Mitsubishi Triton 2013 Problems

A leaking rocker cover gasket won’t cause the engine to stop unless it somehow manages to allow too much lubricating oil to escape the engine (which, it potentially could over time). But it still needs to be fixed, because technically the car is unroadworthy with an oil leak and various bits of the car will be getting coated with the oil as it leaks out. Rubber suspension bushes, in particular, are intolerant of contact with oil and will degrade as a result. You might also find the leak is dumping oil on your tyres or the ground in front of them. So it needs to be fixed sooner rather than later.

As for the original diagnosis of your car needing a new engine, I’d be giving that workshop a wide berth as the mechanic in question might be either incompetent or attempting to rip you off. Or both. Your decision to seek a second opinion was a good one and should be standard practice.

I presume you’re not overloading the ute, so fit some Light Truck tyres. Passenger car tyres would be quieter, and the ride would be more comfortable, but you really need tyres capable of carrying the load.

The claimed average for the Triton diesel is 9.6 L/100 km, the claimed consumption for urban driving is 11.9 L/100 km, for highway/country driving it’s 8.3 L/100 km. That, of course, is the result of a laboratory test, not a real world one, so you have to allow for some variation.

You also have to allow for some variation due to loading, driving style, road conditions, tyres and the general state of the car. I’d recommend that you keep accurate records of the fuel used so you have the data to present to the dealer, and to Mitsubishi. If your data shows the car is not performing as they claim it should ask them to rectify it. Should they refuse approach the consumer affairs people with a claim that the vehicle as supplied to you is not what was represented to you.

I reckon your mechanic is on the money with the injectors. Worn injectors are a common problem on common-rail diesels; it's something that affects most brands

The new car warranty was for five years or 130,000km, so while it still meets the time part of the deal it's beyond the kilometer limit. Any extended warranty you have would have come from the dealer rather than Mitsubishi, so you would have to read the warranty conditions to know if the turbo seals are covered. I would expect they are if they fail because of being faulty.

Driving through puddles is not a problem, but driving through a creek or river could be problematic depending on the depth of the water. This is a case of you say, they say. I would suggest you sit down with your dealer and ask him to show you evidence of the water ingress they claim has occurred. Then try and reach an agreement with them and the car company on what they might do for you.

There have been other reports of rust in the Triton. When Mitsubishi was approached with a similar problem in 2015, the company offered the owner a full inspection and a Mitsubishi representative present and the promise that it would be rectified in line with the company's warranty. On that basis I would suggest you contact Mitsubishi headquarters direct and request similar action on your vehicle.

My general rule of thumb is 160,000km but if it’s been well maintained the higher figure should be fine for something like a Triton.

It does sound like it could be a problem with the differential. At this stage you should continue to seek a solution with the dealer and Mitsubishi. We will contact Mitsubishi on your behalf and see if we can enlist higher up help.