

but there are no new pajero around here-i ive seen enough laying on there side on the hyway to agree that they arnt an off road vehicle.

[superquag]

... sounds like the 'KAMAZ' truck is the only "real" 4WD that can be safely (ab)used the way we thought we used them. :wasntme:

I'd hazard a guess and say that the older GEN I and GEN II Pajeros were a lot more reliable (and stronger?) than the current crop. Certainly less complicated... and easier to maintain in the field (Dakar etc)

[superquag]

P/S
mum a dad have a 89 pajero
that they drove into the groundin the bush north of here you see more of these parked under trees than you do landies.

.

My standby car is an 89 turbo-diesel Paj. Bugger just keeps on going, HEAPS more interior room than ANY Range Rover ... rides like a truck, IS a cart-sprung truck, but a fantastic shopping trolley as well as general use. - Better turning circle than my '95 RRC. Well, it feels tighter, even with the Rangey on 2WD...;)

[Lotz-A-Landies]

... sounds like the 'KAMAZ' truck is the only "real" 4WD that can be safely (ab)used the way we thought we used them. :wasntme:

I'd hazard a guess and say that the older GEN I and GEN II Pajeros were a lot more reliable (and stronger?) than the current crop. Certainly less complicated... and easier to maintain in the field (Dakar etc)The Paris-Dakar Pajero were no more a regular Pajero than a Bowler is a regular Range Rover.

[Gooseneck]

Fit for purpose is the consumer affairs lingo. Hard to argue that a 4wd shouldn't be used off road.

[DionM]

I had a LR and now own a Pajero.

Both have had no warranty claim problems regardless of offroad use. The Freelander I had sustained quite a bit of damage underneath so it was plainly obviously it was used. Granted, I had to fight for some claims with them but that was down to attitude of the company, not the use of vehicle (they never brought it up).

I think the original story is not the full truth.

Any company which tried that on (deny warranty claim for offroad use) would be in breach of fitness for purpose parts of statutory law. End of story.

If you do something stupid like drown it or abuse it though, expect no warranty support.

Having owned a Pajero for a while now, my view is that Mitsubishi support their 4WDs quite well.

[sashadidi]

... sounds like the 'KAMAZ' truck is the only "real" 4WD that can be safely (ab)used the way we thought we used them. :wasntme:

I'd hazard a guess and say that the older GEN I and GEN II Pajeros were a lot more reliable (and stronger?) than the current crop. Certainly less complicated... and easier to maintain in the field (Dakar etc)

Kamaz are pretty basic, My wife's cousin drives one from Russia to Uzbekistan for his job, near 800,000 ks on the clock onto second engine recently, he carries heavy loads all the time in all weathers and seasons, I would have one in a minute but could not be used on the roads in Aus or NZ legally

[slippery]

The guy took it to consumer affairs under "the product not being fit for the designed purpose"
100% right, I heard about this before, they have to stand by their product under law, its like buying a boat you cant get wet.

[Casper]

there are stories (urban myths?) around that say that Toyota applies similar rules to Pravdos, Klugers & RAVs...

ie. ..show any subfloor knocks or scrapes and there'll be no warranty ..

maybe this is just another urban myth?

I know for a fact that they will warranty a Prado after it's been off road.

My folks have one and it was off road in the paddock 20 mins after they bought it new and has done everything from corrugated sandy roads to muddy rutted and rocky tracks.

When it did it's first clutch they covered it under warranty no problem and replaced some damaged bash plates underneath as well for free.

It wasn't until it was out of warranty that Mum has had trouble with Toyota and getting it fixed.

Seems if you want to pay them to fix it, it's too much trouble :o

Cheers Casper

[Casper]

... sounds like the 'KAMAZ' truck is the only "real" 4WD that can be safely (ab)used the way we thought we used them. :wasntme:

I'd hazard a guess and say that the older GEN I and GEN II Pajeros were a lot more reliable (and stronger?) than the current crop. Certainly less complicated... and easier to maintain in the field (Dakar etc)

Pajero Specifications - Pajero Specs - 4WD - SUV - Mitsubishi Australia (http://www.mitsubishi-motors.com.au/vehicles/4wd/pajero/specs-and-features/specifications/5-door-petrol/specifications)

On the front page you have a picture of one going through a river crossing.

The Specs give it a ground clearance of 225mm and a fording depth of 700mm.

By rights this thing should be up against Deefa's off road.

The older Pajero's were based on the Series 1 XJ Jeep Cherokee, one of the worlds best selling 4wd wagons but added Independant front end for better on road handling.

When they came out in the early 80s, some family friends (He worked for Mitsubishi/Chrysler) bought one and then brought it up to the farm to try it out.

It was rather good and was as capable if not more than my old mans Isuzu KB40 we had at the time.

They upgraded from that several years later to the L300 4wd which had all the bells and whistles and they had that for years.

I think it ended up rusting away mostly, they were both very capable and very reliable.

We had a 92 Triton through the 90s which is still pulling my brother in laws boat in and out of the water in WA to this day but not used for much else.

The older Bitsaremissing cars were pretty good but the newer ones are a bit too much on the plastic luxo side of things for me, I wouldn't feel too comfortable taking one off road anywhere remote.

Cheers Casper

[superquag]

..... I would have one in a minute but could not be used on the roads in Aus or NZ legally

Pity....

Why?