1998 Mitsubishi Montero Sport Engine Problems

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 ID

10417892

Incident

Mar 4, 2010

Mileage

180,000 mi

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 ID

10398920

Incident

Feb 5, 2011

Mileage

198,500 mi

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 ID

10328188

Incident

Apr 29, 2010

Mileage

152,000 mi

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. *TR

NHTSA ID

10260427

Incident

Jan 28, 2009

Mileage

183,114 mi

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. *JB

NHTSA ID

10187030

Incident

Mar 23, 2007

Mileage

100,110 mi

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 ID

10148601

Incident

Jan 23, 2006

Mileage

210,000 mi

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

NHTSA ID

10108911

Incident

Jan 21, 2005

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

NHTSA ID

10081554

Incident

May 19, 2004

Mileage

115,000 mi

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. *AK

NHTSA ID

10048770

Mileage

188,000 mi

MAKE: MITSUBISHI MODEL: MONTERO SPORT XLS YEAR: 1998 SUV WAS TOTAL LOSS DUE TO OUT OF CONTROL AND ROLLED OVER. *N LM

NHTSA ID

10016351

Incident

Apr 18, 2003

Mileage

84,000 mi

00 V 311 001/CRANKSHAFT PULLEY: RECALL REPAIRS FAILURE FROM SCHAEFER, STROHMINGER DODGE; FALLSTON, MD; PHONE # 410/893-6343. REPAIRS MADE ON FEBRUARY 22, 2001, AND ON ABOVE INCIDENT DATE VEHICLE LOST POWER STEERING ASSIST WHILE DRIVING DUE TO PULLEY FAILURE. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION ON THIS MATTER. *AK

NHTSA ID

894815

Incident

Jul 22, 2001

WHILE ON FREEWAY HEARD A BANG THEN CAR STARTED RUNNING ROUGH, LOSING POWER STEERING, AND ENGINE DIED. MECHANIC SAID THAT CRANKSHAFT/ PULLEY FELL OFF , BOLT HAD SHEARED IN HALF. *AK

NHTSA ID

879750

Incident

Jan 11, 2001

RECALL 00V311001- CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL LETTER CONCERNING CRANKSHAFT PULLEY. CONTACTED DEALER, DEALER HAD NO TOOLS TO CORRECT RECALL PROBLEM. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID

879437

THE WARNING CONCERNING THE BOLT SECURING THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY IS INCORRECT. THE BOLT ON MY VEHICLE WAS TIGHTENED TO SPEC ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCATIONS. FAILURE CONTINUED. THERE IS ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS WITH THE ALIGNMENT OF THE CRANKSHAFT. IF SAFETY IS YOUR TRUE CONCERN, THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE STUDIED FURTHER. I KNOW OF 3 OTHER VEHICLES IN THIS SMALL TOWN THAT HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM.THI

NHTSA ID

738289