NHTSA Complaint #769049 — 2002 MITSUBISHI MONTERO

THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WHICH THE DEALERSHIP, ON MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO FIX, HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIX FAILURE. INITIALLY, THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING FUEL AT THE PASSENGER REAR WHEEL WELL. THIS HAS OCCURRED ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS. NO REASON FOR THIS WAS FOUND UPON INSPECTION. THE 3RD TIME THERE WAS FUEL LEAKAGE, THERE WAS ALSO A FAILURE OF THE ENGINE IN WHICH HESITATING AND STALLING OCCURRED. THE SES LIGHT DID INITIATE. INITIALLY THE SOLENOID WAS REPLACED. 6 DAYS LATER THE SAME THING OCCURRED AND THE SES LIGHT DID AGAIN COME ON. THE VEHICLE WAS AGAIN TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE REAR CAMSTER AND FILTER WAS REPLACED. WE REQUESTED A MEETING WITH THE DISTRICT MANAGER TO DISCUSS THE PROBLEM. WE WERE TOLD HE WOULD BE BACK FROM VACATION AFTER 10/1 AND WE WOULD BE CONTACTED. AFTER THE LAST REPAIR, THE VEHICLE HAD A PROBLEM WITH LOSS OF POWER AT TIMES. THIS INCLUDED SLOW RESPONSE WHEN STEPPING ON THE FUEL (TO INCLUDE FLOORING IT) WHEN TRYING TO PASS. IT WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON 10/4. THE SERVICE MANAGER DROVE IT AND STATED "COULD NOT DUPLICATE COMPLAINT". IT WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER A SECOND TIME APPROX. 1 WK LATER AND EVEN THOUGH FLOORING IT AT 35 MPH INITIATED A SLUGGISH RESPONSE IN WHICH THE RPM NEVER JUMPED UP BUT JUST STEADILY INCLINED AT A SLOW RATE, THE SERVICE MANAGER AGAIN SAID HE FELT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. THIS LOSS OF POWER HAPPENED ONCE WHEN TRYING TO MERGE ONTO THE FREEWAY AND I ALMOST GOT HIT BEFORE I COULD PULL BACK OVER AND OUT OF THE WAY. ON 10/21 THE VEHICLE AGAIN EXHIBITED PROBLEMS WITH ACCELERATION FROM A STOP THIS TIME STALLING. AFTER 3 ATTEMPTS, I WAS STILL UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. IT SAT FOR 65 MINUTES WAITING FOR MITSUBISHI'S TOWING SERVICE. AT THAT TIME, MY HUSBAND CAME AND STARTED THE VEHICLE. IT STARTED ON THE 2ND ATTEMPT AND BLUE-BLACK SMOKE CAME OUT FROM THE EXHAUST. WE DID DRIVE IT DOWN TO THE DEALERSHIP WITH ONLY TWO INSTANCES OF SOME LOSS OF POWER. PROBLEM STILL NOT CORRECTED. DT