2001 Mitsubishi Montero

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MITSUBISHI MONTERO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE WARNING SENSOR ILLUMINATED AND FLASHED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS IN OPERATION. WHILE DECELERATING, THE CONTACT HEARD A THUMPING NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE AND THE TRANSFER CASE ENGAGED ERRONEOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 121,000.

MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) ILLUMINATES WHEN TOWING, ON STEEP GRADES, OR EVEN CONTINUOUSLY. DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE (DTC) P0125 IS DISPLAYED INDICATING INSUFFICIENT COOLANT TEMPERATURE, EVEN THOUGH ACTUAL COOLANT TEMPERATURE IS WITHIN NORMAL RANGE OF 200 TO 215 DEGREES. REPLACEMENT OF COOLANT TEMPERATURE SENSORS (2) AND THERMOSTAT WILL NOT RECTIFY THIS PROBLEM! THIS IS A KNOWN COMPUTER ERROR THAT MITSUBISHI MOTORS NORTH AMERICA WILL NOT ADDRESS OR PAY FOR THE REPAIR OF. NHTSA ITEM NUMBER: 10001033 MMNA TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: 0313001. *TR

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING ON AN INCLINE THE GEAR SHIFT INDICATOR MOVED FROM DRIVE TO NEUTRAL. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD, SO HE PULLED OVER. UPON STOPPING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD, BUT NO FIRE. HE WALKED AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE AND CALLED 911 AND A TOWING SERVICE. WHEN THE TOW TRUCK ARRIVED HE DISCOVERED A LOT OF OIL UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE AND SUSPECTED THIS WAS FROM THE TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER, WHO NOTED THAT THE TRANSMISSION LINE DISCONNECTED FROM THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS NO EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THIS OCCURRED. THE DEALER INSTALLED NEW LAMPS, REFILLED FLUID TO PROPER LEVELS, AND CLEARED THE CODE. THE TRANSMISSION LINE WAS ALSO REPLACED WITH A NEW ONE. NO FURTHER PROBLEMS SINCE THE REPAIR. *AK

DT: CONTACT STATED EVERYTHING UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE WAS RUSTED, AND GOING TOWARD THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE SERVICE STATION. THE INSIDE OF THE LEFT WHEEL WELL CRACKED, CAUSING THE WHEEL BEARING TO BREAK, AND THE DRIVESHAFT TO SLIP DOWN, CAUSING THE GEARS TO GRIND IN THE DRIVSHAFT, SENSORS FOR THE WHEEL WELL, AND THE COMPONENTS OF THE AXLE ASSEMBLY WERE RUSTED. WHEN THE MECHANIC WAS TAKING THE BOLTS FROM THE INSIDE OF THE DRIVESHAFT TO REPLACE IT, THE BOLTS DISINTEGRATED. MECHANIC STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT SPRAY THE RUST CORROSION PROTECTION ON THE VEHICLE. IT HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED YET, BUT THE CONSUMER WAS GOING TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE SERVICE DEALER TO BE SERVICED. CONSUMER DID CONTACT MITSUBISHI, BUT THE WARRANTY WAS NOT VALID OVERSEAS. BUT ONCE THE CONSUMER WAS BACK IN THE UNITED STATES WARRANTY WOULD BE VALID. THE MANUFACTURER TOLD CONSUMER TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A SERVICE DEALER TO HAVE IT SERVICED. *AK

INCIDENT: REPACEMENT OF 4 DIFFERETNIALS IN 30.000 MILES/HAVE ALL DOCUMENTATION, RETURNED VEHICLE 3 DAYS AFTER PURCHASE FOR REPAIR. REPAIRED EVERY 8000 MILES AND SEEKING REPAIR AS OF TODAYS DATE MAY 11 2004 FAILURE: 4 DIFFERENTIALS FAILED, STILL FAILING AS OF MAY 10, 2004 HAVE CONSUMER PROTECTION/FRAUD CASE WORKER & 2 LETTERS FROM DEPARTMENT OF JJUSTICE ASKING FOR DEALERSHIP TO COMPLY. CONSEQUENCES: DIFFERENTIAL 4 IS MAKING NOISE & APPEARS TO BE GOING OUT AGAIN WHAT WAS DONE: REPLACED DIFFERENTIAL 4 TIMES, MITSUBUSHI CANT FIX CAR, SAYS IS A DEFECT FLAW AND IS NOT A PROBLEM WITH SAFETY OR PRODUCT LIABILITY. REFUSES TO REPLACE VEHICLE AND OR COMPENSATE FOR DEFECTIVE DIFFERENTIAL. MEDIATION SUGGESTED MITSUBUSHI REPLACE CAR HAVE OTHER COMPLAINTS WITH SAME PROBLEM YEAR 2001 MONTERO. DEALERSHIP UNWILLING TO COOPERATE. ISHMAEL MARTINEZ TOLD ME THE NOISE WAS NORMAL AND THERE WOULD BE NO SAFETY ISSUES. I WORK FOR A METRO POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE AUTO MECHANIC TOLD ME YES THERE ARE SAFETY ISSUES IF THE DIFFERENTIAL FAILED COMPLETELY AND IT COULD CAUSE ME TO BE THROWN OFF THE ROAD.

PCM REPROGRAMMING FOR MIL ON/DTC PO125. INCORRECT PCM SOFTWARE PARAMETERS CAUSE THE MIL("SERVICE ENGINE SOON) LIGHT TO COME ON AND DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE PO125 TO TEST TO SET. TO ELIMINATE THIS CONDITION, REPROGRAMING THE PCM IS NEEDED.AFTER THE REPROGRAMING THE PCM, OXYGEN SENSORS ON "2001 MODELS ONLY" NEED TO BE REPLACED AND NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY.OXYGEN SENSORS NEED TO BE REPLACED TO MEET NEW PARAMETERS, NOT BECAUSE THE SENSORS ARE BAD. MITSUBISHI STATES THESE MODIFLCATIONS HAVE BEEN APPROVED AS APPROPRIATE BY EPA AND CARB. THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR HELP. ROBERT S DUKE. *AK

I HAVE 2 COMPLAINTS. FIRST: I HAVE HAD THE CAR CHECKED SEVERAL TIMES BY THE DEALER TO LOCATE A VERY LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR. IT HAS TO BE IN SOMETHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE STEERING OR I GUESS SUSPENSION. I HAVE HAD THE RIGHT FRONT HUB ASSEMBLY REPLACED, NEW TIRES AND A BRAKE JOB THAT I WASN'T SUPPOSED TO HAVE DONE ON THE TRUCK AND I STILL HAVE THE NOISE THAT HAS BEEN CONFIRMED BY THE DEALERSHIP TECHNICIAN. WHEN DRIVING STRAIGHT, THE CAR HAS LOUD HUM. WHEN I STEER TO THE RIGHT AND THE WEIGHT OF THE TRUCK SHIFTS TO THE LEFT, THE NOISE GOES AWAY. WHEN I STEER TO THE LEFT AND THE WEIGHT OF THE TRUCK SHIFTS TO THE RIGHT, THE NOISE GETS LOUDER. I HAVEN'T NOTICED ANYTHING YET WITH THE STEERING THAT MIGHT SEEM DANGEROUS, BUT I FEEL VERY UNEASY ABOUT THE CAR. I FEEL LIKE ONE DAY I AM GOING TO BE DRIVING AND SOMETHING WILL JUST SNAP. THE MAIN THING IS I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO KEEP TAKING THE TRUCK TO DEALERSHIPS TO INVESTIGATE WHAT IS GOING ON AND FINDING NOTHING.*JB SECOND, I WAS WONDERING IF THERE IS A STANDARD FOR THE PLACEMENT OF THE BRAKE AND GAS PEDALS WITH RESPECT TO THE PLACEMENT OF THE SEAT. WHEN I PURCHASED THE TRUCK I REALIZED THAT THE SEATING WAS KIND OF WIERD BUT I DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING OF IT. NOW, AFTER HAVING BEEN SEEN BY SEVERAL DEALERS. BECAUSE OF EXTREME PAIN IN MY BACK, BUT PRIMARILY MY HIPS TO THE POINT OF CONSIDERING SURGERY. THEY ASK IF I HAVE BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT OR FALLEN OR HAD ANY TRAUMA AND I HAVEN'T. THEN I REALIZED THE PAIN DID NOT BEGIN UNTIL I GOT THIS TRUCK AND I PRIMARILY FEEL POORLY WHEN I AM DRIVING AND RIGHT AFTER I DRIVE. SO I REALLY STARTED PAYING ATTENTION TO THE POSITION MY BODY IS IN WHEN I AM DRIVING AND MY LEGS ARE IN A VERY AWKWARD POSITION IN ORDER TO REACH THE PEDALS. THUS MY QUESTION: DO THESE TYPES OF STANDARDS FOR PEDAL PLACEMENT EXIST AND WHERE MIGHT I TAKE MY TRUCK TO HAVE IT MEASURED OR TESTED FOR COMPLIANCE.*JB