1995 Mitsubishi Chariot GLXi review from Australia and New Zealand

The head gasket blew at approx 80,000 k's. There had been no warning. The temperature gauge never showed it was running hot. The oil light never came on. It suddenly just blew.

We took it to the Mitsubishi dealer for repairs. That was a big mistake. It cost us nearly $3,000 in repairs, including a planed head, all new cooling pipes, and a new radiator. They told us they replaced the cam belt at the same time.

The engine leaked oil ever since that repair. We took it back to the dealer several times, but they said they couldn't find the leak.

Last year at about 95,000kms the head gasket blew again. This time we took it to an independent mechanic who showed us that the dealer had used a sub standard genuine Mitsubishi head gasket. They said the cause of the oil leak was obvious - the head gasket was faulty. They said the cam belt didn't look as if it had been replaced, so they put in a new cam belt and replaced the head gasket, did a general service and told us to sell it.

We'd be extremely reluctant to buy another Mitsubishi after this experience. We've learned not to use a dealer for after warranty servicing. It's just too expensive, and their mechanics are sub standard (at least locally)... as are their parts!