Mitsubishi dealer or another garage: what changes?
| Serviced at a Mitsubishi dealer | Serviced elsewhere | |
|---|---|---|
| Diamond Advantage, 5 years or 130,000 km | Kept, with an evaluation at a dealer before 36 months | Mitsubishi's terms expect dealer servicing, so read them first |
| Powertrain cover to 120 months or 160,000 km | Kept, for the original buyer | Lost: it needs all maintenance and repairs at an authorised outlet |
| You're the second owner, or it's an import | The powertrain extension doesn't transfer | The same, so the choice of garage is open |
Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand says regular servicing is vital to keeping its Diamond Advantage warranty, and that the car needs servicing at a Mitsubishi dealer at the recommended intervals. If you're the first owner of a newer car, that's a real reason to stay put.
For everyone else, the MTA's general view applies: a qualified independent mechanic following the maker's guidelines should be low risk. The Consumer Guarantees Act covers the work wherever it's done.
The plug-in Outlander is two cars in one
Mitsubishi launched the Outlander PHEV in January 2013. Wikipedia describes two electric motors driving the front and rear wheels, with the petrol engine able to charge the battery or drive the car directly, and both a regular and a CHAdeMO quick-charging socket.
That means a service covers ordinary engine work as well as the hybrid system. Mitsubishi gives its PHEVs an 8 year battery warranty, so check the car's age before anyone starts on the battery. The high-voltage parts are for a mechanic trained for them; the Outlander page has more.
Imported Mitsubishis and recalls
Some Mitsubishis here are used imports that Mitsubishi Motors didn't export and Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand didn't bring in. Mitsubishi says recalls are sometimes announced in Japan for those cars, and that it works with NZTA to trace them and tell the owners.
So keep the address on your registration current, and ask the mechanic to check the VIN for recalls at the first service. An import may also come with a Japanese handbook and no history, so a thorough first service is a sensible start.
What to have ready when you book
- The model, year and kilometres, and whether it's a plug-in.
- The date you bought it, and whether you were its first owner.
- The service book or invoices showing where it's been serviced.
- Any warning lights or messages, photographed.
What you can keep track of
You can
- Diary the next service by date and kilometres, whichever arrives first.
- On a PHEV, keep the charging cable and sockets clean and undamaged.
- Check tyre pressures with the tyres cold.
Leave to the mechanic
- The scheduled service and the record that proves it.
- Anything on the PHEV's high-voltage system.
- Recall checks against the VIN.
What we'd do with a Mitsubishi
If we were the first owner of a newer Mitsubishi, we'd stay with a Mitsubishi dealer and never let a service slip past its date or kilometres, because the long cover depends on it. If we'd bought it second-hand or it came from Japan, we'd pick a mechanic who works on Mitsubishis, have the VIN checked for recalls, and get the service and oil named in writing.