MajorCommonBody & Rust

Mitsubishi Pajero: Rust from blocked drainage channels in front guards, sills and door bottoms (NM/NP)

Rust from blocked drainage channels in front guards, sills and door bottoms (NM/NP) is a common body & rust fault on the Mitsubishi Pajero on the 2000–2006 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $500 to $5,000 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 39 documented faults on the Mitsubishi Pajero.

Vehicle: Mitsubishi Pajero
Years: 2000–2006
System: Body & Rust

This page covers the Mitsubishi Pajero 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 Pajero faults39 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

No photograph available

We do not hold a verified photograph of the Body corrosion yet. We would rather show none than show a picture of a different part.

What goes wrong

NM/NP Pajeros trap mud and moisture in the drainage channels behind the front guards and along the sills; once blocked, water sits against the metal and rust works from the inside out. Water can end up pooling in the footwells and the lower body panels rot, which matters for both WOF and structural integrity on a 20-plus-year-old truck. Vehicles that lived on farms, beaches or ski roads are the highest risk, and JDM imports can add snow-salt corrosion underneath.

What you would notice

Bubbling paint on sills, wheel arches and door bottoms
Damp carpet or musty smell inside
Visible rust inside the front guard lips
Water sloshing sounds in the sills

How to check it

Where to look. Front guards, sills, door bottoms, footwells, chassis rails

Lift the carpet edges in the front footwells and feel for damp.
Run your hand along the inner sill seams and under the front guard lips.
On any import, look under the vehicle at the chassis rails and crossmembers for flaky scale rust, not just surface discolouration.

Parts involved: Body corrosion.

What it costs to put right

$500 to $5,000 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

“Has it had any rust repairs for WOF?”
“Where has the vehicle spent its life - coastal, farm, or ex-Japan?”
“Have the drain channels ever been cleaned?”

Now check the Mitsubishi Pajero 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 the sources below. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them.

automotivefaults.com - Pajero/Shogun 2001-2006 fault listing (blocked drainage channels rust)
ProductReview.com.au - Pajero NM/NP owner reviews mentioning rust checks
Pajero 4WD Club of Victoria forum - 'Most common problems for an NP' thread

Mitsubishi Pajero buyer questions

Is rust from blocked drainage channels in front guards, sills and door bottoms (nm/np) serious on a Mitsubishi Pajero?

We rate it major and common on the Mitsubishi Pajero. NM/NP Pajeros trap mud and moisture in the drainage channels behind the front guards and along the sills; once blocked, water sits against the metal and rust works from the inside out. Water can end up pooling in the footwells and the lower body panels rot, which matters for both WOF and structural integrity on a 20-plus-year-old truck. Vehicles that lived on farms, beaches or ski roads are the highest risk, and JDM imports can add snow-salt corrosion underneath.

How much does it cost to fix on a Mitsubishi Pajero?

$500 to $5,000 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 Pajero years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 2000–2006 Mitsubishi Pajero. 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.

How do I check for it before I buy?

Lift the carpet edges in the front footwells and feel for damp. Run your hand along the inner sill seams and under the front guard lips. On any import, look under the vehicle at the chassis rails and crossmembers for flaky scale rust, not just surface discolouration. Look here: Front guards, sills, door bottoms, footwells, chassis rails