2003 Mitsubishi Montero

MITSUBISHI MONTERO 2003 - BRAKE PADS HAVE BEEN REPLACED 2 TIMES WITH LESS THAN 30,000 MILES (1ST AT 19K AND 2ND AT 30K) ON THE ODOMETER. SEVERAL NEAR ACCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED AFTER DESCENDING DOWN HILL. IF YOU RIDE THE BRAKES (KEEPING SLIGHT PRESSURE APPLIED WHILE PERIODICALLY APPLYING MORE BRAKE) WHEN DRIVING DOWN A HILL, THIS CAUSES THE ROTORS TO HEAT UP AND THEN WARP. UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN THE ROTORS GET TOO HOT BRAKING BECOMES EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. THE LONG BEACH MITSUBISHI SERVICE MANAGER CLAIMS THAT THE 2003 MONTERO USES A SMALLER BRAKE PAD THEN ITS PREVIOUS YEAR MODELS. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 55MPH A DEER WAS STRUCK WITH THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. WHILE APPLYING BRAKE PRESSURE THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO GAIN SPEED, SPUN AROUND, VEERED OFF THE ROAD AND ROLLED OVER FOUR TIMES IN A DITCH. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY IN THE ACCIDENT. THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO THE CRASH. THERE WERE THREE OCCUPANTS IN THE VEHICLE ALL OF WHICH WERE WEARING SEAT BELTS. THE CONTACT WAS SIX MONTHS PREGNANT AND RECEIVED INJURIES DURING THE ACCIDENT. THE POLICE WERE ALERTED AND A REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DEEMED TOTALED, BUT HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED TO DETERMINE WHY THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK

PREVIOUSLY REPORTED SIMILAR PROBLEM IN NOV. 2004 (REFERENCE NO. 10101312) FUEL LEAKAGE, ACCELERATION/POWER LOSS AT CRITICAL TIMES OF HIGHWAY TRAVEL. SUV IS NOW PARKED DUE FUELING SYSTEM PROBLEMS AND UNRELIABILITY. SUV WAS REPAIRED AT FAZELI MISUBISHI 11/2004. EVEN AFTER KNOW RECALL (PURPORTED) CORRECTLY VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SAME PROBLEM. SUV FAILED AGAIN WHILE ON FAMILY VACATION, LOSS OF ACCELERATION AND POWER BEGAN TO OCCUR, ENGINE BEGAN TO COUGH AND SPUTTER (EVEN WITH A FULL TANK OF GAS), GAS GAUGE AND DIGITAL FUEL MILEAGE INDICATOR MALFUNCTIONED. SUV WAS EVENTUALLY PARKED AT A LOCATION, WHILE PARKED FUEL APPARENTLY HAD LEAKED FROM THE FUEL TANK OR OTHER COMPARTMENT... FIRE ERUPTED WHILE WE WERE PARKED ON SIDE OF (HWY 10- ALABAMA) I WAS ATTEMPTING TO LIGHT A FLARE TO INDICATE TO PASSING MOTORIST THAT WE WERE STRANDED IN THE ROAD. DESTROYED BY THE FLAMES WERE CLOTHING, LAP TOP COMPUTER, MEDICATION, CHILDREN TOYS AND ELECTRONIC GAMES, AND RELIGIOUS EFFECTS. *JB

DT: HUSBAND HAD A VEHICLE WRECK, THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP ON SNOW. CONTACT FELT TIRES WERE NOT RIGHT FOR CLIMATE. HAD TIRES ROTATED AND PRESSURE CHECKED REGULARLY. WAS TOLD BY MANUFACTURER THAT THE PSI SHOULD BE 35, BUT THE DOOR STICKER INDICATED 29 PSI. TIRES DID NOT WORK WELL IN SNOW. ALSO, DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT DID NOT RETRACT, AND THE BACK SEAT ON PASSENGER'S SIDE WON'T FOLD FORWARD. HAD BACK SEAT REPAIRED ONCE. *AK

DUE TO THE LOCATION OF DRIVERS SEAT BELT ATTACH POINT AND THE SEATBACK ADJUSTMENT HANDLE THE SEAT BELT GETS CAUGHT UP ON THE HANDLE, CAUSING THE SEAT BACK TO RELEASE WHILE DRIVING. I CONTACTED THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY REPLACED MY SEAT EVEN THOUGH IT HAD THE EXACT SAME DESING. THE SEAT BELT CONTINUES TO RELEASE THE BACK OF THE SEAT IF I FORGET TO PULL THE SEATBELT OFF OF THE HANDLE.*AK

CONSUMER CONTACTED MANUFACTURER, AND WAS TOLD TO CONTACT NEAREST DEALER FOR SERVICE ON RECALL. WHEN DEALER WAS CONTACTED, THEY REFERRED HIM BACK TO THE MANUFACTURER. WHEN CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER HE WAS TOLD TO CALL BACK, THEY AGAIN REFERRED CONSUMER TO DEALER. AS A RESULT, CONSUMER STILL DID NOT HAVE VEHICLE REPAIRED. *AK

IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL NOTIFICATION: SR-04-008 *BF THE CONSUMER TOOK HIS VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE ON THE RECALL ISSUE AND WAS TOLD IT COULD NOT BE SERVICED AT THE ORIGINAL DEALERSHIP LOCATION BUT HAD TO BE TAKEN TWO HOURS AWAY TO AN UNRELATED DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE AND TIME. RECALL ISSUE DEALS WITH THE FUEL TANK LEVELING VALVE NOT MAINTAINING PROPER SEALING. FUEL MAY LEAK TO THE GROUND WHEN TANK IS ON FULL. THE RECALL STATED THAT GASOLINE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE MAY RESULT IN A FIRE. *TC *SC *JB