1997 Mitsubishi Montero

SUV

6 Cylinder 3.0 Liter

Automatic

Ja4MT31P0VP005679

Salvage

4 Wheel Drive

Gasoline

AM/FM Radio

This auction is for a 1997 Montero Sport in great working and cosmetic condition that is currently under "salvage" title, but very close to being ready for registration. This vehicle has performed EXCELLENTLY over the 291k miles I have driven it with very little maintenance required during it's entire life (no breakdowns or major mechanical/electrical problems at all - EVER), and it was always taken great care of with lots of preventative checkups and tuneups, regular oil changes (always 100% synthetic), and generally babied. I had recently decided to make it a "winter-weather-only" vehicle to prolong it's life even longer when it was involved in a mild front end collision. Only the body work was damaged (no frame or engine damage) but the repair amount of $3,600 was enough for the insurance company to consider it a total. Being that the car is and always has been in great shape, I didn't think twice about buying the vehicle off the insurance co. and fixing the damage (new bumper, grill, head and turn lights, and new hood). When it came time to get the title fixed I realized that an airbag certificate was required and there had been a dash light on for that for many years for a bad airbag sensor (it has never deployed). Unfortunately, after spending the insurance money on the car instead of keeping it, I am not willing to spend an additional amount greater than $1k (I am told) to replace that sensor. If you live in a state that doesn't require an airbag certificate or can otherwise repair the sensor cheaply - LOOK NO FURTHER! The GOOD: The car really is in great shape all around. It looks like it is only a few years old. Everything operates on it as it did when it was new, including all instruments, all electrical, heaters, A/C, windows, etc., except for as stated below. The BAD: 1. As stated, there is an "SRS" (Saftey Restraint System, I believe) light on for the airbag sensor. It was never deployed and might work just fine. I have been told by the Mitsubishi dealer the light pertains to the sensor and may run between $1k and $2k to replace. 2. Some years ago, some of the seals on the engine became not as oil-tight as they once were. This causes the engine to burn oil at a pretty nice rate, but it doesn't really drip any oil (just eats it). I took it to Mitsubishi for an oil consumption test and they basically told me I could either rebuild the engine to replace the seals OR just deal with having to feed it oil (which they recommended as the easier/cheaper solution). Around every 3k miles, the oil gets near empty and needs to be refilled. I tend to just keep some oil in the car and keep it topped off. 3. Only very recently, after picking it up from the recent bodywork, I found that the hidden switch/sensor in the shifting knob that tells the starter that the car is in the "Park" position (and so safe to start the car) has a short, and so to start it now you have to jiggle the transmission knob while turning the key. This should be a simple, cheap fix. 4. The power antenna recently broke off when I forgot to turn off the radio before entering a car wash. Another simple, cheap fix. 5. THAT'S IT! This car has been so great to me over the years and all the long road trips (cross-country, etc.) I took it on, that I really HATE to sell this, but it is a 3rd car for us and I can't justify spending another $1k-$2k to get the title resolved. Please contact me with any questions. On May-25-10 at 07:15:51 PDT, seller added the following information: ****I have described the vehicle as best as I am able, noting any/all issues that are known to me. The vehicle is being sold as-is.****