2000 MITSUBISHI MONTERO Complaints

WHILE TRAVELING AT 40-45 MPH CONSUMER RAN INTO SIDE OF OTHER VEHICLE HEAD ON. CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS TOTALED AFTER THE CRASH, BUT TWO FRONT AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED IN THE ACCIDENT. AK

SINCE PURCHASE OF VEHICLE THERE HAS BEEN CONSTANT VIBRATION, TAKEN TO DEALER 4 TIMES. DEALER BALANCED WHEELS, AND DID FRONT ALIGNMENT, THIS DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM.*AK

VIBRATIONS OCCUR IN THE STEERING WHEEL AT MODERATE SPEEDS, WITH VISIBLE SHAKING OCCURRING AT TIMES. AFTER SEVERAL VISITS TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT, THE REGIONAL MANAGER MET WITH ME AND TOLD ME THIS IS COMMON IN THESE VEHICLES. WHEN I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IN SEPT. 2001, I HAD THE EXPECTATION THAT A WHEEL BALANCING WOULD REMEDY THE SITUATION. A WHEEL BALANCING REMOVED MOST OF THE VIBRATION, BUT THE RESIDUAL VIBRATIONS/SHAKING IS UNACCEPTABLE. IT'S VERY UPSETTING TO PAY $25,000 FOR A VEHICLE THAT PROVIDES SUCH A POOR DRIVING EXPERIENCE. I REGRET THAT I BOUGHT IT.*AK

AFTER ~ 2HOURS OF HIGHWAY DRIVING THE "N" (NEUTRAL) LIGHT FLASHES WHICH INDICATES THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAS OVERHEATED. THE CAR MOST BE STOPPED ASAP TO COOL THE TRANSMISSION SO AS TO NOT DAMAGE IT. I AM CONCERNED THAT SINCE THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED EVERYTIME I GO ON A TRIP LASTING MORE THAN 2 HOURS OF HWY DRIVING AM I DAMAGING THE CAR OR CAUSING A POTENTIAL SAFETY (FIRE/PERSONNEL INJURY) HAZARD!? I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALER TO SEARCH FOR A CAUSE AND SOLUTION BUT THEY FOUND NOTHING. IS THE TRANSMISSION FLUID COMPROMISED AND THERBY CAUSING THIS? IN ADDITION, THIS IS AN INCONVENIENCE WHEN ONE IS TRAVELLING. BEING THAT I TRAVEL A LOT I ALWAYS HAVE TO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THIS PROBLEM. ASIDE FROM BEING A SAFETY ISSUE AND POTENTIALLY A COSTLY REPAIR ISSUE IT'S A NUISANCE! FLASHING LIGHT ?

THE VEHICLE STARTED CREAKING AFTER THE SECOND MONTH , WE WERE ORIGINALLY TOLD THAT IT WAS NEW AND THAT IT WAS THE INTERIOR PLASTIC THAT WAS ADJUSTING DO TO TEMP. CHANGES. THIS CONTINUED AND THAN THE SECOND ISSUE THE ABS BRAKES ALMOST CAUSED 2 ACCIDENTS WHEN GOING LESS THAN 5 MPH AND THE VEHICLE SLID. THE BRAKE PEDAL SHOOK EXCESSIVELY AND THE NOISE AND SHAKING FROM UNDERNEATH MADE IT SEEM LIKE IT WAS GOING TO FALL APART. BY THE SIXTH MONTH THEIR WAS OTHER NOISES COMING FROM THE SUSPENSION IN THE FRONT AND REAR . THE CREAKING /CLICKING NOISE WAS APPARANT IN BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR. AUGUST MARKS HAVING THIS VEHICLE FOR 1 1/2 YEARS AND BOTH MY WIFE AND I CAN NOT TAKE ITS ISSUES ANYMORE. THIS WAS A MAJOR PURCHASE FOR US AND WE FEEL THE EVENTS JUSTIFY IT AS A "LEMON".*AK

THE FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS HAVE BEEN ADJUSTED TWICE BY MITSUBISHI DEALERSHIP MECHANICS. FIRST TIME BY "COURTESY MITSUBISHI" ON STEVENS CREEK BLVD., SAN JOSE CA. THE SECOND ATTEMPT TO HAVE THIS REPAIRED WAS AGAIN AT COURTESY MITSU WITH NO COOPERATION FROM THE SERVICE DEPT. THEY CLAIMED THAT THE ERATIC STEERING AND THE LOW GRUMBLING SOUND WAS EMINATING FROM THE FRONT TIRES. AND THEY FURTHER CLAIMED THAT THEY COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM DUE TO "TREAD SEPARATION" ON THE FRONT TIRES. THIS WAS CONFIRMED AT A LATER DATE TO BE FALSE AS I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A YOKOHAMA DEALERSHIP AND HAD THE OWNER INSPECT THE TIRES. HE FOUND NO DEFECTS. I HAD THE TIRES ROTATED AND BALANCED TO ELIMINATE ANY DOUBT AS TO THE TIRES CONDITION. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO PROGRESSIVELY GET WORSE. LOUD CLUNKING NOISES, WHEEL BEARING GROWL, AND EXTREMELY ERRATIC STEERING BEHAVIOR AT ALL SPEEDS. I AM NOT ABLE TO TAKE MY FAMILY OUT ON THE FREEWAY IN THIS VEHICLE AS I AM AFRAID FOR THEIR SAFETY. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO ANOTHER, LARGER DEALER, "CAPITOL MITSUBISHI". THEY KEPT THE VEHICLE FOR 48 HRS AND CONCLUDED THAT THE FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS WERE INDEED LOOSE AGAIN. HOWEVER THEY REFUSED TO ADMIT THAT THERE WAS ANY OTHER PROBLEM AND ONLY RETIGHTENED THE BEARINGS ON THE RIGHT SIDE. THE MANAGER WENT FOR A TEST DRIVE WITH ME AND I TOLD HIM THAT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT SOLVED. HE REFUSED TO DO THE WORK UNDER WARRANTEE AND BILLED ME $90.00 LABOR FOR RETIGHTENING THE BEARINGS. THIS VEHICLE IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AND THE FRONT SUSPENSION COMPONENTS ARE RAPIDLY DETERIORATING. BALL JOINTS, CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS, WHEEL BEARINGS... MITSUBISHI IS VIOLATING THE WARRANTEE BY AVOIDING AND DELAYING A FULL AND COMPLETE REPAIR OF THESE PROBLEMS!*AK

AS I BEGAN TO FEEL FAINT WHILE DRIVING A MOUNTAIN HIGHWAY, I STARTED TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. I REMEMBER PUTTING MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND THE NEXT THING I KNEW I HAD HIT A TREE. I WAS ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT AND OUT OF THE VEHICLE. THE AIRBAG DID NOT FULLY INFLATE ON THE DRIVER SIDE POSITION. THERE WERE NO PASSENGERS IN THE VEHICLE. MY ARM HAD LACERATIONS AND CUTS AND THE WIND SHIELD WAS CRACKED IN SEVERAL PLACES. NEITHER THE AIRBAG NOR THE SEATBELT KEPT ME FROM HITTING THE WINDSHIELD. *AK

THE CONSUMER FEELS THAT THE CLEARANCE FROM THE GROUND TO THE BOTTOM OF THE VEHICLE IS TOO HIGH, THE CONSUMER DOES NOT FEEL SECURE IN THE VEHICLE WHEN ENCOUNTERING SHARP CURVES AND UNEXPECTEDLY NEEDS TO SWERVE WHILE DRIVING 10-15 MPH CLEARANCE FROM THE GROUND TO THE BOTTOM OF THE VEHICLE IS TOO HIGH. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT WHEN HE ENCOUNTER SHARP CURVES AND UNEXPECTEDLY NEEDS TO SWERVE AT SPEEDS OVER 10-15 MPH, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE ROADS ARE WET, THE CONSUMER ALSO WANTS TO DOWNSIZE THE 16 INCH TIRES TO 15 INCH TIRES HOPING THIS WILL LOWER THE VEHICLE GIVING THE CONSUMER A SAFER FEEL AND MORE CONTROL (255/70R16 BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE). NLM

UPON STARTING CAR, THE BATTERY EXPLODED SPEWING ACID ALL OVER THE ENGINE AND HOOD AND CAUSING SEVERAL DENTS ON BOTH THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE HOOD. THIS RESULTING IN A TOTAL ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE AS WELL AS LOSS OF FUNCTIONABILITY OF THE VEHICLE. UPON REPORTING THIS TO MITSUBISHI ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE, WE WERE INFORMED THAT WAS THE SECOND CALL THAT DAY FOR AN EXPLODING BATTERY IN A 2000 MITSUBISHI MONTERO SPORT. OUR VEHICLE HAS APPROXIMATELY 26,700 MILES AND CURRENTLY THE ESTIMATED COST OF THE DAMAGE IS UNKNOWN.

CONSUMER STATES THERE IS EXCESSIVE PRESSURE IN CABIN WHEN THE WINDOW IS ROLLED DOWN.*JB