RoadVitals

1998 Mitsubishi Montero Suspension Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the suspension system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Suspension reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
18
Latest Sep 11, 2003
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
24%
of 74 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
2
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Mitsubishi Montero submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 18 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming suspension

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Suspension
Filed Sep 11, 2003

WHEN VEHICLE EXCEEDS SPEEDS OF 60 MPH STEERING WHEEL VIBRATES. CAUSE OF VIBRATION IS UNDETERMINED. *AK

NHTSA ID
10039728
Mileage
68,000 mi
Suspension
Filed Sep 23, 2002

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.*JB

NHTSA ID
8019218
Incident
Jun 1, 2002
Suspension
Filed Jul 21, 2002

STEERING WHEEL "SHIMMIES". TECH CHECKED IT OUT AND COULD FIND NOTHING!*AK

NHTSA ID
764518
Suspension
Filed Aug 9, 2000

VEHICLE VIBRATION. REPURCHASED BY MITSUBISHI 6/2000

NHTSA ID
727178
SteeringSuspension
Filed Apr 24, 2000

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. *AK

NHTSA ID
860791
Incident
Apr 21, 2000
Suspension
Filed Apr 3, 2000

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. *AK

NHTSA ID
720957
Incident
Aug 20, 1999
Suspension
Filed Nov 29, 1999

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. *AK

NHTSA ID
852304
BrakesEngineSuspension
Filed Aug 17, 1999

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. *AK

NHTSA ID
845230
Incident
Jun 20, 1999
BrakesSuspension
Filed Aug 11, 1999

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED FAILURE OF THE BRAKE PADS CAUSING GRINDING NOISE. MJS

NHTSA ID
547902
Incident
Apr 27, 1999
Suspension
Filed Apr 5, 1999

CONSTANT VIBRATION AT 50 AND OVER, HEAVY SHAKING, STEERING WHEEL MUST NE HELD BY 2 HANDS. *AK

NHTSA ID
705297
Incident
Mar 1, 1998
Suspension
Filed Apr 3, 1999
Crash reported

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 ID
705236
Incident
Nov 16, 1998
Suspension
Filed Mar 23, 1999

VEHICLE EXPERIENCING VIBRATION AT SPEEDS OF 55 TO 70 MPH. *YC

NHTSA ID
544520
Suspension
Filed Feb 27, 1999

NO SUMMARY( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 265/70-15 )

NHTSA ID
703812
Suspension
Filed Feb 1, 1999

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 ID
702805
Incident
Feb 28, 1998
Suspension
Filed Dec 9, 1998

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. *AK

NHTSA ID
832075
Incident
Feb 23, 1998
Suspension
Filed Sep 14, 1998

VEHICLE SHAKES WHILE DRIVING.

NHTSA ID
540831
Incident
Nov 1, 1997
Suspension
Filed Aug 19, 1998

VEHICLE VIBRATES OVER 60 MPH. TWO REPAIR ATTEMPTS HAVE BEEN MADE.

NHTSA ID
540140
Suspension
Filed Jan 29, 1998
Crash reported

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. *AK

NHTSA ID
821027
Incident
Dec 20, 1997

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .