Mitsubishi Problems

It appears to be an intermittent problem, and one that is very difficult to diagnose from a distance. If it went into limp-home mode then it is likely to be an electronic issue, and there could be any number of causes. Your best course of action is to persist with the dealer and trust that they will ultimately isolate the cause.

You say it is a slight vibration, which makes me think it’s not serious. It could just be caused by wear. I wouldn’t be concerned about it if it were my car, after all it’s not a new car.

If you want a cheap and reliable small car go for something like a Hyundai i30, Kia Rio, Toyota Corolla, or Mitsubishi Lancer.

You’ve pretty much covered the field there, so it should come down to what you want from your car. Do you want comfort, safety, fuel efficiency, offroad capability, cabin space? If you are mostly driving on the highway, then a diesel SUV is probably the best bet. I would rule out a dual-cab ute because of comfort, unless you need the flexibility a ute gives you. I would rule out a hybrid, they’re not at their most efficient on the highway; they’re better suited to town use. Based on your annual mileage I wouldn’t keep the car any more than 3-4 years, that way you’ll have a decent resale value when you get out of it.

Having ruled out an SUV your choices are fairly limited. If you were prepared to buy used you could buy a late model Falcon, but if you want to buy new you’re really limited to an SUV. Most SUVs have good performance, they’re certainly not sluggish, and they aren’t all bulky. Something like a Toyota RAV4, Mitsubishi Outlander, or a Subaru Forester should be able to comfortably handle your towing needs.

Take it back again and tell them their lubrication didn’t fix it. Lubrication is only a temporary fix; it’s not something that will work long term. Ask them to have another go at it.

If you don’t feel you’re getting any satisfaction, go directly to Mitsubishi (1300 13 12 11) and lodge a warranty claim for a lasting repair.

Don’t buy a Focus, they are plagued with automatic transmission troubles, don’t buy a Holden Cruze either, as they also have problems with their automatic transmission. The Lancer is fine; you could also look at a Mazda 3 or Toyota Corolla.

Take it to a Mitsubishi dealer, or a reputable automatic transmission specialist to have it checked. It could be the computer controlling the auto, but you need a specialist to check it for you.

It's hard to recommend a car that would suit you without knowing more about what you want to do with it, but I would suggest you avoid sporty models, low-profile tyres, and consider an SUV such as a Mitsubishi ASX, Nissan Qashqai, or Renault Captur.