A Checklist if you’re buying a used Mahindra Scorpio
The Mahindra Scorpio for sale is one of the most popular SUVs, consistently selling over 4000 units a month. The vehicle was launched in 2002 and has gone through continuous improvements over the past decade, with the last major change coming in 2008.
The Mahindra Scorpio in its latest version is powered by a 2.2 litre M-Hawk diesel engine putting out 120 bhp of power and 297 Nm of torque. Prior to 2007, the earlier Scorpio came with a 2.6 litre (CRDE) diesel engine that put out 115 bhp of power and 287 Nm of torque. There was a brief period prior to 2006, when the Scorpio with CRDE engine was also available with the older design with the tiny tail-lamps. There have been four engine upgrades in all, from the first gear-driven direct injection 2.6 litre diesel, to a chain-driven DI, then to the CRDE and finally the M-Hawk. The Scorpio is also available in a base variant with the 2.5 litre Bolero engine. The Scorpio has both 4×2 and 4×4 variants as well as automatic transmission variants, although the latter are not in large numbers.
There have been continuous changes to the bumper, grille, headlamps and such, but the overall body shell of the Scorpio has not changed. The latest revision to the Scorpio was about six-months ago, where the rear suspension on the Scorpio has been upgraded, with a design borrowed from the Xylo.
Used Mahindra Scorpios command a good resale value in the market. However, there are some things to worry about in Scorpio’s that have crossed over 100,000 km – maintenance costs are quite steep as the vehicle ages.
If you are buying a used Mahindra Scorpio from anywhere other than Group 1 Mahindra, be prepared to pay close attention to its overall maintenance. Older vehicles have a nasty habit of springing surprises on their owners and it’s best to stick to Mahindra’s 5000 km service interval whether you visit an authorized service centre or not.
Here are a few things you need to constantly check with a Mahindra Scorpio.
Suspension issues
The Mahindra Scorpio has a propensity to constantly wear down its suspension, especially the rubber bushes in the latter models. The Scorpio’s linking rods (a suspension component), stabilizer arm bushes and trailing arm bushes need regular change. When these bushes wear out the Scorpio becomes quite unstable and tends to wobble. Take a test drive and listen for any suspension noises.
Brake pad wear
The front brake pads should see an average life of about 30,000 km to 40,000 km. Depending on the age of the Scorpio you are buying, check if these have been changed or not.
Engine and gearbox mounts
The engine mounts should last at least 50,000 km in the Scorpio, as well as the gearbox mount. But in the 4×4 Scorpio, the gearbox mount tends to wear out faster and will need changes as early as 25,000 km each time. The gearbox mount itself is not expensive, but labour charges at an authorized service centre are quite high for such tasks.
Electronic niggles
Mahindra had added a fair amount of electronics in the latter Scorpio’s especially the VLX models, check if these are working fine. The Scorpio tended to have minor niggles such as power window switch malfunctions, tyre-tronics malfunctioning etc, but nothing really serious. Check that all electronics are working – replacing parts is not that expensive though.
Hard clutch
The Scorpio has a good engine and gearbox, but the clutch tends to get hard with time. The vehicle has a harder clutch than most normally, but check if it is unusually hard. This can involve expensive clutch repairs.
If you are planning to buy a second-hand Scorpio it would be prudent to ask for a detailed service history of the vehicle, as the Scorpio is a high-maintenance vehicle. Share any other experiences you have with buying a used Mahindra Scorpio.
