Montero owners cry foul over SUA accusation

THESE owners insist SUA doesn’t exist.

Text and photos by Tessa R. Salazar

“WE’RE victims of an issue that is nonexistent. It is our vehicle’s resale value that is suffering. People already think something’s wrong with the vehicle [without checking it first],” groaned Angelo “Gel” Angeles Jr., 40, former Montero Sport Club president, who organized the Jan. 10 “Fun Drive of Confidence” joined in by 50 of the brand’s owners and their family members.

Angelo aired his sentiments at the conclusion of the run that started from outside the ABS-CBN building on Mother Ignacia Street in Quezon City to the Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. (MMPC) plant in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

He was particularly worried over the series of interviews late in 2015 with a number of Montero Sport owners who claimed they were victims of sudden unintended acceleration (SUA). These interviews, and the CCTV footage showing the SUV apparently running out of control, were repeatedly aired over the major broadcast networks during primetime.

Not that Angelo is itching to sell his Montero Sport right away. He bought his unit in 2011, and plans to keep on driving it for five more years.

The 40-kilometer drive ended, without incident, at the sprawling MMPC parking lot, with top executives welcoming the 130-strong participants coming from as far as Santiago City in Isabela province and Legazpi City, Albay province.

Marvin Sy, 35, a businessman who owns a 2011 Montero Sport GLS-V, predicted that a “drastic decline in the resale value of the Montero Sport would be a natural effect of the alleged SUA cases.”

He added, “When media talks, whether it’s positive or negative, the people will bite it.”

Self tests

Marvin narrated how he and other Montero Sport owners tried to “induce” their SUVs to commit SUA, to no avail. “I tried to do it by stepping on the brake and accelerator pedals at the same time. The vehicle didn’t move.”

Angelo said that some of the 400 members of the Montero Sport Club Philippines also tried their own techniques to bring about that elusive SUA.

After so many attempts, there were “zero SUA incidences, even among friends who owned or drove the Montero Sport but were not members of the club. All the theories for SUA to happen were applied, and debunked.”

It was enough for Angelo to conclude, with finality, that SUA did not exist. “Most members of our club are auto enthusiasts. They know more than your average motorist, so when this SUA issue came out, one of the first actions of our members were to test for themselves, and on their own vehicles.”

NO STOPPING their freedom to express disgust

Denner Corrales, 35, who brought along his wife and son on board their 2014 Montero Sport, pointed out that “most of our members are six- to seven-year owners of Monteros. They know, and they feel, based on experience, what factors are involved as far as SUA is concerned.”

Denner shared that, during the height of the SUA controversy, the club held an information drive about the “technicalities, proper driving and vehicle maintenance, and recommendations on dealerships.”

Marvin added that one of the advantages of being a club member is that car clubs teach members “to be alert, careful drivers and be knowledgeable of their automobiles.”

MONTERO owners tour the MMPC Laguna plant.

Angelo hopes the Confidence drive “would help restore public confidence on the Montero Sport.”

“I urge the everyday user of any Montero to make a stand and basically be confident that they drive the SUV,” stressed Angelo.

MMPC stand

MMPC, in a previous press conference, theorized that the alleged SUA could have been a result of pedal misapplication or entrapment, mechanical or electronic failure, or a “sticky” pedal.

Pedal misapplication takes place when the driver unintentionally steps on the accelerator pedal when the intention was to step on the brake pedal.

ANGELO says he’s fed up with ignorance.

Pedal entrapment occurs when a floor mat or another object exerts downward pressure on the accelerator pedal.

A mechanical failure may cause excessive fuel supply to the engine. MMPC said, however, that “this problem should have been constant and could be repeated.”

Electronic failure, as explained by MMPC technical team, is not possible to cause SUA in the Montero Sport due to the following reasons:

• For critical sensors or servo motors, there is a redundancy system (two sensors checking each other’s function).
• If a sensor fails or does not operate properly, the ECU triggers the “check engine” light to inform the driver to have the vehicle serviced.
• At the same time, a Data Trouble Code or DTC is stored in the ECU so the Mitsubishi Service Center can detect later on what triggered the check engine light to turn on. DTCs can not be erased by removing the battery. It can only be erased by using a Multi Tested Tool.

“Check Engine” also triggers the ECU to go on Safe or Limp mode meaning the engine won’t be able to give 100-percent output. It cannot make the engine rev wild as claimed.

Sticky pedal occurs when a deformed pedal or faulty springs may cause unintended acceleration where the mechanical sticking of the accelerator pedal does not return to the “zero” position.