Used Pajero Buying Guide: The 20-Point Inspection

Buying a used Mitsubishi Pajero in South Africa rewards the patient and punishes the impulsive. These are tough, long-lived 4x4s, but a neglected example can drain your bank account faster than it climbs Sani Pass. This used Pajero buying guide gives you a practical 20-point inspection checklist you can run in a dealer’s yard or a private seller’s driveway, plus a 2026 price guide so you know what you should be paying.

Whether you are eyeing a Gen 2, a Gen 3, a Gen 4 or a Pajero Sport, the principles are the same: walk the chassis, listen to the engine, test the drivetrain and read the paperwork. Spend an hour doing this properly and you will either buy with confidence or walk away with your money intact. For the bigger picture, browse our full set of Pajero Buying Guides before you commit.

Before you go: set your expectations

Know which engine you are looking at. The diesels dominate the SA market: the 4D56 2.5TD (early), the 4M40 2.8TD (Gen 2), the 4M41 3.2 Di-D (Gen 3 and Gen 4) and the 4N15 2.4 Di-D in the later Pajero Sport. Petrol V6 buyers will see the 6G72 3.0 and 6G74 3.5. Each has its own quirks, which we cover in detail in our Pajero Common Problems by Generation guide. Cross-reference the exact model against our Pajero Specs Database so you know the original spec before you inspect.

The 20-point Pajero inspection checklist

Work through these in order. Take a torch, a magnet wrapped in cloth, a tyre-tread gauge and a friend to watch the wheels while you drive. Photograph anything that concerns you.

Chassis & rust (points 1–4)

• 1. Chassis rails and crossmembers. Get under the vehicle. Surface rust is normal on an SA bakkie-derived 4×4; flaking, scaly or pierced steel is not. Press hard along the rails — soft spots mean structural rot.
• 2. Rear crossmember and tow-bar area. A classic Pajero rust trap. Coastal cars (KZN, Cape, Eastern Cape) suffer most. Mud packed behind the bar accelerates corrosion.
• 3. Floor pans, sills and wheel arches. Lift carpets and the boot liner. Bubbling paint hides rust underneath. Magnet test suspicious panels for filler.
• 4. Underbody and skid plates. Heavy off-road dents are fine; cracked welds, bent diff housings or a re-welded chassis suggest a hard life or accident repair.

Engine (points 5–9)

• 5. Cold start. Insist on starting the engine stone cold. Diesels should fire promptly without excessive cranking or a cloud of white smoke that lingers.
• 6. Exhaust smoke. Blue smoke means oil burning (worn engine); persistent black means injector or turbo trouble; thick white means coolant or injection timing issues.
• 7. 4M41 timing chain rattle. On the 3.2 Di-D, listen for a rattle on start-up or under light load. A stretched chain is a known, costly issue — see our common problems guide for the full story.
• 8. Oil and coolant condition. Mayonnaise under the oil cap or oil in the coolant points to head-gasket trouble. Check the oil level and whether it smells of diesel (injector dilution).
• 9. Turbo and intake. Excessive shaft play, oil in the intercooler piping or a whistling boost leak all add cost. A sooty EGR/intake is common on diesels and worth budgeting to clean.

Drivetrain & Super Select (points 10–14)

• 10. Super Select operation. Cycle through 2H, 4H, 4HLc and 4LLc with the vehicle moving slowly (per the owner’s manual). Each mode must engage cleanly with the dash light confirming. Reluctant or no engagement is a major red flag.
• 11. Centre diff and transfer case. Listen for whining or clunking when shifting into low range. Check the transfer case for oil leaks at the seals.
• 12. Gearbox and clutch. Automatics should shift smoothly without flaring or harsh changes. On a manual, check for clutch slip on a steep pull and crunchy synchros.
• 13. Diffs, CV joints and propshafts. Listen for diff whine at speed and clicking on full lock (worn CVs). Check diff oil for a milky look (water ingress after river crossings).
• 14. Wheel bearings and suspension. Rock each wheel top-to-bottom for play. Sagging rear, leaking shocks and perished bushes are all negotiable repair items.

Electrics (points 15–17)

• 15. Dash warning lights. Confirm the engine, ABS, airbag and 4WD lights illuminate at ignition and then extinguish. A bulb removed to hide a fault is an old trick.
• 16. Everything that switches. Windows, central locking, climate control, diff lock, rear demister, towbar wiring and the infotainment. Electrical gremlins are common on older units.
• 17. Battery, charging and earths. Check for corroded terminals and dodgy aftermarket wiring (dual-battery and winch installs done badly cause endless faults).

Interior & paperwork (points 18–20)

• 18. Interior condition and mileage plausibility. Worn pedals, a shiny steering wheel and a slack driver’s seat on a “low-km” car suggest a wound-back odometer. Match wear to the claimed mileage.
• 19. Service history. A full diesel service record is gold. Confirm cambelt/chain notes, when filters were last done and whether it was serviced to the schedule in our Pajero Service Intervals & Maintenance Schedule.
• 20. Title, VIN and finance check. Match the VIN on the chassis, engine bay and licence disc. Run the registration through a verification service to confirm there is no outstanding finance or accident write-off history before you pay a cent.

If the seller refuses a cold start, a full Super Select test or an independent inspection, walk away. On a vehicle this capable, anything to hide is usually expensive.

Pajero price guide: what to pay in South Africa (2026)

The figures below are approximate ranges for 2026 and vary widely with condition, mileage, service history and region. Always verify locally against current listings — a clean, full-history example justifies the top of its band, while a tired one should sit at the bottom or be avoided.

Remember that the purchase price is only the start. Factor in what the vehicle costs to own by reading our Pajero Running Costs in South Africa breakdown before you sign — a cheap Pajero with a tired drivetrain can cost more in its first year than a pricier, well-kept one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Use this guide alongside the rest of our Pajero Buying Guides, and once you have a shortlist, sanity-check long-term affordability with our Pajero Running Costs in South Africa breakdown. Buy on evidence, not enthusiasm, and your Pajero will reward you for years.