Hi there looking at another 4x4 for a every day vehicle,looking at a 1999-2005 pajero 3.5 pertrol gdi.
Are there any major issues with these or any thing to look for
Cheers
What to look for with pajeros
- Crash bandicoot
- Hard Yaka
- Posts: 2924
- Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2010 7:19 pm
- Location: Towing a hilux
Re: What to look for with pajeros
going by the amount of forum and facebook posts for replacement 4m40 motors probably might wanna pay close attention to it.
Waiter...there is a drought in my glass.
Re: What to look for with pajeros
Since you know so much crash then you'll know the 4m40 is a diesel?
SWB V6 Paj with one or two mods 

Re: What to look for with pajeros
We had a 3.2 DID LWB 2004
Gear box switches go, free to fix if you're handy with a spanner.
Rear diff output shafhalt circlips are under sized up until around 2005 so they can pop out past the seal lip and run the diff dry of oil.
Front sway bar bushes went at 150000km.
Watch the GDI as suppsoedly the EGR can coke up the intake and cause a few problems.
Front wheel bearings can crap out early.
Get the trans check out properly.
Independent suspension on all corners.
Brakes on ours were feeble.
Don't tow as good as a Landcruiser.
Corner better than a Landcruiser.
Petrol will be thirsty as, expect 18L/100km around town.
Generally a good vehicle all said and done, great value for money.
Gear box switches go, free to fix if you're handy with a spanner.
Rear diff output shafhalt circlips are under sized up until around 2005 so they can pop out past the seal lip and run the diff dry of oil.
Front sway bar bushes went at 150000km.
Watch the GDI as suppsoedly the EGR can coke up the intake and cause a few problems.
Front wheel bearings can crap out early.
Get the trans check out properly.
Independent suspension on all corners.
Brakes on ours were feeble.
Don't tow as good as a Landcruiser.
Corner better than a Landcruiser.
Petrol will be thirsty as, expect 18L/100km around town.
Generally a good vehicle all said and done, great value for money.
Re: What to look for with pajeros
Great vehicle!!
A bit hungry to be fair, we have a 2006 3.8 Ltr NP VRX (still in Aus) and we also had a 2001 3.5 Ltr NM GLS in Australia, I travelled through the outback, all over Fraser Is, North Stradbroke Is etc. in her and we had great fun! Bog standard with Pirelli Scorpion AT's we could go everywhere may mates would in their Patrols and Landcruisers. I copped a lot of stick about drining a Paj, but they were the red faced ones when we went where we did.
They are real wheel lifters off road but with the IRS they are great!
Things to look out for.
Some of the early ones (NM) have a carbon fibre drive shaft so make sure you check it for knocks, eventhough they are strong as soon as they get a knock or anything they become very weak and have been know to shatter without warning.
The rocker covers leak and can drip oil, it is really common, ours used oil as a result until I changed to a higher viscosity premium oil.
We had intermittent ssues with our temperature guage, which is also very common as a connection in the dash becomes loose, but there is heaps of info online to fix this if you are handy with a soldering iron.
We run ours on 95 as it will pull better and we found we had better economy than with 91.
For the money you cannot go wrong, they are comfortable, tough, great off road, have a great lock, awesome visiblity and the missus likes it coz its easy to park, has 7 seats (that tuck under the floor) and is not a big tank like a Landcruiser or Patrol.
The NP is awesome, feels smoother and has MATTS which makes it drive offroad like it has front and rear lockers. Toyota & Nissan fanboys hate me for it lol.
Watch the beginning of this video to see what I mean (not my Paj but similar model) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WPsT4p1lE8
I hope that helps a bit
A bit hungry to be fair, we have a 2006 3.8 Ltr NP VRX (still in Aus) and we also had a 2001 3.5 Ltr NM GLS in Australia, I travelled through the outback, all over Fraser Is, North Stradbroke Is etc. in her and we had great fun! Bog standard with Pirelli Scorpion AT's we could go everywhere may mates would in their Patrols and Landcruisers. I copped a lot of stick about drining a Paj, but they were the red faced ones when we went where we did.
They are real wheel lifters off road but with the IRS they are great!
Things to look out for.
Some of the early ones (NM) have a carbon fibre drive shaft so make sure you check it for knocks, eventhough they are strong as soon as they get a knock or anything they become very weak and have been know to shatter without warning.
The rocker covers leak and can drip oil, it is really common, ours used oil as a result until I changed to a higher viscosity premium oil.
We had intermittent ssues with our temperature guage, which is also very common as a connection in the dash becomes loose, but there is heaps of info online to fix this if you are handy with a soldering iron.
We run ours on 95 as it will pull better and we found we had better economy than with 91.
For the money you cannot go wrong, they are comfortable, tough, great off road, have a great lock, awesome visiblity and the missus likes it coz its easy to park, has 7 seats (that tuck under the floor) and is not a big tank like a Landcruiser or Patrol.
The NP is awesome, feels smoother and has MATTS which makes it drive offroad like it has front and rear lockers. Toyota & Nissan fanboys hate me for it lol.
Watch the beginning of this video to see what I mean (not my Paj but similar model) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WPsT4p1lE8
I hope that helps a bit
- mudlva
- Hard Yaka
- Posts: 2918
- Joined: Mon Apr 16, 2007 12:00 pm
- Location: fixing another cv!! dam lockers (Papakura)
Re: What to look for with pajeros
Gess that traction control realy works ah.
good demo in that vid
good demo in that vid
