1998 MITSUBISHI MONTERO SPORT Engine And Engine Cooling Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 MITSUBISHI MONTERO SPORT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A TURN AND THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. SUDDENLY, WITHIN THIRTY SECONDS THE STEERING WHEEL UNSEIZED ON ITS OWN. THE FAILURE OCCURRED SPORADICLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT A FAULTY CRANK SHAFT PULLEY CONTRIBUTED TO THE FAILURE. THE TECHNICIAN ALSO INFORMED THE CONTACT OF A RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 00V311001 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE). THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 180,000.

I WAS DRIVING ALONG I-17 NEAR PHOENIX, AZ MERGING ONTO I-10 WEST - WHEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN I COULDN'T STEER THE VEHICLE. ALL WHILE GOING 65 MPH. IT TOOK EVERY BIT OF MY STRENGTH TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE SAFELY OFF THE HIGHWAY TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. I HAD IT TOWED TO MARK MITSUBISHI IN AVONDALE, AZ FOR REPAIRS. AFTER SEVERAL DAYS THE "REPAIRS" WERE DONE. THE DAMAGE WAS DUE TO THE BOLT - CRANK SHAFT PULLEY - I PAID NEARLY $600 FOR REPAIRS. FOUR AND A HALF WEEKS LATER, THE SAME THING HAPPENED, THIS TIME I WAS DRIVING AN HOUR FROM MY HOME ON 202 IN CHANDLER WHEN I WAS GETTING OFF THE HIGHWAY, AS SOON AS I GOT ON THE OFF RAMP, I HEARD METAL HIT AND SAW SOMETHING FLY ACROSS THE OFF-RAMP. AGAIN, I HAD MY VEHICLE TO TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR YET ANOTHER REPAIR OF...

RECALL CAMPAIGN 00V311001/CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BOLT. THE DEALER CHARGED THE CONSUMER FOR REPLACING THE CRANKSHAFT BOLTS.*AK

WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH CRANK SHAFT BOLT SNAPPED. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM.*AK

MAKE: MITSUBISHI MODEL: MONTERO SPORT XLS YEAR: 1998 SUV WAS TOTAL LOSS DUE TO OUT OF CONTROL AND ROLLED OVER. *N LM