Mitsubishi Triton Problems

Buying a car sight unseen is not a good idea. I would go for on of the big three: HiLux, Triton, or Courier. They are all much of a muchness when you get to the used car market. The important things are service history, odo reading, and previous use.

It sounds like it could be the fuel supply; check the fuel filter, fuel pressure, and the injectors. It’s a common-rail diesel engine and they are prone to injector wear.

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.

You can’t, the transmission is sealed and there’s no provision for checking it.

It could be a number of things, and the only way to establish the cause of the light flashing is to have a mechanic check it.

I presume you’re not overloading the ute, so fit some Light Truck tyres. Passenger car tyres would be quieter, and the ride would be more comfortable, but you really need tyres capable of carrying the load.

Normally my advice would be to buy the newest car with the lowest kilometres and in the best condition. In this case that would be the Triton, which would also comes with what remains of the factory warranty, but on all other counts I would go with the Ranger. The Ranger appears to be in good condition, the kilometres are low for the year, and the service history is just what you want.

I wouldn’t expect the paint to be peeling in such a short time. Take it back to the dealer who fitted it and request they repair it.

Clearly there’s something under the floor generating the heat. Check things like the exhaust to make sure it’s away from the underbody, check the catalytic convertor to make sure it’s not partly blocked, and check the transmission cooler to see if it’s damaged.