MajorCommonElectrical

Mitsubishi Delica D:5: Power Sliding Door Cable and Motor Assembly Failure

Power Sliding Door Cable and Motor Assembly Failure is a common electrical fault on the Mitsubishi Delica D:5 on the 2007 onward cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $700 to $2,800 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 19 documented faults on the Mitsubishi Delica D:5.

Vehicle: Mitsubishi Delica D:5
Years: 2007 onward
System: Electrical

This page covers the Mitsubishi Delica D:5 as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Mitsubishi Delica D:5 faults19 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

No photograph available

We do not hold a verified photograph for this fault yet. We would rather show none than show a picture of something else.

What goes wrong

The Delica D:5's power sliding door system uses a cable-driven actuator motor to open and close the rear side door. The cable is routed around pulleys in the B-pillar and door track; over time, the cable frays at the pulley contact points or the plastic cable guides crack, allowing the cable to jump the track and jam the door mid-travel. The electric motor driving the mechanism is also subject to brush wear and internal gear-strip, compounded by the high load imposed when users push or pull the door manually while the motor is engaged.

What you would notice

Sliding door stops partway, reverses, or fails to latch on power close
Grinding or clicking noise from the B-pillar or door track during motorised operation
Power sliding door warning indicator illuminated on instrument cluster

How to check it

Where to look. Driver-side and passenger-side B-pillar cavity and sliding door track; motor unit mounted in the lower door sill

Operate the power sliding door through five full open-close cycles and listen for grinding, hesitation, or incomplete travel; inspect the cable at the B-pillar pulley for fraying; check for fault codes in the body control module (BCM) relating to the sliding door motor circuit; verify door closes flush without the power-close assist cutting out prematurely.

What it costs to put right

$700 to $2,800 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

“Do both power sliding doors open and close fully and latch correctly every time?”
“Has the sliding door ever had to be manually forced or has it jammed mid-travel?”
“Has the sliding door motor or cable assembly been replaced?”

Now check the Mitsubishi Delica D:5 you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in published sources — owner forums, technical service bulletins, recall notices and workshop write-ups — held in our fault database. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them, and it is a starting point for an inspection rather than a manufacturer statement.

Mitsubishi Delica D:5 buyer questions

Is power sliding door cable and motor assembly failure serious on a Mitsubishi Delica D:5?

We rate it major and common on the Mitsubishi Delica D:5. The Delica D:5's power sliding door system uses a cable-driven actuator motor to open and close the rear side door. The cable is routed around pulleys in the B-pillar and door track; over time, the cable frays at the pulley contact points or the plastic cable guides crack, allowing the cable to jump the track and jam the door mid-travel. The electric motor driving the mechanism is also subject to brush wear and internal gear-strip, compounded by the high load imposed when users push or pull the door manually while the motor is engaged.

How much does it cost to fix on a Mitsubishi Delica D:5?

$700 to $2,800 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Mitsubishi Delica D:5 years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 2007 onward Mitsubishi Delica D:5. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.