NW Pajero Lower Front Control Arm Failure

[Steve879]

Hello all. Got a phone call from the wife this Arvo, the Pajero went crunch while reversing and now front left wheel is not straight. Drove out to find that the rear mount of the front lower control arm had failed and seperated.
Got the car back home and have now removed to find this. I'm a little concerned, it looks like the welds have failed due to rust under the weld, this then has left a small amount of metal holding and this has what has finally given way today. We have had a strange noise form under that side of the car for a while. Even got some advise from here advise seemed all was ok and lots make noise.... Check out the photos and let me know what you all think, car has had no accidents in the 100k we have out on it, very little off-road. 150000k on it now.

[old Jack]

There is a problem that MMAL should be made aware of and they should cover the cost of the repairs even though car is outside warranty.
Also it should be reported.

https://infrastructure.gov.au/vehicles/reporting/

OJ.

[Steve879]

A few more pictures

[Seigried]

Completly agree with OJ.

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[erad]

I was idly grazing on Fleabay yesterday, and came across a listing for new upper control wishbones for Pajero NW. $120.80 a pair incl postage, brand new. I assume that they also include the bushes. It may be worth asking if the supplier also has lower control arms. I thought that was cheap. I also agree about contacting Mitsubishi. I have never heard of such a failure, but anything is possible.

[Steve879]

Hello all, sorry have been crazy busy and haven't had a chance to update on my little issue. I had the car repaired within a few days with a part from the wreakers, wheel alignment and off it went.
With the help of Old Jack I was able to talk with someone within Mitsubishi. They took this very seriously, without even a question about it all my costs were covered, including getting the failed part to Adelaide to be examined and tested as to why it failed. When the technical guy says in 20 odd years of work at MMAL he hadn't seen that failure you can see why they wanted it back.
I couldn't be more impressed with how MMAL handled this, my car is out of warranty. Yet have been well and truly looked after.
I will be updated once an analysis of the failure has taken place, I'll update again if I hear anything more.
For those with a July, 2012 built NW Pajero. Might be worth a quick check, hopefully this is a one off and not a problem with a batch of parts. People have asked me if I'm concerned about the other side and I'm not. These would have been built on different jigs etc and maybe at different times.

Steve

[Dicko1]

Sounds like a good outcome and good to MM are taking it seriously. Had the potential to finish in a tragic accident.

[Seigried]

Good to hear. Hopefully its a one off.

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[Jorgo RX Pajero]

Wow - that's bloody concerning - that could have been significantly worse at speed. Glad to see a good out come considering. Has anyone come across non OEM upgraded Control Arms for the Pajero ?

[Pajshomoneroguntero]

Whilst it’s good to hear that MMAL has attended to the defect the cynic in me says it’s not because they offer genuine old fashioned service rather they’re only thinking of their own skins because a failure of that part could bear catastrophic consequences with the blame laid squarely at their own feet. Plus the defective part, aka evidence, can for all intent and purpose now be deemed not to exist since no party other then MMAL has it (or doesn’t if you get my drift).

[old Jack]

Whilst it’s good to hear that MMAL has attended to the defect the cynic in me says it’s not because they offer genuine old fashioned service rather they’re only thinking of their own skins because a failure of that part could bear catastrophic consequences with the blame laid squarely at their own feet. Plus the defective part, aka evidence, can for all intent and purpose now be deemed not to exist since no party other then MMAL has it (or doesn’t if you get my drift).

I hope this is not the case.
I contacted MMAL via the Technical Engineering department and not through Customer Service or Sales. Once I talked to them they took the failure seriously and contacted Steve directly. Sometimes you have to trust people to do the right thing.


OJ.

[aussieintas]

Steve 879 have a look at this thread.

https://www2.pajeroclub.com.au/forum/showthread.php?p=614950&posted=1#post614950

[Steve879]

Steve 879 have a look at this thread.

https://www2.pajeroclub.com.au/forum...d=1#post614950

Very interesting!

[Bezza]

My NT clunks

I too have a clunk in the front left of my Feb 2011 NT, probably happens most in reverse too, but it’s a bit too random to know for sure, have struggled to make it clunk on demand. Will be having a look. Do you think you would see it looking dodgy before it failed?

[spot01]

I too have a clunk in the front left of my Feb 2011 NT, probably happens most in reverse too, but it’s a bit too random to know for sure, have struggled to make it clunk on demand. Will be having a look. Do you think you would see it looking dodgy before it failed?

If the clunk happens when you stop, then reverse after releasing the footbrake, it is probably just the brake pads releasing from the disc - several of my Pajeros have done this - annoying, but normal.
I think you would see signs before it failed - I looked at mine today & all good - easy to see.