2002 Mitsubishi Montero Limited 3.5 gasoline from North America
Summary:
Worst vehicle I have ever owned.. bar none!
Faults:
Front wheel bearing @ 97,000, and this vehicle has never been used off road or on dirt roads.
Timing belt failed at 99,00 miles.
Serpentine belt, crankshaft pulley, serpentine belt and both idler pulleys at 103,000 miles.
Brake booster at 98,000 miles.
General Comments:
Harsh ride compared to other SUVs and pickups. One would expect a vehicle with independent suspension front and rear to have a better ride.
Engine is underpowered for a 24 valve 3.5 liter engine and unsuited for weight of this vehicle.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 27th January, 2010
9th Nov 2012, 15:25
Are you serious complaining about a serpentine and timing belts failing at 100k miles? I don't know what the service interval is for those belts, but it is probably far less than 100k miles.
Also, wheel bearing failure at 97k miles is another thing that seems reasonable. Not all vehicles, especially 4WD ones, have lifetime wheel bearings! If you did the proper preventative maintenance, the wheel bearings should be repacked whenever the front brakes were done.
It just seems that you are complaining about issues that should of been avoided if proper preventative maintenance was done. A complex 4WD vehicle is not a Corolla or Civic, which can be driven forever without any care! I have owned Mitsubishi products, and they have always been very reliable and well constructed.
3rd Mar 2014, 19:03
I agree with the previous comment - I believe the timing belt replacement interval is 60,000 miles. The owner then complains that it broke at 99,000 miles?!? Jeez. And I've NEVER had a serpentine belt break on any car that I've EVER owned. Why? Look at it every 8-10,000 miles. Oh, that'll take about 30 seconds out of your life. Almost 100,000 miles from wheel bearings on a 4x4 even if it was never used off-road? Good god, do you realize how much heavier a 4x4 vehicle is? And if you purchase a heavy-duty replacement wheel bearing (don't buy the cheapest one at the parts store), it will then outlast the engine & transmission.
Some people will complain about anything and everything, even if it's not rational.
4th Oct 2010, 00:44
AMEN --- worst piece of junk.