Mitsubishi Pajero: 6G72 3.0L V6 Timing Belt Failure (Interference Engine)

The 6G72 is an interference engine where timing belt failure causes catastrophic piston-to-valve contact and complete engine destruction. The OEM replacement interval is 90,000 km but many imported examples have no documented service history. Belt tensioner and idler pulley failure can cause premature belt snapping independent of mileage. If the belt jumps or breaks, the repair outcome is typically a full engine rebuild or replacement.

• Engine cranks but will not start
• Sudden engine cut-out at speed
• Rattling from timing cover area on cold start
• Engine runs rough or misfires on multiple cylinders

Ask for documented timing belt replacement history with workshop receipts. If unavailable, budget for immediate replacement including tensioner, idler pulleys, and water pump. If a workshop inspection is possible: Remove the upper timing cover and inspect belt condition, tensioner spring pressure, and idler bearing play.

Parts involved: Timing belt.

$800 to $4,500 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.

• “When was the timing belt last replaced and by whom?”
• “Do you have workshop invoices or service records for the belt change?”
• “Was the water pump replaced at the same time?”

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.