1991 Mitsubishi Shogun 2.5 turbo diesel from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Strong, reliable motorway cruiser. Bulky, but surprisingly agile

Faults:

Cylinder head gasket blown (177000 miles).

Rust severely affecting the side-step support bars.

Rust close to suspension points.

Corrosion causing front to back brake line to suffer pin-hole perforation with loss of fluid and pressure.

Corrosion in flow and return fuel lines (diesel) led to fuel leaks (again, pin-hole perforations).

Warping of front brake discs causing judder and brake snatch.

Rust under plastic coating on the bull-bars made them very weak.

Worn oil seals on front and rear differential axles.

Central locking decided to be central unlocking-locking and also played havoc with the Concord 50 alarm/immobiliser.

General Comments:

Fairly comfortable and adaptable work-horse.

Apart from the head gasket episode (result of a botched cambelt change), the engine and transmission are almost indestructible.

Fairly high centre-of-gravity and narrow track make the Shogun a little unstable at higher speeds and side winds can cause disturbing lateral instability.

Selectable /2WD or 4WD and High/Low gear ratios cope well off-road and it would probably tow a Chieftain Tank on gently inclined terrain and normal roads.

Mechanically robust, but rust can be a problem if the undersealing is not kept sound.

Rear view restricted by vehicle height and requires extra caution when reversing.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 3rd July, 2009