Mitsubishi Challenger PC (2013-2015)

Good car but some improvements – Use the challenger as family commuter and some off road. The car gets used on a daily basis. The issues i have found is the car still uses a timing belt and the fact it has to replaced every 90,000kms. Car gets serviced every 6-12 months Show details

Great car but beware faulty balance shaft! – Bought brand new 4x4 to commute to work and used on long highway travel and city travel, used a lot for towing and needed the boot room. Always serviced by the book with minimal issues. Read a few reviews before buying and most were spot on. Great room in boot even with seats erect which was handy as i didn’t have to take a baby seat in and out… Read more

to keep my boot space. Great to drive, fuel economy usually around 11-13litres per 100km depending on use. Fuel tank is small, could be bigger, first set of factory tyres lasted 120,000kms! Annoying front cup holders but other cars have same cross over design. Can’t hold two cups at once! Stereo average, should be better for the price of the car. Always loved this car but whether I got a lemon I don’t know, but the engine was replaced under warranty recently. The timing belt shifted after 90 thousand km service, had to take it back and get that replaced again, not sure if that did damage but later at around 120 thousand kms the bearing shaft broke and engine had to be replaced. Lucky it was still in warranty although it Took two months to get my car back while dealership argued with head office over whose fault it was. I still love my car and it has been great for the purpose but I am concerned about it’s reliability now. Dealership said they see the faulty bearing shaft a lot just a lot earlier than 120,000 kms, i looked on the forums and could find no mention of it.

2014 Challenger PC – Purchased the 4by new with Mitsubishi bull bar, Snorkel, rusting proofing, mats, roof rack and some other items. Have updated the suspension and changed the fuel tank to 107L. Been a great vehicle on and off road. Travelled out into the desert and done long drives in the country. The vehicle is regularly serviced and I also do maintenance between… Read more

the factory services. The only down side is the torque is a high stall and will only go into lockup in 4th and 5th gear. The upside, there is a mod that fixes that. If Mitsubishi fixes the lockup for 2nd and 3rd it would vasty improve fuel economy in city driving. The factory suspension is soft but adding quality after market coils and shocks vasty improves handling. The engine tune from the factory is conservative but a quality ECU tune fixes the issue. Now have good low down pickup and tows much better. Given the Challenger is a 2T vehicle, I regularly get 12L/100KM in the city without the improved torque lockup kit. This is not bad economy considering stop start traffic and size of this 4by.

Don’t buy if you enjoy a safe drive – Wow, possibly the worst car I’ve ever owned. Sounded like a tractor, and handled like one. But I can live with that, it got me off road a bit. What is unforgivable is that when a car hit me at approx 60kph, hard enough to roll the challenger over its roof and on to the other side, NOT A SINGLE AIRBAG DEPLOYED. The car was under three years old. Having recovered from the surgery I needed, I now drive a Lexus - 450h and love it!!  Show details

Hi Power Engine Overheat Mitsubishi Challenger – used for family use only on a daily basis never towed anything known problem Hi Power Engine Overheat car was serviced regularly Car started to over heat at 2 years of age, just relised recently that when they sold me the car they were aware of this overheating issue and did not declare this to me at the sale. the overheating makes the head… Read more

crack. the engine has to be replaced by mitsubishi. I have already had the thermostat replaced, and many other things that have gone wrong with the vehicle

Any person having these issues need to report them to the ACCC and make a complaint to Fair trading, the cars need to be recalled for safety.

Mitsubishis have now told me that they have replaced many engines in Challengers for the same reason

I have checked other sites and have found similar complaints in abundance surrounding the Challenger and the Triton. Any person with similar issues needs to put them in a forum like this for others to see and read. There has been no recall for my car after the first month of ownership for this overheating issue with the car, then they replaced the Cap to the radiator and also the coolant to a heavier 50% coolant, my engine light kept coming on and they had the car back and still did not fix it correctly, now my engine is blown and under Consumer guarantee I would like my car replaced and or my money back as this is a major fault that they were aware was happening when they sold me the vehicle, had they told me of the fault I would have never bought the car.

Further to this It is a safety matter if the engine blows on a freeway which could cause a serious accident, and or it devalues my car for resale.

2010 Challenger – we purchase new manual in 2010. Find economy good. We get 9l/100 travelling at 95 to 105. Sometimes better, sometimes worse depending on hills. With the camper it's12 to 14. We've done 173k travelling lots of tracks (Oodnadatta, Tanami, Birdsville etc etc) It's never missed a beat . Now I would like an auto and with just a tad more power as our… Read more

new camper is 1.5 T loaded. So reliable. Best value 4wd for the bucks. Any suggestions for a replacement with say 10% more power?

W – Want more gunt up hills has anyone done drink and change chip or in imported chip or change turbo as it's a sluggish on long 4xr tracks I want fun not slugs need more power want to get up sand h I'll ls and big Rock's with the family a d fun  Show details

a few mods – Excellent all round , absolutely no complaints, however,I made a fitting and tested engine oil temp while towing van 1.5 ton , oil is too hot , all engine oil should be under 100 deg c doing 90 k oil is 105c flat road , going up 4k long hill , oil can reach 120c ,this will cause bottom end wear and also this 15000k oil change bit is redicoulous… Read more

,5-7 th when towing, fitted oil cooler , only gets to 95 c even working hard, if you doubt what i've said , call the major oil companys, i did. Best diesel oil gulf western 15 -40 top dog indestructable. Also fitted auto lock up kit to stop torque converter slip when towing up big hills which keeps auto temps down also block egr and a catch can.

Great Truck - happy for what we paid – We traded in our 1996 Toyota Prado with 360,000 Km on the clock for the Challenger with 4,000 km. To date its been reliable, comfortable and a big step up technology wise from the Prado. My only complaint is it's a bit slower on the pick up around town, but the comfort outweighs the inconvenience. The third seating row is useful with four kids,… Read more ·  1

but the big improvement is the aircon with controls that flows all over the middle and rear seats. This makes the longer trips much better for all concerned.

I'd say running costs are about 10 lt per 100 km, which may seem high, but its better than the Prado it replaced!

Solid 4wd – Have put just over 16,000kms on the challenger. Wife drives it to work during the week in a hilly area and averages around 13/100km. Have just driven from Melbourne to the entrance (central coast NSW) and back, averaged about 10.6/100km sitting on about 110km. Have taken it off road n several occasions, sand driving and steep rocky inclines and… Read more

declines, had breezed through with no problems.

Had a blister type of heat bubble below the passenger side air vent, dealer said they had never seen it before. They replaced that section without any fuss. Leather steering wheel is really wearing bad, have told the dealer and are in the process of getting a answer. A few things I don't like is the size of the fuel tank. The seats are to hard. Leg room is not the greatest for someone north of 6feet.

Over all so far the vehicle had performed well and is a great value all round vehicle.

Solid and reliable 4wd – PC Challenger is our only vehicle; city driving and a vehicle we also use for outback travel, either towing our camper or using swags. I have done 50,000km now and would not leave a review with any less mileage as most new cars go OK when brand new and with little off road work. It's an easy car to drive around the city (auto transmission)… Read more

fitted with a tight turning circle; it's not too long or too wide which gives no stress parking. The fuel consumption around town was initially high, but since getting an ECU remap and a performance exhaust/catalytic converter, along with the motor being run-in, this has improved a lot. Expect around 8.5 to 9 L/100km highway (lightly loaded) and anywhere from 9.0 to 13 L/100km around town, depending on traffic. Towing our camper van that can weigh up to 2 tonnes with a full load, and we get anywhere from 12 to 16 L/100km, probably 13.5 L/100km long term average.

The plastics in the interior are low quality, and the silver paint on the plastic surrounds of the power window switches dissolved away with greasy hands from sunscreen within the first few months of ownership. I have heard the silver-trimmed plastic on the new Challenger incarnation, the Pajero Sport, is no better. There are a few dash rattles and frazzles, but they generally go away once everything is up to temperature. The front legroom is not capacious, so if you are much over 180cm tall or have really long legs you may not be able to get comfortable for long trips. My base model has no lumbar adjustment on the seats, but I use a lumber support and now find the seats comfortable. The white paint has proven to be scratch and chip resistant, and is of reasonable thickness. Excellent exterior finish for the money, and for a Thailand built vehicle.

I have done more than 20,000 km dirt and off-road travel, including the Simpson Desert, and whilst the vehicle has not been trouble free it has never let me down. The PB and PC Challengers have a design flaw, in that the tube-nut on the power steering supply line to the steering rack comes loose on corrugated roads, causing the loss of all power steering fluid. Mine did this around the 10,000km mark, when I was near Coongie Lakes, NW of Innamincka. Although I found the issue quickly I had to drive about 600 km before I could get some new fluid. When I got back home Mitsubishi did not want to know about the problem, and I had to force them to change the pump fluid around 8,000 km later. Now, after every few hundred kilometers dirt road driving I check the nut, and usually nip it up half a turn or so. Why Mitsubishi never fixed this problem during the 5 year model run is beyond me. Another issue with the steering occurred at about 17,000 km; it developed a loud, intermittent clunk, felt mostly as a vibration through the steering. After I complained about it enough, the dealership looked at it properly and found the steering column to be faulty. This was replaced under warranty and the problem went away, and 30,000 km later this replaced steering column is still going strong. The vehicle has some steering rack rattle over rough ground, which has got worse with age. However, the positive news is the steering has excellent road feel, but under rough road conditions you will feel some, but not excessive, vibration through the steering.

The motor and transmission have given me no problems. This vehicle sets no benchmarks for sophistication, noise, vibration or harshness, but I think they are a great vehicle. I often use the paddle shifters (standard on the auto) both on and off road. I had the auto serviced at 45,000 km (the recommended interval with hard use). The local auto shop said the fluid and the pan where clean, and they could not give me a rebuild price for the auto because they "never have problems with them". Note: this vehicle has a large auto-transmission cooler as standard, something the auto Hilux and Prado don't have; thumbs up Mitsubishi and thumbs down for Toyota. The cost of servicing is higher than with a Toyota but not unreasonable, especially if you stay away from the dealers as I have mostly done. The tappets are supposed to be checked and adjusted every 30,000km, but this is ridiculous. I will, however, take the vehicle to my local stealer-ship for the 60,000km service in the faint hope they will do a tappet adjustment as part of the $600 fixed price service. Tappet adjustment is a big job, with the inlet manifold and injector fuel lines having to come off, so it will be good value if they actually do this work, rather than just check it with a stethoscope, which is what most do.

For the money of around $36K less after-market accessories, I think the vehicle is fantastic value. It has a large battery, rear diff lock, cruise control, parking sensors, reverse camera, electric fold in side mirrors, and the super-select 4wd system means I can have all wheel drive when towing my van in wet conditions, something not possible with the much more expensive Toyota Hilux and Fortuna models. The stereo and the Bluetooth hands free unit works well and has excellent steering wheel controls. These are all great practical features and there is nothing on the car that I don't use, and really nothing more needed that is not already included in the low purchase price (possible exception would be having a larger fuel tank).

I intend to keep the vehicle for many more years because there is nothing on the market with the balance of price, features and performance this vehicle offers. The vehicle should be a good buy second hand as well.

Update April 2018: vehicle has 83,000 km now and still outback travelling with my camper. Car continues to be trouble free. I never got the tappets adjusted as Mitsubishi dropped this from the 60,000 km service (now 75,000 km conveniently outside the capped price service range). Adviced the rear brakes will need doing at 90,000 km. Enginr a little noisier now with turbo whistle evident when accelerating, but very quiet highway cruising. Tube nut on power steering has not come loose despite lots of dirt road driving. Still highly recommend the car.

My favourite car – 2015 car. 15k on now, really happy. It old school, noisy grungy fella but unstoppable off road. Rear lock diff superb. 9.2 fuel economy running from Brisbane to Rainbow Beach(3hours). drives like a car, great space for family of four. Smashes the beach driving. I love it . 5 STAR  Show details

Good vehicle for price – Purchased new in july 2015. $33815 but up to $40,000 with all accessories. Still miles in front of opposition. Good ride and love the bluetooth and reversing camera. Turbo lag is a bit of a bummer and fuel is a bit higher than expected. Tows a camper trailer ok. Fitted poly air bags to level ride out. Done 18,000 km now and no problems,  Show details

Good vehicle let down by fuel economy – I enjoy driving the Challenger and it is excellent on rough roads and off road. The diff lock makes it very capable off road. I am average height but find entering the vehicle a little difficult. The roof is too low because I often hit my head. The steering column is too low because I have difficulty getting my legs under the steering wheel. Once… Read more

you are in driving it is a pleasure. It does have a noisy automatic transmission but in top gear it is very quiet. Dash board and Instruments are good but at midday the sun makes the reversing camera useless.

My previous vehicle was a 2006 Pajero which used 8.0 L/100km of diesel. The Challenger is lighter, has a smaller more modern motor but the best I can get out of it on a long trip is 10 L/100km. So I am disgusted with fuel use.

Great vehicle but Link system needs work – I upgraded recently from a Lancer to the Challenger and am quite impressed at my first 4WD. Power is reasonably good, especially when the turbo kicks in. Despite other comments, I don't find it particularly noisy, I can still have a conversation without having to raise my voice and the Bluetooth hears me fine without raising my voice also. I… Read more

haven't been offroad yet, but have used 4WD mode and you can certainly feel the difference. I will update after I experience offroad driving.

The Link system with the 6.1" screen was a big update for me. My Lancer didn't have the touchscreen. On the plus side, I can use a USB drive (nicely hidden in the glovebox) up to 32GB for music. It does Bluetooth streaming as well, but the volume of the music is dependent on the phone volume as well as the car, so I tend to not bother with it.

As much as I like the screen, I do actually miss the convenience of having buttons I can feel for without having to look away from the road.

The part of the Link system that needs work is with the phone. It is needlessly complicated to get to the phonebook. It should have been available from the main menu, instead of Menu > Phone > Option > Phonebook. The main menu which contains Phone as an option, should have contained Phonebook too.

While on the phonebook, importing single to the Vehicle Phonebook is very flaky. I had to spend time experimenting to actually get it to work and it doesn't even always work then. Importing a mobile phonebook is simple, but who actually needs all their hundreds of contacts available. There is also no search function, so you must select a letter at the top of the screen and scroll up, down and sideways to get the contact. A search box where you could type letters and filter the list would have been great.

Overall, I am happy with the car and I can live with the limitations of the Link system, but Mitsubishi really need to use more logic and make it easier to use.

Oh, one more thing, it actually has a usable foot rest unlike every other car I have owned where it is just in the way.

If you have problems with importing single contacts to the vehicle phonebook:

- If paired by the dealer, unpair it from car and phone.

- Pair the phone using the voice system. I did not import my phonebook when asked.

- Open the vehicle phonebook, press the arrow in the bottom left and press Import. The car says something like complete import on your phone.

- I opened my phone's contact list, selected a contact and in the phone menu selected share via Bluetooth.

- After about 5 seconds, the car said contact received or something like that.

If it doesn't work, try again after 10 seconds. Also try making your phone visible or cancelling import and starting it again.

Patchy, but it works.

Awesome if you want a value 4wd – Just put around 3000km on my PC Challenger Auto Trans , couldn't be happier and the kids love it too. We purchased the Challenger for sub $40k as an ex demo which is amazing value , I have found the challenger is a strong pass in all areas the engine is powerful enough , the interior is good and the space is very good, the kids love the… Read more

reclining rear seats and seat height so they can see outside easily. Fuel economy is as expected if you drive it in traffic or push it you'll be around 12l/100 , on longer stretches its under 10l/100km. We've only driven on dirt roads rather than off road so far but I was extremely impressed . It definitely not as well appointed as a Prado

but I could buy my new boat with the price difference and that's a huge factor in the Challenger its a lot of car for the Bucks .

UPDATE ...A year on still as happy as ever , a trip to the Flinders ranges proved the Challenger is very capable off road ,

UPDATE # 2 just clocked up 65,000 km Had a trip to Melbourne and Back with the kids in this time , had a major service and the Challenger is running better than ever I think they re mapped the computer because there is less lag on take off , No warranty issues and all , the only issue is the carpet near the accelerator is very worn ... For the money I paid for this car I could not be more impressed......

Still loving the Challenger !! Value , Looks ,4wd abilty and warranty Seats are a bit hard , small fuel tank

Great value for money 4WD with good off road capability – Just completed a two week camping road trip around Victoria with our 2014MY Manual PC 5 seater Challenger. Very happy and given the price difference betwen a Pajero and Prado I consider this better value for money. Very good cargo capacity even with the rear seats up. This was one of the main selling features for me. check it out!!. Generally I… Read more

have no trouble achieving aroung 9l/100km driving easy but with a full load including loaded roof platform, A/C on and travelling around 100kmh this can blow out to 11l/100km. The car is comfortable to drive even though the seats are a bit hard and good visibility. The manual does pull quite well in a higher gear but needs to be rowed through the gears to get the best performance. Turbo lag is noticeable but with anticipation and carefull driving not a real problem. The steeing does require a few turns on windy roads and manouvering but good on the open road. You will buy this for its 4WD prowess which with the super select and rear diff lock will provide capacity to go almost anywhere the big name 4WD's will go. If you only want it for a shopping trolly this is not the car for you. The 2.5l diesel is a bit noisy and can intrude into the cabin. We have found this to be a great touring car with good off road capacity and plenty of room to easily fit all our camping and touring gear in. Although only 12,000 k on the clock so far but no problems at all and could highly recommend this vehicle for touring on and off road.

Update March 2020 - 100,000 kilometres. Still very happy with this car. Apart from scheduled servicing the only replacements have been new tyres (replaced original Bridgestone H/T with Bridgestone Duellers A/T) , new Battery (the OEM battery has a relatively low CCA rating so when it failed in 2019 upgraded to a larger capacity battery), and a couple of light globes. The car still runs faultlessly and I would fully recommend this model as a good second hand reliable purchase providing it has been well maintained and not thrashed.

Disappointing Purchase – Base spec MY14 (2013 Build) PC Auto Challenger White. No modifications. A few extras incl electric brakes Mitsy Towbar tinting etc. Purchased this car for towing as it is rated at 3t capacity. Our van is 2.3t loaded and 220kg on the ball. Pros. Good driving position and a reasonable highway drive, quite solid on the 50 or so kilometres of… Read more

unsealed roads we drove. Reversing camera and sensors very handy.

Didn't use oil.

Cons.

The NVH levels are quite poor, whine in the diff at 90 & 110 Kph, fuel economy around town about 14/100, parts of the upholstery and carpet are substandard quality, exterior paintwork is rubbish. And the towing capacity is overstated.

Mitsy Towbar only takes the Mitsy WDH which means that if you change your car, which we have done, you are up for a new hitch! Nice one.

Five speed auto gear box needs another gear.

Mitsy dealers were not consistent in their advice with the engine oil type for the two services performed on the car during our ownership.

We noticed is the last few months of ownership that the White paintwork seemed to be retaining stains IN the paint (not ON the paint). Difficult to remove and then recently we noticed that the car wash water in the bucket turned milky as we hand washed the car. A paint expert who is very experienced in warranty work on some of the major car brands advised the paintwork was breaking down from the inside out. As we had had enough of the car this was our breaking point so decided to get rid of it. As well, a Mitsy dealer advised that we would have a battle to lodge a successful warranty claim although the car was only 14 months old.

And to top it off, two days before we swapped the car over the battery was buggared. Mitsubishi have a good concept with this car but the execution of their idea, based on our experience, falls a long way short of ideal. Our car was never abused, never taken four wheel driving and never on a beach or through flooded waters.

Challenger PC with the auto ... Worst car I have every owned – Well I bought and sold this vehicle in the same year. I inspected the car and test drove it, I was happy. I did not bother about the fuel consumption figures as I figure - its a diesel how bad could it be. Besides these are cheap and if it is one or two litres higher the sale figure of 36k would capture that loss. So anyway, I bought the auto.… Read more

This transmission never settles down, so much power is getting wasted and this is reflected in the economy. 14.5L / 100km . Took it back to mitsubishi where I was informed that I should not look at the ADR label as a guide as the are not real world. I could not believe that my ranger got consistent mid 9s and the Challenger was hard pressed getting 15. I was getting 380 to a tank. I waited till 15000klm and still Mitsubishi said there was no problem, there probably wasn't it was just a poor car in auto for areas with slighty hilly terrain.

I decided to cut my losses and pass it on, I couldn't stand looking at the fuel computer.

Go and get a MUX or something similar or at least get the manual.

Finding my Challenger pretty damn good – Had my 2013/14 Challenger since May 2014. Demo model, saved 10k on new car price. Not as economical as my old BMW X5 4.4ltr V8 (or as powerful lol) but I love it. 9.5 L/100 at 100klms/hr highway. Rear cargo area is enormous. Towed my new Van this summer about 1800kgs no problems. 18 L/100klms towing my van highway. Not too noisey as everyone says.… Read more

Overall, very underrated car IMHO

Update...5 years on. Upgraded to King springs. TJM shocks and steel bullbar. Engine remap (way more power and fuel economy) October 2018 auto transmission died 98,000klms. Replaced under warranty. Still happy with it BUT disappointed that the tranny died

Generally a good vehicle but now has a rear end whine and a battle looming – I was initially very happy with my PC auto as it well-appointed and very capable off road. The overall quality of finish is vastly inferior to the MY03 PA it replaced but due to the diesel tows my boats much better. The reversing camera is very useful but the factory tow bar is way too low and prominent. It does drag on the stepper departure angle… Read more

but I have not yet lost the power plug.

It now has 26,000 k’s and at about 16000 k’s I noticed a crown wheel noise in the rear differential on coast (ie light load) at about 110’ks per hour. If you back off or accelerate it decreases but the whine has gradually gotten worse over time. I am now preparing for a battle with warranty is I did not pay $50k for a diff noise. I took it back to get a total fob off from the dealer who was sprouting about “acceptable noise” as if it was his decision. They did not even road test it and just changed the oil. My guess is the bearing preload was incorrectly set or the tooth pattern is slightly off but I want it fixed. I believe some Triton drivers (same diff apparently) have documented similar problems.

Anyway I post again as this develops.

Reliable and Tough Compact 4WD – The PB/PC Challenger is a tough, compact 4WD wagon that’s in its element on country dirt roads, 4WD tracks, long distance touring and towing caravans below 2.3T (the 3T limit is OK for short distances). Urban duties are better done by dedicated soft roaders that are easier to live with in town. The current Challengers and Tritons are at the… Read more

end of their model runs and are now hard to beat bargains at discounted prices. The trade-offs are: an auto that is poorly programmed for heavy towing (don’t plan to tow over 2.3T long distances in hilly terrain), lower power and torque than the competition, commercial origins that flow through to the interior design, an older diesel engine that is noisy when cold and under acceleration and less fuel efficient than the competition (my MY12 PB 38,000km averages are, 11.5 suburban, 10 country and 14.5l/100km towing a 1.5T RV).

The pros are: comfortable touring car, quiet in the cruise, ergonomic cockpit, tough construction, robust reliability, good warranty, excellent 4WD performance, appealing looking wagon compared with the competition (eg MU-X or Colorado 7), excellent ball weight capacity (300kg) and it’s a pleasant, balanced drive (steering, acceleration and braking feel is very smooth, which is a long-time Mitsubishi trait that constantly evades motoring journalists’ reviews).

The real shocker is the servicing costs of diesels compared to petrol engines, generally. 15,000km services are capped at $595, the uncapped 60,000km is $950 and uncapped 90,000km is $1850, then the cycle starts again. The rule of thumb is only buy a diesel if you really need one (eg towing or over 30,000km/yr). Otherwise you’ll be spending more on extra servicing than you save on fuel. Diesel fuel can have some real issues at low temperatures (ref. cloud and clumping points) and one needs appropriate mountain/alpine fuel or cold weather additives at low OAT.

Some good advice I’ve been given when selecting an RV is to buy the smallest you can live with and IMHO this holds true for 4WDs as well. If you can live with its rear body style, the MU-X has a reputedly better transmission for heavy towing. For more owner advice refer to the Pajero 4WD Club of Vic’s Challenger sub-forum website.

Happy Owner – Bought an MY 14 LS yes tad noisey but hey if something goes wrong you will hear it and believe me this could save you dollars before something goes really wrong so can live with that hey country boy something soothing about a diesel engine. Apart from that for the money and features this is a great car actually love it and long warranty what more… Read more

do you want Mit have been great no issues dream to deal with wish all car dealers where like the guys at Berwick. One happy challenger owner. Space features offroad cred Yes bigger fuel tank