18 of the 91 complaints about the 1998 Mitsubishi Montero are about the suspension — 20% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 68,000 miles.
18
Complaints
2
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
SUSPENSION
WHEN VEHICLE EXCEEDS SPEEDS OF 60 MPH STEERING WHEEL VIBRATES. CAUSE OF VIBRATION IS UNDETERMINED.
NHTSA complaint #10039728 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:LEAF SPRING ASSEMBLY
CONSUMER STATES HAD VEHICLE CHECKED BY A DEALER SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE OF "CLICKING" NOISE. DEALER FINALLY DETERMINED THAT VHEICLE HAD A BROKEN LEAF SPRING WHICH COULD CAUSE TRUCK TO LOSE CONTROL, WHILE TURNING AND FLIP OVER.
NHTSA complaint #8019218 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SUSPENSION
STEERING WHEEL "SHIMMIES". TECH CHECKED IT OUT AND COULD FIND NOTHING!
NHTSA complaint #764518 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SUSPENSION
VEHICLE VIBRATION. REPURCHASED BY MITSUBISHI 6/2000
NHTSA complaint #727178 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM
WHILE DRIVING PASSENGER'S FRONT INNER TIE ROD BROKE, CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL WHICH MIGHT HAVE RESULTED IN A CRASH. DEALER SAID CONSUMER NEEDED TO REPLACE TIE ROD/BALL JOINT, AND CONTROL ARM WHICH SEEMED TO HAVE WORN OUT. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.
NHTSA complaint #860791 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SUSPENSION
THERE IS A CONTINUOUS AND EXTREME PULSATION,VIBRATION OF THE STEERING WHEEL AT SPEEDS GREATER THAN 40 M.P.H. THE SAME PROBLEM EXISTS WHEN BRAKING AT CERTAIN SPEEDS AS WELL. FROM READING YOUR WEB SITE THIS APPEARS TO BE AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE.
NHTSA complaint #720957 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SUSPENSION:FRONT
FRONT END VIBRATES WHEN DRIVING AT 65MPH. DEALER CONTACTED FIVE TIMES,. STATED NORMAL DRIVING CONDITION, PROBLEM CANNOT BE DUPLICATED, PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.
NHTSA complaint #832075 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SUSPENSION:REAR
WHILE MAKING A RIGHT OR LEFT CONSUMER WOULD HEAR NOISE FOR THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE AT PURCHASE, A SLIGHT CHURP WAS NOTICED, FRONT RIGHT. IT WAS CHECKED, BUT NOT CORRECTED. AFTERWARDS, NOISE INCREASED STEADILY. A FRONT RIGHT BRAKE WAS FIXED, BUT CONTINUED TO RATTLE. SWAY BAR/ BUSHINGS WERE REPAIRED. ALSO STEERING BECAME LOOSE. HOWEVER, CHURPING CONTINUED. DIAGNOSIS BY A LOCALMECHANIC CLAIMED THAT CHURPING AND RATTLING WAS DUE TO A DEFECTIVE SWAY BAR LINK AND PEELING TOP BUSHING. BUT MITSHIBISHI DEALERS DISAGREED WITH THE DIAGNOSIS, AND PERSUADED CONSUMER TO LEAVE VEHICLE AS IT IS.
NHTSA complaint #852304 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SUSPENSION:FRONT
FRONT SUSPENSION OUT OF ALIGNMENT CAUSING VIBRATION AND TIRE WEAR. MJS
NHTSA complaint #547902 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SUSPENSION:FRONT
WHENEVER BRAKES ARE APPLIED, VEHICLE WOULD SLIDE OR SKID. INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. TOOK TO DEALER & INFORMED BRAKES ARE STICKING. WOULD HAVE ODORS/FUMES COMING INSIDE VEHICLE. ALSO, SOME SQUEAKING COMING FROM FRONT END.
NHTSA complaint #845230 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SUSPENSION:FRONT
CONSTANT VIBRATION AT 50 AND OVER, HEAVY SHAKING, STEERING WHEEL MUST NE HELD BY 2 HANDS.
NHTSA complaint #705297 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SUSPENSION:FRONT
I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT SIX WEEKS AFTER I PURCHASED MY MONTERO. STUART LINCOLN-MERCURY, WHO IS AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, REPAIRED MY MONTERO. MY FRONT END WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ALIGNED. AT 6400 MILES, I HAD MY TIRES ROTATED, AND I SAW THAT THE TIRES ON THE PASSANGER SIDE WERE WEARING AS IF THEY WERE OUT OF ALIGNMENT. I TOOK MY MONTERO BACK TO THE SHOP TO HAVE IT CHECKED. I WAS TOLD THEY ALIGNED MY FRONT END WHILE MY VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED FOR THE ACCIDENT. I WAS TOLD THAT MITISUBISHI USES CHEAP TIRES, AND THAT IS NORMAL WEAR. I ASO HAD TIRE KINGDOM, (A CERTIFIED YOKOHAMA REPRESENTITIVE) EVALUATE MY TIRES. THEY SAID THE FRONT END MUST BE OUT OF ALIGNMENT. AGAIN, I WENT BACK TO MITSUBISHI, AND AGAIN, I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY ALIGNMENT. I'M AFRAID, IF THIS IS TRUE, I WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACING MY TIRES EVERY 6400 TO 10,000 MILES. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THEY HAVE SEEN THIS HAPPEN ON THESE MONTEROS. I BELIEVE, IF MY TIRES ARE GOING TO WEAR LIKE THIS, THERE HAS TO BE A MORE SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH MY VEHICLE. PLEASE HELP ME! *AK( DOT NUMBER: FBEFM43287 TIRE SIZE: 265/70R15 )
NHTSA complaint #705236 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SUSPENSION
VEHICLE EXPERIENCING VIBRATION AT SPEEDS OF 55 TO 70 MPH.
NHTSA complaint #544520 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SUSPENSION:FRONT
NO SUMMARY( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 265/70-15 )
NHTSA complaint #703812 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SUSPENSION
VEHICLE VIBRATES OVER 60 MPH. TWO REPAIR ATTEMPTS HAVE BEEN MADE.
NHTSA complaint #540140 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SUSPENSION:FRONT
FROM THE OUTSET, I HAVE EXPERIENCED CONSTANT, CONTINUED VIBRATION FROM THE FRONT END OF THIS VEHICLE, THE DEALER HAS BALANCED THE WHEELS BUT REFUSES TO TRY CHANGING THE WHEELS THEMSELVES...THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS THE VIBRATION IS RAPIDLY AND EXCESSIVELY WEARING THE FRONT TIRES, AND THE VIBRATION IS WORST BETWEEN 50-60 MILES PER HOUR, A DIFFERENT DEALER ADMITTED TO WIFE THAT THE COMPANY KNOWS OF THE WHEEL/SUSPENSION DEFECT BUT WILL NOT HANDLE THE MATTER- HELP PLEASE!
NHTSA complaint #702805 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SUSPENSION:FRONT
VEHICLE SHAKES WHILE DRIVING.
NHTSA complaint #540831 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT
DUE TO NON -TIGHTENING/MISSING OF THE LOWER BALL JOINT NUT BY THE MANUFACTURER. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE RIGHT WHEEL ALMOST CAME OFF, CAUSING LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, RESULTING IN THE CONSUMER HITTING A GUARDRAIL. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.
NHTSA complaint #821027 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.