Mitsubishi Space Star 1.3. Cost of repairs much more?

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Mon 29 Jan 2018 13:01
Mitsubishi Space Star 1.3. Cost of repairs much more? - Starman999

The sad reality is that I'm in a financial pickle but still need to buy a used car. So my thoughts are all about cost, both in terms of the initiial purchase price (looking at £600 ish) and potential future costs.

I've seen a Mitsubishi Space Star (1.3 petrol) for sale that looks genuine, well maintained and very reasonably priced. But I'm wondering if any future repair costs would most likely be much more than for a more well-known car. Are parts much more expensive for this somewhat obscure vehicle?! Is yer average mechanic going to be utterly unfamiliar with a Space Star? Would that matter? Etc.

I've also been considering Citroen Picassos because they tend to be cheaper to buy at my end of the market than, say, an equivalent Focus etc. but the ones I've seen so far have all had obvious faults.

So the querstion boils down to: Would I be shooting myself in the foot to buy an obscure car such as the Space Star? Or could doing so be a way of getting a much better car for my limited funds?

Edited by Starman999 on 29/01/2018 at 13:02

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Mon 29 Jan 2018 13:55
Mitsubishi Space Star 1.3. Cost of repairs much more? - hardway

Though not what you've asked exactly have you considered the Fiat Punto?

Just for example front disk and pads for less than £30!

Extreamly cheap to repair,

No real faults apart from looks!!

I've found Japanese cars though reliable parts can be shocking.

I recall an Accord with a faulty drivers window than the dealer was asking over £500 for.

And if you wanted to go for used parts they didn't sell so many so there's fewer in breakers if you could find one at all.

So I'd steer clear.

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Mon 29 Jan 2018 14:13
Mitsubishi Space Star 1.3. Cost of repairs much more? - gordonbennet

Are you a handy hands on home mechanic, are you prepared to get down and dirty, service the thing regularly, including a transmission fluid change, and most importantly strip clean and lube the brakes and change the fluid?

If you are and you check the car out well before parting with the hard earned, then the Mitsis of this era are good cars.

Friction materials and regular service items might be a tad more expensive than the run of the mill but the cars are often more reliable than the european competition particularly in the electrical side and their mechanicals are usually well proven, but when you need specific to the model parts like headlights if you break one is where things can get expensive, for there simply isn't the aftermarket industry to the same degree.

I had a real headache sourcing headlights for my Outlander 1, OE parts some £350 a side and all the pre facelift Outlander 1 headlight lenses crazed, aftermarket non existant in left hand dip form, the car was reliable enough but it never really endeared itself to SWMBO so was shifted on and replaced with a Subaru.

If you need a mechanic to look after it for you, then there is nothing untoward on these, if anything Japanese cars tend to be designed to be maintained far more than the typical european models in my experience, but as i said before don't neglect the brakes because things like seized calipers on one of these is going to be more expensive to source than the typical car.

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Mon 29 Jan 2018 14:14
Mitsubishi Space Star 1.3. Cost of repairs much more? - elekie&a/c doctor
£600 is banger money,so keep it simple with cheap repairs and plenty of s/hand spares. A focus or Astra will do the job,but steer clear of any diesels.
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Mon 29 Jan 2018 14:55
Mitsubishi Space Star 1.3. Cost of repairs much more? - SLO76
Used to flog these new and they rarely go wrong even in their dotage.. Robust and simple but watch for serious rot on the front crossmember and subframes. Condition and how it drives are more important than make and model at this money and while new dealer parts are expensive they share running gear with many other Mitsubishi’s so parts aren’t that hard to come by at scrap yards. These make great banger runabouts. I’ve seen ex driving school Colts with this engine and gearbox with over 200k and running well.
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