Questions and Answers

Mitsubishi Montero Warranty? Q. I have a 1997 Mitsubishi Montero 6 cylinder 4WD with about 58,000 miles. During a maintenance check at a local Mitsubishi dealer I was told that the Idle Air Speed Controller Motor was going out which would ultimately cause my vehicle to stall at a stop or if I took my foot off the gas pedal. The part’s price was $335.00 with a couple of hours of labor to install.

Since I had purchased the truck used I bought an extended warranty but not through Mitsubishi. The service advisor at the dealership called the claims department to have the repair approved but was told it would be denied because it was not a listed item. I followed up for more information and was told it was not covered because it was an emissions control item.

The service advisor was surprised since he indicated it was simply an electric motor which opened a valve to allow air to be mixed with the fuel to run the engine and not an emissions control device.

I have since taken my complaint to the owner but there is no backing off the position that it is an emissions control device and would not be on the vehicle were it not for the Clean Air Act of 1990 and therefore not their problem.

Is this reasonable or do I have any basis for complaint to an agency like the Better Business Bureau? I recognize now that my warranty was a listed item and not an exclusionary policy so if it’s not listed it’s not covered but I find nothing to indicate it is only an emissions control device.

Thanks for your help,
Joe

A. I'm assuming this all happened before you went over 50,000 miles. The emission warranty is 5 year/50,000 miles.

This is a bit complicated since after the emission warranty expires, it should be covered by the extended warranty. So in that case the extended warranty company would cover the replacement and not Mitsubishi.

Taking it to the owner of the dealership does little good in a warranty dispute. The dealer sells the cars "AS IS". It is the manufacturer that warranties the vehicle. So you should take this up with Mitsubishi directly. Call Mitsubishi's Customer Service Department (1-800-222-0037) and file a grievance and make an appointment with the Mitsubishi factory representative. He is the one who can authorize the replacement. He will either Goodwill the repair or split the cost 50/50 with you.

In your dealings with the factory representative be firm but polite and he will do something for you. And as far as extended warranties go, you need to read the list of covered items. This is what you use to compare extended warranty plans. If need be, sit down with the Service Advisor or Service Manager and they will answer any questions you may have.