1995 Mitsubishi Montero

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 MITSUBISHI MONTERO. WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 55 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND THE CONTACT ALMOST STRUCK A PEDESTRIAN. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, HE FOUND THAT A PULLEY FAILED IN THE CRANKSHAFT. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT HIS VIN WAS INCLUDED IN A RECALL. DUE TO THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT HE WOULD HAVE HAD TO HAVE THE TIMING BELT REPLACED AT SOME POINT, WHICH WOULD HAVE ALSO TAKEN CARE OF THE RECALL. MITSUBISHI REFUSED TO PERFORM THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT WAS WELL WITHIN THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS TO HAVE HIS VEHICLE REPAIRED ACCORDING TO THE RECALL. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 00V311001. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 215,000. UPDATED 7/9/09 *CN THE BOLT HOLDING THE HARMONIC BALANCER PULLEY ON, FELL OUT WHICH ALLOWED THE PULLEY TO ALSO FALL OFF. UPDATED 07/17/09.*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 MITSUBISHI MONTERO. WHILE AT A STOP SIGN, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE PULLEY WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 00V311001 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE). THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 152,000. UPDATED 09/16/08. *LJ UPDATED 09/18/08. *JB

THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BOLT BECAME LOOSE, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOSE POWER STEERING,CHARGING SYSTEM, AND THE VEHICLE BECAME HOT. MY WIFE WAS PUT IN DANGER BECAUSE OF THE STEERING LOSS DURING HER COMMUTE FROM WORK IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. THERE IS AN ACTIVE RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM, NHTSA I.D. 00V311001 BUT THE BOLT WAS NEVER REPLACED JUST INSPECTED. I TALKED TO THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER SERVICE REP'S AND WAS INFORMED BY BOTH THAT ,MY VEHICLE WAS OUT OF THE "RECALL WARRANTY" EVEN THOUGH THE ORIGINAL DEFECTIVE BOLT CAUSED THE PROBLEM. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 40 MPH ON DRY ROAD CONDITIONS, A CLUNKING NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE ENGINE BAY, AND POWER STEERING WAS LOST. ALSO, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS INOPERABLE. THE CONTACT MANAGED TO PULL THE VEHICLE OVER, AND WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. UPON INSPECTION, THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BOLT HAD FRACTURED, AND THE BOLT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE BOLT WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, WHO DENIED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FRACTURED BOLT BECAUSE A SAFETY RECALL WAS PERFORMED 5 YEARS EARLIER FOR THE RETORQING OF THE BOLT. THE VEHICLE HAD AIR CONDITIONING WORK AND THE TIMING CHAIN REPLACEMENT PERFORMED ONE MONTH PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT, AND THE CONTACT WAS NOT SURE IF THAT WORK COULD HAVE AFFECTED THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BOLT.

THE MECHANIC THE OWNER OF AN INDEPENDENT SHOP, COMPLETED A TUNE UP OF THE 3.0 LITER ENGINE, THAT WAS RUNNING FINE WHEN BROUGHT TO HIM. THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING AND THEN THE ENGINE HAD A LOUD GRINDING AND SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS BLOWING UP. THE MECHANIC TOOK THE SPARK PLUGS OUT AND USED A LIGHT TO DETERMINE THE CYLINDER HEAD WAS CRACKED AND RUINED FROM A LOOSE PIECE OF METAL THE SIZE OF A MANS TOE NAIL. THE ENGINE IS COMPLETELY RUINED AND MUST BE REPLACED. THE MECHANIC DISPUTES THE FACT HE DID ANYTHING TO CAUSE THE DAMAGE BUT WAS WILLING TO INSTALL ANOTHER ENGINE IF I PURCHASED IT. THIS IS THE THIRD ENGINE THAT THIS HAS OCCURRED ON AND THE LAST TIME WAS WHILE I OWNED THE VEHICLE TOO. I HAD THE VEHICLE INTO A REPUTABLE MECHANIC FOR A TUNE UP. THEY DID A TUNE UP FOR $625, WHICH THEY FIRST CALLED AND QUOTED $350 THEN CALLED BACK AND CHANGED IT TO THE $625. THEY COMPLETED THE TUNE UP MOVED THE CAR OUT TO SEE HOW IT RAN. THE VEHICLE RAN FINE BUT ABOUT FIVE MINUTES AFTER IDLING THAT LENGTH OF TIME A PIECE OF METAL THE SIZE OF A SPARK PLUG ELECTRODE WAS LOOSE IN A CYLINDER AND RUINED THE ENGINE. THE SHOP DID NOT WANT TO REPLACE THE ENGINE BECAUSE THEY INSIST THE FAILURE IS NOT THEIR FAULT, BUT SINCE IT HAPPENED UNDER THEIR CARE THEY ACTUALLY FOUND A WRECKED MONTERO WITH A60,000 MILE ENGINE AND INSTALLED IT FOR THE PRICE OF THE TUNE UP. THE CAR WAS OUT OF COMMISSION FOR THREE WEEKS AND WE WERE NOT REIMBURSED FOR TIME AND EXPENSE BUT THE SHOP DID A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF REPLACING. THE ENGINE BLOCK OF THE OLD ENGINE WAS SITTING ON THE FLOOR OF THE SHOP WHEN I PICKED UP THE CAR. THE CYLINDER THAT WAS RUINED WAS SCRATCHED AND SCOURED COMPLETELY OVER THE WHOLE THING. SHOULD I FIND AND INSTALL AN ENGINE IT WILL BE NUMBER FOUR, THE ORIGINAL OWNER HAD TO REPLACE AN ENGINE WHEN HE OWNED IT. *JB

DT: THE CALLER SAID SMOKE CAME OUT OF TAIL PIPE WHEN VEHICLE FIRST ACCELERATED. HE HAD TO PUT OIL IN THE VEHICLE MORE OFTEN THAN NORMAL. DEALER TOLD HIM VEHICLE IDLED TOO SLOWLY, AND THAT OIL WAS GETTING ON THE VALVES, CAUSING THE SMOKE. HE WAS TOLD THE GUIDES WERE DROPPING TOO LOW, AND THAT WAS LETTING THE OIL LEAK ONTO THE VALVES. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER OFFERED NO HELP FOR FREE. *AK

CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BOLT BROKE OFF INSIDE THE CRANK SHAFT. PULLEY BEGAN WOBBLING AND SHREDDING THE BELTS CAUSING LOSS OF POWER STEERING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. VEHICLE TOWED 130 MILES BACK TO DEALER LOCATION. TOLD BY DEALER THE DEFECTIVE BOLT WAS DUE TO RECENT HEAD GASKET WORK AND HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE MULTIPLE REPORTS OF THIS BOLT FAILING OR THE SAFETY RECALL THAT HAD BEEN ISSUED. *LA