| Model year | 1992 |
| Year of manufacture | 1992 |
| First year of ownership | 2006 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2011 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.5 turbo diesel Manual |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 9 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 7 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 7 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 6 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) |
7.2 / 10
|
| Distance when acquired | 113000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 188000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Toyota 110 |
Summary:
Great off roader, and fuel efficient
Faults:
I rolled in it in some rough stretch of murram road. Nothing else.
General Comments:
The Pajero was slow but sure; maybe 0-100km/h within 16 seconds.
Fuel consumption was great.
Third row seats offer very limited leg-room.
Great off roader, but lacking traction-control.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 13th February, 2012
| Model year | 1992 |
| Year of manufacture | 1992 |
| First year of ownership | 2007 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.5L turbo diesel intercooler Automatic |
| Performance marks | 5 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 6 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 6 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 4 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) |
5.3 / 10
|
| Distance when acquired | 316000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 369000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Volvo 460 |
Summary:
A real car, a real 4x4!
Faults:
Left hand upper ball joint needed replacement shortly after purchase.
Right hand upper ball joint followed shortly thereafter.
Starter motor needed rebuilding, as clutch mechanism failed.
In a very short timeframe, the engine started billowing steam from the exhaust, after which investigation revealed a small crack in the cylinder head. Cylinder head and gasket replaced.
One part of the exhaust developed a crack and needed replacement.
General Comments:
My car is a whopping 17 years old and originally imported from Japan. Some repairs may be expensive, but for a car that has been driven (and hammered by some) as an everyday vehicle, with this age and mileage, I consider this to be an extremely reliable car.
The leather interior is fantastic, and so are the heated seats. The huge sun roof is very pleasant.
It is definitely not a fast car, and acceleration is very slow, especially when cold. The low horse power makes it pretty good in MPG on the motorways, but also not the most ideal car to tow a heavy load. The fact that this is an automatic adds to this. The Pajero shifts back to lower gear quite early with a trailer behind it, while not being able to accelerate appreciably. Ultimately you do get used to modulating the accelerator in a manner to get the best torque/speed and acceleration "performance".
Off road performance is excellent with the right tires. Locking differential, low gear and everything else you need is reliable and smooth. Road clearance is what you should expect.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 30th August, 2009
Meanwhile this same car is 20 years old and still going strong and running smoothly.
20.000 km after the previous post, the automatic gearbox started showing signs of it's age and mileage. I decided to have it completely overhauled, which made for a new Pajero II as to comfort and responsiveness. This box has now been in use for 36.000 km without any faults, although I initially had to re-adjust the kickdown cable to suit the quicker responsiveness.
The diminishing effectiveness of the heater over time was sourced down to a partial blockage of the heater core / heater block. I solved this by detaching the hoses attached to the heater core's plumbing that comes out of the firewall, and flushing them to both sides with a garden hose and clean water. Problem fixed after reassembly: the car is blazing hot again.
Just last week the brake servo vacuum oil pump on the back of the alternator failed, spilling buckets of engine oil in no-time. This also killed the alternator. With the unit replaced, all is well again.
Next I intend to fix the sagging back door. Its weight, due to the spare tire, places an excessive load on the upper hinge, of which the sleeve holding the hinge halves together has worn out. I will replace this sleeve with a new steel tube, cut from a pipe and reassemble with a new bolt.
In the next 2 years or so my Pajero will near the mileage of half a million km...
| Model year | 1992 |
| Year of manufacture | 1992 |
| First year of ownership | 2008 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2008 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.5 turbo diesel Manual |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 8 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 6 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 5 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) |
6.5 / 10
|
| Distance when acquired | 241500 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 250000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Honda Civic |
Summary:
Great 4x4, a little thirsty, very reliable
Faults:
Rocker gasket started to leak oil at 242,500. Looked like it was the original gasket from when the Pajero was made, as it was rock hard.
Still leaves a small oil patch now and then. Leak can't be found to date, don't count this as major problem.
General Comments:
This is a great 4x4 overall.
Handling is great, except in 2wd it's a little tail happy if you accelerate a little hard coming out of a bend or roundabout in icy or wet conditions.
Interior is well laid out and very ordinary.
Could be better on mpg.
Would buy another 2.5 TD any day.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 10th May, 2008