Mitsubishi 380: common faults & what to check

Which Mitsubishi 380 are you looking at?

1 generation variant documented. Pick the shape you recognise: the faults, the servicing and the timeline below all narrow to it. Free, no account needed.

Petrol

1 variant documented

2005–2008DB2005–2008DB3.8 V6 petrolPetrolDocumented issues8 knownSee faults & what to checkPhoto: OSX via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

Now narrow it to the engine

A 1.8 and a 2.4 of the same car do not fail the same way, so the faults below narrow to the engine as well as the year. Free, no account needed.

Start your free check on this Mitsubishi 380

No plate needed. You get the risk score, the buyer's checklist and the guided inspection for the exact car you picked above — not the whole nameplate.

The checks worth doing on a Mitsubishi 380 before you hand over any money. Every documented fault is listed below, each with its own page.

• Serious issue

  Confirm documented timing belt replacement, inspect belt condition, and treat unknown history as due on this interference engine.

  See why

  6G75 timing belt interference-engine service

  The 6G75 V6 is an interference engine driven by a timing belt that must be changed on schedule; failure causes major valve and piston damage. Many surviving 380s have unclear belt history given their age. Belt, tensioner and water pump replacement is essential preventive work.

  What you would notice

  • Unknown timing belt history
  • Belt cracking or wear on inspection
  • Engine overdue for service
  • Ticking from belt area

  Typically $700–$1,600 to put right.

• Serious issue

  Check for a low oil-pressure light, listen for knocking or lifter noise when warm, and inspect oil for sludge indicating poor servicing.

  See why

  6G75 oil pump pickup screen clog / low oil pressure

  The 380's 6G75 3.8 V6 can suffer oil starvation if the oil pump pickup screen clogs with sludge from neglected servicing, dropping oil pressure and risking bearing damage. Low oil pressure warnings and bottom-end knock are the danger signs. Clean oil history is critical on these engines.

  What you would notice

  • Low oil pressure warning
  • Bottom-end knock
  • Ticking lifters when hot
  • Sludge under oil cap

  Typically $800–$4,000 to put right.

• Serious issue

  This one is a phone call rather than an inspection, and it is the highest-value five minutes you will spend on this car.

  See why

  Two fuel-system recalls on narrow build windows — worth one phone call

  The 380 carries two separate fuel-system recalls, each covering only a narrow band of build dates. The first, from August 2005, covers cars built between early July and late October 2005, where the locking tab on a fuel hose connector may not be fully seated and the hose can work loose — a fuel leak. The second, from September 2008, covers cars built between late July 2006 and February 2007, where a fuel tank retaining strap bracket may fail in a serious crash. Neither is something a buyer can see, both are decided by build date rather than model year, and a car sold two or three owners later has almost certainly never had the letter forwarded. One call with the VIN answers both.

  What you would notice

  • Smell of petrol around the car, especially after filling up or parking
  • Damp or staining near the fuel lines or under the rear of the car
  • No recall paperwork anywhere in the service history
  • Seller does not know whether recall work was done

  Typically $0–$400 to put right.

• Common issue

  Check the power steering reservoir level, inspect the rack and hoses for leaks, and listen for pump whine on lock.

  See why

  Power steering rack and hose leaks

  The 380's power steering rack seals and high-pressure hoses leak with age, leaving fluid drips, a whining pump and heavy steering when the reservoir runs low. Leaks can contaminate other components. Rack reseal or replacement plus hoses is the fix.

  What you would notice

  • Power steering fluid drips
  • Whining pump
  • Heavy or notchy steering
  • Low fluid reservoir

  Typically $300–$1,400 to put right.

• Common issue

  Put every window fully down and fully back up, one at a time, including the rear ones — a quick press on the driver's window proves nothing.

  See why

  Window regulators from the early build — glass that drops and will not come back

  The first batch of window regulators fitted to these had a high failure rate, and it is one of the most consistently reported owner complaints. The mechanism that carries the glass lets go, and because it almost always fails with the window down rather than up, the owner is left with a car they cannot secure or keep dry. Later replacement parts are better, so a car whose regulators have already been done is in a better position than one still on its originals — which makes the service history worth reading rather than the window merely worth testing once.

  What you would notice

  • A window that will not go up, or comes up crooked
  • A bang or clatter from inside the door when the switch is used
  • The motor running but the glass not moving
  • Glass dropping down into the door on its own
  • One window noticeably slower than the others

  Typically $250–$900 to put right.

• Common issue

  Insist on driving it from cold, because this fault quietens once everything is warm and a car that has been run before you arrive will hide it.

  See why

  Front sway bar bushes — knocking from the front on the first cold drive

  Worn front sway bar bushes are the usual answer when one of these knocks over bumps, and the giveaway is that it is loudest on the first cold drive of the day and quietens as the rubber warms and swells. It is a cheap fix and not dangerous on its own, but a knocking front end is exactly the noise that makes a buyer imagine a far more expensive problem, and it is a routine warrant item. Worth identifying so it can be priced rather than feared — or used in the negotiation.

  What you would notice

  • Knocking or clonking from the front over bumps, worst when the car is cold
  • The noise fading after ten minutes of driving
  • Rattling at low speed on a rough surface
  • A slightly loose feel through the front on a winding road

  Typically $120–$450 to put right.

What these repairs cost on other cars

Some of the Mitsubishi 380’s documented faults are repairs other models share. Each page lists the documented NZ cost for every model it affects.

• Cambelt Replacement Cost

Buying guides that cover the Mitsubishi 380

• How Australia stopped building cars, and what it left behind

Other Mitsubishi models