Mitsubishi Problems

They have failed to deliver what they promised and I would suggest he should claim his money back. You could take it to another mechanic and have them assess the problem for you, or you could go the Queensland consumer affairs department and ask for their help.

The new car warranty was for five years or 130,000km, so while it still meets the time part of the deal it's beyond the kilometer limit. Any extended warranty you have would have come from the dealer rather than Mitsubishi, so you would have to read the warranty conditions to know if the turbo seals are covered. I would expect they are if they fail because of being faulty.

With a limited budget like yours I would suggest to go for a car with a good reliability record. While the Mercedes-Benz is a good car you are likely to be facing an expensive repair if anything should go wrong. Consider a Mitsubishi 380 or a Toyota Camry of around 2000-2003.

You have to consider what type of four-wheel driving you want to do. If it's heavy-duty then go for an older Toyota Landcruiser or Prado, if it's less taxing then a lighter model might do for you. I would suggest a 2006 Toyota Landcruiser Prado or a 2007 Mitsubishi Pajero.

It could be a worn synchro, but I would suspect it’s more likely to be a worn clutch. Have a mechanic check it for you.

The used Captiva does appear to be great value, but their shaky reputation for reliability would lead me to consider other options. The Territory would be a better bet, but they are known to have electrical and front suspension issues in the long-term.  If you're after an SUV, a seven-seat 2006-12 Mitsubishi Outlander is smart buying at the moment, but if you're just after the seven seats, I highly recommend taking a look at a 2008-13 Kia Rondo. These represent excellent value at the moment. Hope that helps, and keep us posted with your progress.

Have the battery checked to see it is in peak condition, and also check the alternator to see that it is putting out what it is meant to be putting out.

We haven't had any other reports of the same problem. The only thing you can do at this stage is to work with the dealer in trying to a remedy for the problem. Press him to enlist the help of Mitsubishi head office.

Carbon build-up is not an uncommon complaint with Mitsubishi engines; it's the EGR valve that gets gummed up by the re-circulated exhaust gases. There is no reason for the dealer to have your car for that amount of time, and there's no excuse for not telling you what's going on. If you can't get a reasonable explanation and outlook for getting back from the dealer/Mitsubishi consider going to the NSW consumer affairs department to get some action happening.