2001 Mitsubishi Montero Sport

MY HUSBAND AND I PURCHASED A 2001 MITSUBISHI MONTERO SPORT 3.5XS JUNE OF 2001. IT NOW HAS 37,000 MILES ON IT AND DURING THOSE 37,000 MILES I HAVE HAD TO HAVE THE ROTORS TURNED TWICE AND HAVE THE BRAKES PADS REPLACED THREE TIME SINCE JUNE OF 2001. I AM NOT A HARD DRIVER NOR DO I DRIVE RECKLESSLY. IN MY OPINION, THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE FOR A BRAND NEW CAR. I ALSO KNOW SOMEONE WHO OWNS A 2001 MONTERO SPORT ES WHO HAS ALSO HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS. WONDERING IF THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE. OR IF THIS IS NORMAL FOR A MITSUBISHI PRODUCT BECAUSE IF IT IS, I WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP. *JB

OUR DEALER INFORMED US YESTERDAY THAT BOTH FRONT BRAKE ROTORS ON OUR VEHICLE ARE WARPED. THIS HAS OCCURRED WITH ONLY 22000 MILES ON THE NEW VEHICLE. AFTER INVESTIGATING FURTHER, WE'VE LEARNED THAT THIS PROBLEM IS QUITE COMMON FOR THE MITSUBISHI MONTERO. BASED ON THE EXPERIENCE OF OTHERS, WE MAY VERY WELL HAVE TO REPLACE BOTH ROTORS EVERY TIME WE REPLACE THE FRONT BRAKE PADS. THIS TENDENCY FOR ABNORMAL, ACCELERATED WEAR OF THE ROTORS IS AN OBVIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. EXCESS WEAR CAN LENGTHEN STOPPING DISTANCES, MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR DRIVERS TO AVOID OBSTACLES. GIVEN THE FREQUENCY WITH WHICH THIS PROBLEM IS OCCURING (ABNORMALLY HIGH RATES OF ROTOR WARPAGE), WE BELIEVE THE PROBLEM IS BEST EXPLAINED BY EITHER MANUFACTURING DEFECTS, OR, MORE LIKELY, A DESIGN FLAW IN THE BRAKE/ROTOR SYSTEM. BOTH THE DEALER AND MITSUBISHI CUSTOMER SERVICE HAVE BEEN CONTACTED AND THE PROBLEM DISUCSSED AT LENGTH. NEITHER PARTY IS WILLING TO REPLACE THE ROTOR ASSEMBLY. RATHER THEY SIMPLY WISH TO TURN THEM - AN APPROACH WHICH ONLY DELAYS CORRECTION OF THE PROBLEM AND ENSURES ADDED CUSTOMER COSTS. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS AS WE FEEL IT COULD BE A SERIOUS SAFEY ISSUE WITH THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE.*AK

ANOTHER VEHICLE MADE A LEFT HAND TURN OUT OF A PARKING LOT ONTO THE STREET IN FRONT OF ME. I HAD NO TIME TO BRAKE. HIT THE OTHER VEHICLE AT 45 MHP WITH ENTIRE FRONT END OF MONTERO SPORT. ENTIRE FRONT END OF MONTERO SPORT SMASHED IN, ENGINE DIED, HAD TO BE TOWED. PASSENGER TAKEN TO HOSPITAL, DRIVER HAD 4.5 MONTHS OF PHYSICAL THERAPY FOR BACK, NECK, AND SHOULDER INJURIES.*AK

I'D NOTICED PREVIOUSLY MY CAR WOULD SHAKE AS IF IT WAS GOING TO FALL DEAD, BUT WOULDN'T OR THERE WOULD BE A THUMP LIKE SOMEONE HAD HIT ME AND THE CAR WOULD MOVE SLIGHTLY. THIS WOULD ONLY HAPPEN WHEN THE CAR WAS STATIONARY AT A LIGHT/STOP SIGN OR IF I WAS WAITING TO MAKE A TURN. ON YESTERDAY, AFTER TAKING MY CAR IN FOR SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE AND HAVING THAT MAINTENANCE COMPLETED, I LEFT THE DEALERSHIP. ON MY WAY HOME, I WAS WAITING TO TURN INTO A PARKING LOT CAR SHOOK AS IF IT WERE ABOUT TO FALL DEAD ,THEN LUNGED FORWARD. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP TO ALERT THEM AND ADVISED THEM THAT THE INCIDENT FRIGHTENED ME. I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE ADVISOR THAT ANOTHER WOMAN WITH THE SAME TYPE OF CAR HAD REPORTED A SIMILAR INCIDENT AND HAD TO BRING HER CAR IN AND THAT THEY HAD TO REPLACE HER ENGINE. I WAS TOLD AT THIS TIME, THEY BELIED IT MIGHT BE THE TORQUE CONVERTER. I DROVE THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THEY WOULD KEEP THE CAR, AND A TECHNICIAN WOULD DRIVE IT TO SEE IF THE SAME THING OCCURRED. I CALLED TODAY 3/19/01 AND WAS TOLD BY GARY, THAT THE TECHNICIAN DROVE THE CAR FOR 1 HOUR AND NOTHING HAPPENED. THEN OUT OF THE BLUE , THE SAME THING I DESCRIBED HAD OCCURRED. I WAS TOLD HE HAD A CALL INTO THE ENGINEERING LINE AND THEY WERE WAITING TO HEAR BACK. I ADVISED GARY I DID NOT WANT THAT CAR BACK UNTIL I WAS COMFORTABLE THIS WOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. HE SAID A TSB HAD BEEN ISSUED ON THIS SITUATION, BUT WHEN I CHECKED THE WEBSITE, I WAS UNABLE TO FIND IT. I LOCATED ONLY RECALL INFO. ON THE HYDRAULIC BRAKE SYSTEM. *AK