1999 Mitsubishi Montero Sport

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MITSUBISHI MONTERO SPORT. WHEN THE CONTACT STARTED THE VEHICLE, SHE HEARD A TAPPING SOUND. SHE DROVE THE VEHICLE, APPROACHED A STOP LIGHT, AND HEARD THREE THUMPS FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND DRIVE TO THE MECHANIC. HE DISCOVERED THAT THE A/C BELT WAS MISSING. WHEN THE MECHANIC ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR THE BELT, HE NOTICED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BOLT WAS LOOSE AND WAS UNABLE TO BE TIGHTENED. HE ALSO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE NOISE SHE HEARD WAS THE A/C BELT DETACHING AND STRIKING THE ENGINE. DUE TO THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY'S FAILURE, THE A/C BELT DETACHED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 00V311001 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE). THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER AND FOUND THAT THE A/C BELT DETACHED ONCE AGAIN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 123,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,000.

VEHICLE LOST USE OF POWER STEERING DURING A 90 DEGREE TURN AT A BUSY INTERSECTION AND I WAS BARELY ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF IT. I PROCEEDED TO PULL INTO PARKING LOT OF NEARBY CONVENIENCE STORE AND CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD. I NOTICED THAT THE V-BELT TO THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND OTHER COMPONENTS WAS TURNING RATHER SLUGGISHLY AND COULD HEAR A SQUEAKING/CHIRPING SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. AFTER SWITCHING OFF THE A/C, I OBSERVED THAT THE V-BELT BEGAN TO TURN MORE FREELY BUT STILL SOMEWHAT SLOWER THAN NORMAL. I THEN DROVE THE VEHICLE AT SLOW SPEEDS (35-40 MPH) TO MY HOME APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES AWAY. THE NEXT MORNING, I DROVE THE VEHICLE TO A NEARBY MECHANIC'S SHOP APPROXIMATELY 1.25 MILE AWAY TO HAVE THE VEHICLE CHECKED OUT. MECHANIC FOUND THAT THE V-BELT HAD NOW JUMPED OFF THE PULLEYS BECAUSE THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BOLT WAS NOT IN ALL THE WAY, CAUSING THE V-BELT TO BE MISALIGNED WITH THE OTHER PULLEYS. THAT SAME DAY, I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE LOCAL MITSUBISHI DEALERSHIP (FAZELI MITSUBISHI - MESQUITE, TX) WHERE THE PREVIOUS 120K SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE SERVICE HAD BEEN PERFORMED. DEALERSHIP'S SERVICE TECHNICIAN STATES THAT THE PULLEY BOLT HAD BACKED-OUT DUE TO VIBRATION FROM THE PULLEY AND THAT THE INTERNAL THREADS OF THE CRANKSHAFT HAD BEEN DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR REQUIRING THE CRANKSHAFT TO BE REPLACED AT AN APPROXIMATE COST OF $3300 TO $3850 AND INVOLVING A TWO WEEK TIME-FRAME. THE DEALERSHIP CURRENTLY HAS THE VEHICLE AND ARE AWAITING MY DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO HAVE THE REPAIRS PERFORMED. I CONTACTED MITSUBISHI MOTORS NORTH AMERICA, INC. WITH THIS INFORMATION AND REQUESTED TO HAVE A FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE CONTACT/CONSULT WITH THE DEALERSHIP'S TECHNICIAN. I WAS TOLD THAT BECAUSE THEIR WERE NO RECALLS INVOLVING MY VEHICLES AND SINCE IT IS WELL BEYOND THE WARRANTY PERIOD, THEY COULD OFFER ME NO ASSISTANCE WHAT-SO-EVER. *NM