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Comments
Loving my Bridgestone Dueler Revos for the snow & icy roads.
The problem is that the center row, center seatbelt has disintegrated (the male end, not the receiver). Let me just state for the record that I have never in all my years of driving seen a seatbelt malfunction let alone disintegrate like that. On top of that, now the passenger side, center row seatbelt won't retract. For a vehicle that's never been in an accident, this is a problem. Also, the center row, center belt is RARELY, if ever used. Here's the rub that worsens the problem: The dealer says it's a 3/36 item. Mitsubishi and I both say it's 5/60. Then they look up my VIN. Date of service - I'm a couple of days out of service now. When I brought up the problem to them, I wasn't. Mitsubishi says to take it to the dealer and let them look at it. That's tomorrow. I can tell you this: if one of my children gets hurt between now and the time this issue is resolved, it won't be good for the dealer that was trying to weasel out of covering it when I brought it up. I've been fighting with the dealer for months now.
So tomorrow, you'll know if you want to buy another Mitsubishi product or not. I've not talked with anyone else that's had this issue. Anyone? I'll let you all know what happens.
I used this board before I purchased Mitsubishi and the truck has been good to us, but the dealerships have not. When I think about it, a lot of the posts were form guys in CA that liked to go off-road and fix the truck themselves. So, I'm sure they love it since they don't have to deal with Mitsu. service. If you depend on others, like I do, to fix your truck, RUN THE OTHER WAY!
Now to my question........
Has anyone traded a 2001 Full Size Ltd. recently? I have one with a hitch, running boards, sunroof visor, window visors and hood visor. There is also a brand new, never used set of mats still in the plastic. It has 63,000 miles on it. Anyone, know what I should be getting on trade? 90% of my offers are for $12,500. I have one guy saying up to $14,00, but he won't even guarantee $12,500 and he is 1 1/2 hours away. Any input is appreciated.
Also, if it's such a wonderful vehicle then what else, except for fluid changes and the timing belt every now and then do you need to service so often? Both can be done at any decent service station.
You either have way too much money to throw away to sell it so early and so cheap or you just wanted a van in the first place and there's nothing wrong with that. No need to blame it on the Mitsu service (or is really the ever smaller dealer network).
http://media.mitsubishicars.com/detail?mid=MIT2004010530337&m- - - - ime=ASC
Any news on when 2004 Monteros will be available?
My dealer did a horrible brake job, if you must know. And refused to make it good.
And when the truck was new, the same dealer broke my roof, when the sunroof got stuck open. Told me I was lucky that they even fixed the roof because it was an aftermarket roof. It was STANDARD. They just didn't know what they were talking about.
Another dealership needed 3+ weeks notice for an oil change.
So, your assumption that I want to throw money away is an uninformed comment. There are many other issues I have had with dealers. If you want details, I would be glad to share with you. But, please don't get obnoxious with me. I want anything but a van, but the van has the room I need!
Another dealer
1. I'm glad they finally fixed your roof - the whole unpleasant experience is behind you now.
2. Oil changes can be done anywhere, they'll do a decent job, won't void your warranty, and save you some money in the long-run (plus you wouldn't need a 3-week notice)
3. Paying for fixing the brakes yourself now is probably ten times more cost-effective than trading the 2-3-year old truck in and losing so much money in the process.
4. You said yourself you really NEED the room that vans offer.
I still don't see a problem here - unless it's the warranty service you need (and it's always a hit or miss with any brand) I would run away from the dealers to do my scheduled service, not these outstanding vehicles. I don't think Nissan (unless it's Infinity) is going to make you any happier.
I'm considering a used 2003 Montero Limited. I previously owned a '99 Isuzu Trooper which I liked a lot. Unfortunately, it was recently totaled in a collision (I walked away without a scratch). I've been looking around in SoCal for used Troopers but haven't seen anything yet that fits what I want in terms of price or mileage, so thought I'd broaden my search to include Monteros because there are so many more of them advertised for sale.
From all the reviews I've read, it sounds like the Montero is right along the lines of what I'm looking for and I'm particularly interested in a 2003 model to get the bigger engine. However, I noticed that Mitsu recommends premium fuel for it. Does anyone know whether the 2003 Montero can get along fine on "regular" unleaded?
I'd also be interested in reading any recommendations you might have regarding whether to go after the 2003 Montero, reliability issues, etc. Thanks!
dcmoore
I think the concensus was that using regular fuel on any pre-2003 was fine though you wouldn't tell that to your dealer.
In 2003 they still state that Premium fuel is 'recommended' (note: not 'required') and due to the increased compression ratio (10:1 from 9:1) on the newer engine, it probably makes a little bit more sense too. I would still think that regular fuel is fine for this gas hog though and wouldn't hesitate to feed it to it myself (especially if I were in Cali!).
P.S. I'm also considering Axiom but I can't find any that's too cheap and I'd have to go all the way to Chicago to get one w/ the good ole' TOD. I saw some used Axiom listings on carsdirect.com today and the pricing was decent. Remember that those things have the beefed up Trooper engine in them and 2004s now got direct injection (250HP and mileage in the 20s on regular) - definitely something to consider...
Second of all, I said that these were great trucks. I simply said that service at ALL the dealerships in my area has SUCKED, to say the least. If you don't need the dealers, I would not run from the truck and I think I made that perfectly clear in my previous post. Lighten up. Don't be so defensive. If you get your vehicle serviced without a problem, I am happy for you. That just wasn't my experience with Mitsubishi.
I will leave you all with this thought.....
GREAT TRUCK, VERY RELIABLE AND WELL APPOINTED FOR THE PRICE. JUST CHECK INTO LOCAL SERVICE BEFORE YOU SIGN ON THE DOTTED LINE. TALK TO PEOPLE IN PARKING LOTS IN THE AREA THAT YOU LIVE. ASK THEM ABOUT SERVICE. I WISH I HAD! ONCE I HAD MY PROBLEM AND I STARTED TALKING TO PEOPLE IN PARKING LOTS, I LEARNED THAT I WAS NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE LOCAL DEALER. IT WAS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM. EVERYONE I RAN INTO HAD ISSUES WITH THEM AT ONE POINT AND TIME. IF YOU GET POSITIVE FEEDBACK, THEN GO FOR IT. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED IN THE TRUCK!
from the front intermittantly. Steadily got
worse over a period of 1 year. Dealer says it's
"brake dust", no problem found, and cleaned out.
Brake grinding returns (intermittantly--grinding
noise from the front) after two days.
Anyone had a similar experience?
EDIT1: Or did they really mean Montero Sport which is supposed to be discontinued by 2005 along with Diamante...
EDIT2: Both Monteros are still listed in the "official" lineup, so I don't know anymore...
http://media.mitsubishicars.com/detail?mid=MIT2003120355470&m- - - - ime=ASC
EDIT3: Quote from mitsu media for the 2004 lineup:
"Montero XLS and Montero Limited are both powered by a 3.8-liter, SOHC, 24-valve V6 engine that delivers more power and torque to tame any terrain. The new engine's power starts building low in the rev range and peaks early to produce a responsive off-the-line feel with a stout mid-range punch."
Provided it's true, does it mean more power in general or more power in 2004. There's no reason they shouldn't make it 230HP like in the Galant.
Well, we should know all the answers soon but if someone knows anything, let us know...
The OME shocks and springs in combination the 265-75x16 BFG ATs worked well on "4-wheel drive required" road in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Eliminating the rubber stock "gasket" got rid of most of the "squeak" but the front springs still want to move on the "purchase" on the shocks. I don't notice that it affects handling or is even important.
The all terrain tires are noisier on the highway, do make the ride somewhat harsh, and make the gas millage drop.
Brill, question:
Didn't you have a problem with the spring "purchase" when you first got them from ARB? And, didn't they send you different ones? Are they cupped, or completely flat?
Thanks for the responses concerning premium fuel. I've been running 89 octane through it thus far but may drop down to 87 since nobody here seems to think it will cause any problems.
One more question: Does anyone have recommendations regarding ski racks? I ran a search on this topic and came up with a few posts in which ski racks had been briefly discussed, but they weren't particularly helpful. I'm inclined to go with Yakima tower and crossbar since I've already got a pair of Yakima Liftticket 4 racks. However, I was messing around on the internet and noticed that mitsubishipartsstore.com has a roof-mounted ski rack advertised for about $70. But I'm not totally sure if it's for Monteros.
As far as its reliability, it shouldn't be any different if not better. Trooper's transmission worries me a little.
I live in Puerto Rico where I just looked at the 2003 Mitsubishi Montero SR. Apparently, from what I've read, the SR was discontinued in the US maybe six years ago, so information on it is very hard to find. Does anyone know why the SR was discontinued? Anything wrong with it? And is there any reason to, in general, avoid buying cars that were discontinued in North America?
Thanks.
Montero SR in Puerto Rico is the equivalent to our Montero Limited without the leather, so it's the same vehicle as in the US. No worries here - it hasn't been replaced yet :-)
http://www.mitsubishicarspr.com/spanish/vehiculos/2003/montero/es- - pecificaciones.aspx
Are you sure you want one though? When I visited Puerto Rico a few years back I noticed that almost every other car was a Montero down there. Apparently it's also the most stolen vehicle in PR by far and partially responsible for why our insurance rates are so much higher than for the Trooper for example...
I noticed that in Europe they have the regular Pajero (our current one here) and Pajero classic (the older pre-2001 US model) available for sale. It's a pretty big difference in price too.
http://www.mitsucars.com/owners/warranties.html
At the beginning of the second week of ownership I took it to the local Mitsu dealer because the transfer case light continued to flash after I shifted out of 4H. The dealer (Overland Park Mitsubishi) was great, they gave me a loaner and kept the car for 4 days and found the problem (a faulty sensor) after repeated tries.
Now that the Monty has 38k on the clock I have no complaints/problems and enjoy the improved ride. We will be looking in to new tires before next winter as the originals probably have around 8-10k left in them. I will probably slap some new brake pads on it this summer.
I run 87 octane as well with no problems. During a recent trip I averaged 19.5 mpg. The only things I don't really care for on the Monty vs the Trooper are 1) the rear door swings to the wrong side and 2) the oil filter is difficult to get to and makes a mess when removed.
or can I use the cheap stuff. Had other Mitsubishi vehicles and have proved superbly reliable 40,000 miles per year etc..Is this vehicle as reliable as I've herd.
I initially was sent the wrong cup and it was promptly replaced. I have found the OME/ARB springs with the Bridgestone A/T Revos to be a great combination AND my tires are as quite or better than stock if you can believe that. Take one look at the A/T Revos and you will say NO WAY! but....WAY...they are.
As in previous posts this 6 ply tire does better in 2wd than my stock HT did in 4wd. It was amazing.
GAS: I use mid grade on average. Often mix regular and premium from Costco. I have heard from various sources that Japans premium is no better than our regular. I think mid grade would be a safe place to be. I doubt you would notice any difference between any of the grades and using synthetic oil would probably give more net results than worrying about octane.
Just got my Montero out of the shop after some young kid tried to make a right hand turn on ice at 35mph on bald tires in a car. He locked up all four and slid into the side of my Montero, knocking it up a snow drift on the oppisite side (with my 4 yo and baby in the rig). Ah...what happened next you ask.....
Small dent between front and back door...totalled out L front end on car. You would not believe how stong these Monteros are. My wife is now convinced and is going to drive the Montero and give up on the older car she liked to drive.
Where in the world do these idiots get information that SUV's are dangerous?
I havd to replace both doors but no unibody damage.
tidester, host
Brill -- Good to hear everyone is ok.
Sounds like I'm gonna have to call ARB again and discuss the "cups".
thanks for your responses.anyway, rocky-road.com has ome shock/springs set for $551. if i buy separately it will cost me only $276.i need to call those guys.
Steve, Host
Solution was to wear them out and replace them with BFGs.
Let us know how it goes...
I'd say you might get $18,000 from a PP, but I think both Edmunds and KBB haven't changed their estimates in at least 6 months. So . . . ? ?
Monteros in this country just don't hold their value so they are not a good investment. However, they are excellent off-road vehicles. I guess it depends on what you are buying one for in the first place.
go to alldata.com