1998 Mitsubishi Montero Sport problems

AIR BAGS

On Tuesday August 31st I pulled up to Alexandra tire shop to get a tire. I got out of the truck to inquire if the tire that I needed was available. The mechanic informed me that they had the tire I needed. My wife sat in the car on the passenger side as I inquired with the mechanic. Once he informed me that they had the tire, my wife got out of the passenger side to take a seat while the tire was being changed. The mechanic instructed me to get in the truck and pull It forward. I got in on the driver side, crank the truck up , and the airbag exploded, cracking my windshield and my dashboard. Prior to this incident there were no warning indication on my dashboard concerning a default. My wife was put at terrible risk. Had she not exited the truck 2 minutes before the airbag exploded. she would have been injured.

NHTSA complaint #11431281 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 MITSUBISHI MONTERO SPORT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A TURN AND THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. SUDDENLY, WITHIN THIRTY SECONDS THE STEERING WHEEL UNSEIZED ON ITS OWN. THE FAILURE OCCURRED SPORADICLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT A FAULTY CRANK SHAFT PULLEY CONTRIBUTED TO THE FAILURE. THE TECHNICIAN ALSO INFORMED THE CONTACT OF A RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 00V311001 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE). THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 180,000.

NHTSA complaint #10417892 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE NEW JERSEY TURNPIKE, I-78, AND OTHER HIGHWAYS, THE MITSUBISHI ALTERNATOR INTERMITTENTLY FAILED, CAUSING LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND OTHER ELECTRICALLY CONTROL FUNCTIONS. WHAT MAKES THIS NOTABLY IS THAT IT WAS THE 5TH ALTERNATOR THAT FAILED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED WITHIN 1-1/2 YEARS. EACH TIME WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAYS BETWEEN 55 AND 65 MPH THE ALTERNATOR FAILED AND SUDDEN LOSS OF VEHICLE STEERING CONTROL AND OPERATION, OCCURRED WITH NARROW ESCAPES FROM SERIOUS ACCIDENTS WHILE NAVIGATING TO SAFETY.

NHTSA complaint #10409788 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

I WAS DRIVING ALONG I-17 NEAR PHOENIX, AZ MERGING ONTO I-10 WEST - WHEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN I COULDN'T STEER THE VEHICLE. ALL WHILE GOING 65 MPH. IT TOOK EVERY BIT OF MY STRENGTH TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE SAFELY OFF THE HIGHWAY TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. I HAD IT TOWED TO MARK MITSUBISHI IN AVONDALE, AZ FOR REPAIRS. AFTER SEVERAL DAYS THE "REPAIRS" WERE DONE. THE DAMAGE WAS DUE TO THE BOLT - CRANK SHAFT PULLEY - I PAID NEARLY $600 FOR REPAIRS. FOUR AND A HALF WEEKS LATER, THE SAME THING HAPPENED, THIS TIME I WAS DRIVING AN HOUR FROM MY HOME ON 202 IN CHANDLER WHEN I WAS GETTING OFF THE HIGHWAY, AS SOON AS I GOT ON THE OFF RAMP, I HEARD METAL HIT AND SAW SOMETHING FLY ACROSS THE OFF-RAMP. AGAIN, I HAD MY VEHICLE TO TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR YET ANOTHER REPAIR OF THE SAME PROBLEM. THEN APRIL 8TH, AGAIN IT APPEARS TO BE THE SAME PROBLEM, THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY CAN'T FIX IT A THIRD TIME. THEY REFUNDED MY MONEY FROM THE FIRST REPAIR. A LOCAL MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO GET THE BOLT BACK IN, FOR IT TO COME OUT AGAIN TODAY, APRIL 26TH. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE, THAT DID NOT FIX THE ISSUE. NOW I HAVE A TRUCK THAT IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AND THE DEALERSHIP WILL NOT WORK ON IT. I WAS IN TWO SEPARATE INCIDENTS WITH THIS VEHICLE AT HIGH RATES OF SPEED AND WAS VERY FORTUNATE THAT I WAS NOT INJURED AND THAT I DID NOT GET INTO ACCIDENT INJURING ANYONE ELSE. THIS IS A MANUFACTURER ISSUE THAT MITSUBISHI NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED OR PERMANENTLY INJURED.

NHTSA complaint #10398920 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 MITSUBISHI MONTERO SPORT. WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH, THE CONTACT HAD TROUBLE TURNING TO THE RIGHT AND NOTICED VIBRATIONS IN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND NOTICED THAT THE DRIVING BELTS WERE DISLODGED AND THE CRANKSHAFT BOLT WAS HANGING OFF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED OR REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 152,000.

NHTSA complaint #10328188 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

I BOUGHT A 1998 MITSUBITSHI MONTERO SPORT LS APPROX. 9 MONTHS AGO AND WHILE IT RAN GREAT ABOUT A MONTH AGO I STARTED NOTICING WHEN I WOULD GO TO START IT UP IT WOULD ACT LIKE THE BATTERY WAS GOING DEAD. SO I REPLACED THE BATTERY. THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURRED. THEN ABOUT 4 DAYS AFTER THAT OUT OF NO WHERE THE ENGINE WOULD START SQUEALING. BUT THAT WOULD ONLY LAST FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS. AND STOP UNTIL THE TURN WOULD BE OFF LONG ENOUGH FOR THE ENGINE TO GET COLD. WELL I WAS ON MY WAY OUT OF TOWN TO SEE A MEDICAL SPECIALIST FOR MY DAUGHTER'S CONTINUING MEDICAL CONDITION AND THE TRUCK JUST SHUT DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY LUCKILY WE WERE NOT HIT BY ANY OTHER MOTOR VEHICLES. AFTER GETTING THE TRUCK OFF THE ROAD I LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD, SEEN AND PICKED UP A PULLEY OFF THE GROUND WITH A LONG BOLT STILL INSIDE OF IT, I LATER LEARNED THAT IT WAS A CRANK SHAFT PULLEY WHICH HAD CAUSED ME TO THROW THE TIMING IN THE TRUCK. I LOST MY JOB, MISSED THE DOCTORS APPT FOR MY DAUGHTER AND HAVE BEEN WITHOUT A VEHICLE EVERY SINCE THAT INCIDENT ON JANUARY 28,2009. NOW I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THE TRUCK IS APPROX 11 YEARS OLD BUT BEFORE I BOUGHT IT I TOOK IT TO THE MITSUBISHI DEALERSHIP AND HAD THEM INSPECT IT AND HOOK IT UP TO A MACHINE. THEY TOLD ME THAT FOR AN OLDER TRUCK IT IS IN GREAT CONDITION. AND THAT NOTHING WAS WORK THAT THEY SEEN OFF FOUND ON THE COMPUTER, WITH THE TRUCK.

NHTSA complaint #10260427 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR JUST BEGIN TO ACCELERATE THE MORE I TRIED TO APPLY THE BRAKES THE FASTER THE CAR RAN.

NHTSA complaint #10222734 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR

WE EXPERIENCED A SMALL SLEET/FREEZING RAIN EVENT. I TURNED ON THE FRONT WIPERS FOR A FRACTION OF A SECOND BECAUSE I REALIZED THE BLADES WERE FROZEN. I PROCEEDED TO CLEAN THE WINDSHIELD AND WARM UP THE VEHICLE. AFTER WARMING UP THE VEHICLE THE WIPERS WOULD NOT WORK; THE 15 AMP FUSE HAD NOT BLOWN; AND I COULD NOT FIND A WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BREAKER (I PURCHASED THE SERVICE MANUALS WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE). TO MY AMAZEMENT THIS IS WHAT IS STATED IN THE VEHICHLE OWNER'S MANUAL "BEFORE OPERATIONG THE WIPERS IN COLD WEATHER, CHECK TO BE SURE THE WIPERS ARE NOT FROZEN (GOOD ADVICE).ATTEMPTING TO OPERATE WHILE THE BLADES ARE FROZEN COULD CASUE THE WIPER MOTER TO BURN OUT". THE NEXT STATEMENT GOES ON TO SAY THIS "IF THE MOVING WIPERS BECOME BLOCKED BY ICE OR OTHER DEPOSITS ON THE GLASS THE MOTOR MAY BURN OUT EVEN IF THE WITHER SWITCH IS AT OFF." THE MOTOR MAY BURN OUT JUST WHEN YOU NEED IT THE MOST; THE FUSE DOES NOT PROTECT THE WIPER MOTOR (IT DID NOT); AND THERE IS NO CIRCUIT BREAKER TO PROTECT THE MOTOR EVEN THOUGH THERE IS ONE IN THE SCHEMATIC IN THE SERVICE MANUAL. THE MOTOR DID BURN OUT WITHIN THE FRACTION OF A SECOND. I CALLED SEVERAL DIFFERENT MITSUBISHI DEARLERSHIPS AND THEY ALL TOLD ME THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE AND THEY HAD REPLACED NUMEROUS WIPER MOTORS. NOW THERE IS SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE. WHAT IS WRONG IS THAT ANYONE WHO HAS AN INKLING OF BASIC ELECTRONICS COMPRHENDS THE PURPOSE AND USES FOR FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS. THESE DEVICES ARE UTILIZED TO PROTECT IMPORTANT ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. THERE IS AN INVISIBLE CIRCUIT BREAKER IN THE REPAIR MANUAL AND A 15 AMP FUSE THAT DID NOT OPEN AND THERE IS A WIPER MOTOR THAT WILL BURN OUT EVEN WITH THE WIPER SWITCH IS OFF. I HAVE WORK WITH SEVERAL WELL TRAINED MECHANICS FOR MANY YEARS AND THERE WAS A SAYING WHEN WE FOUND IGNORANT MISTAKES MADE BY U.S. MANUFACTURERES. THE QUOTE WAS "BUILT IN DETROIT (JAPAN)BY IDIOTS". THIS IS MY SUMMARY STATEMENT REGARDING THE WIPER MOTOR IN THIS VEHICLE.

NHTSA complaint #10213681 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

1998 MITSUBISHI MONTERO SPORT RECALLS. CONSUMER STATES THAT THEY WOULD LIKE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT ANY RECALLS ON THEIR VEHICLE.

NHTSA complaint #10213908 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

I WAS DRIVING MY 1998 MONTERO SPORT AND LOST POWER STEERING IN THE MIDDLE OF A MAJOR HIGHWAY. MY BELTS BROKE WHICH I HAD TO GET A WRECKER TO TOW MY VEHICLE GET IT TO A MECHANIC AND HE CALLS BACK WITH YOU HAVE MAJOR PROBLEMS. THE REASON THE BELTS JUMPED OFF WAS THE CRANK SHAFT PULLEY CAME LOOSE AND SCREWED THE HARMONIC BALANCE AND OTHER THINGS UP. I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED OR INJURED AND I KNOW THIS WAS A RECALL ON THE 1998'S BUT I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE USED SO I DO NOT KNOW IF IT WAS TAKEN IN FOR THE RECALL AND NOW MY MECHANIC SAYS SOMETIMES REPAIRING THIS DOES NOT ALWAYS HOLD SO HE WOULD NOT WARRANTY MY 800.00 OF DAMAGE. HE DID SAY THIS WAS A PROBLEM WITH MITSUBISHI VEHICLES IN THE DESIGN AND I WAS LUCKY IT DID NOT SCREW THE MOTOR UP. VEHICLES WITH THIS PROBLEM SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO BE ON THE ROADS.

NHTSA complaint #10187030 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE LOST THE ABILITY TO MOVE AND THERE WAS A SQUEALING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE PULLEY WAS BROKEN. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE VEHICLE CONCERNING THE BOLTS IN THE CRANK SHAFT PULLEY. THERE WAS ALSO A RECALL FOR THE ENGINE, NHTSA # 00V311001. THE VIN IS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. BUT THE MANUFACTURER WILL NOT APPROVE THE RECALL PERFORMANCE BECAUSE THE REGULAR MAINTENANCE OF THE VEHICLE WAS DONE BY AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP.

NHTSA complaint #10148601 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

MANUFACTURER DEFECT...EMERGENCY BRAKE CABLE WORE A HOLE IN VEHICLE'S GAS TANK. BOTH BRAKE CABLE AND GAS TANK WERE IN THE POSITION AS MANUFACTURED.

NHTSA complaint #10134728 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

PARKING BRAKE

MANUFACTURER DEFECT...EMERGENCY BRAKE CABLE WORE A HOLE IN VEHICLE'S GAS TANK. BOTH BRAKE CABLE AND GAS TANK WERE IN THE POSITION AS MANUFACTURED.

NHTSA complaint #10134728 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR

WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR QUIT WORKING ABOUT A YEAR AGO, THEN STARTED UP AGAIN THE NEXT DAY, NO OTHER TROUBLE UNTIL NOW, HAS QUIT COMPLETELY. VEHICLE ONLY HAS 120K MILES ON IT NOW...WAS LESS THAN 100K LAST YEAR WHEN IT HAPPENED THE FIRST TIME.

NHTSA complaint #10124189 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

RECALL CAMPAIGN 00V311001/CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BOLT. THE DEALER CHARGED THE CONSUMER FOR REPLACING THE CRANKSHAFT BOLTS.

NHTSA complaint #10108911 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH CRANK SHAFT BOLT SNAPPED. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #10081554 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION:COLUMN SHIFT ASSEMBLY

ON JULY 2002, AT 65,378 MILES DEALER REPLACED THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION. 2 YEAR LATER, DEALERSHIP INDICATED TO THE CONSUMER THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN.

NHTSA complaint #10063154 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS

WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH HARMONIC BALANCE ASSEMBLY DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE CRANK SHAFT PULLEY BOLT BROKE WHICH CAUSED THE FAILURE.

NHTSA complaint #10048770 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH LEFT FRONT WHEEL WOULD LOCK. HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP. MECHANIC INDICATED THAT ROTORS/PADS P AND CALIPERS NEEDED REPLACING. HAD PADS/CALIPERS AND ROTOR REPLACED, BUT PROBLEM STILL OCCURRED.

NHTSA complaint #10044310 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH LEFT FRONT WHEEL WOULD LOCK. HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP. MECHANIC INDICATED THAT ROTORS/PADS P AND CALIPERS NEEDED REPLACING. HAD PADS/CALIPERS AND ROTOR REPLACED, BUT PROBLEM STILL OCCURRED.

NHTSA complaint #10044310 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.