2009 Mitsubishi Montero Sport Recalls & Complaints

Incident: December 16, 2010 · Filed: October 4, 2011

AT ABOUT 6PM ON DECEMBER 16, 2010 MY DAD WAS PARALLEL PARKING ALONG THE SIDE OF THE ROAD OUTSIDE OUR HOUSE, WHEN HIS NOVEMBER 2009 MITSUBISHI MONTERO SPORT (4X2 AUTOMATIC WHICH JUST HAD ITS 5000 KM SERVICE) SUDDENLY ACCELERATED FORWARD WITH VERY HIGH ENGINE REVOLUTION (VERY LOUD) AND COLLIDED WITH A MERCEDES BENZ E230 PARKED JUST 6 METERS AWAY ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD (THE IMPACT WAS SO STRONG THAT THE E230 MOVED ABOUT 3 METERS AS EVIDENCED BY THE TIRE SKID MARKS)! THIS HAPPENED EVEN WHEN MY DAD WAS STEPPING HARD ON THE BRAKES! AFTER COLLIDING WITH THE MERCEDES, THE MONTERO DID NOT STOP BUT CONTINUED FORWARD AT HIGH SPEED (STILL MY FATHER WAS STEPPING HARD ON THE BRAKES!). MY FATHER SAW A PASSING TOYOTA REVO INFRONT OF HIM AND A TRICYCLE INFRONT OF THE REVO. SO HE DECIDED TO HIT AN ELECTRIC POST (68 METERS AWAY FROM OUR HOUSE) TO STOP THE MONTERO! FORTUNATELY, HE MISSED THE ELECTRIC POST BY HALF A METER AND INSTEAD SIDE SWIPED OUR NEIGHBOR'S WALL AND THEN COLLIDED WITH A PALM TREE. AFTER HITTING THE TREE, MY FATHER SAID THAT THE MONTERO STILL JERKED FORWARD A COUPLE OF TIMES BEFORE STOPPING. AFTER COLLIDING WITH THE MERCEDES BENZ, SIDE SWIPING A WALL, AND HITTING A TREE, THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY! IT WAS ONLY VERY FORTUNATE THAT MY FATHER SHIFTED HIS BODY TO THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SO HIS HEAD DID NOT HIT THE WINDSHIELD. MITSUBISHI BLAMED THE FLOOR MAT IN ITS OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION REPORT! THE SAME TYPE OF FLOOR MAT THEY ARE SELLING IN THEIR DEALERSHIP! MITSUBISHI DID NOT EVEN MENTION IN ITS OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION REPORT WHY THE AIRBAGS IN MY DAD'S MONTERO DID NOT DEPLOY DURING THE ACCIDENT. MY DAD REJECTED MITSUBISHI'S OFFICIAL REPORT BUT HE ACCEPTED THE OFFER FROM MITSUBISHI TO BUY BACK HIS MONTERO AT 80% OF ORIGINAL COST. MITSUBISHI WILL NOT COVER THE DAMAGE TO THE MERCEDES BENZ BECAUSE THEY SAID THAT THE ACCIDENT WAS NOT THE FAULT OF THE MONTERO. *TR