YONKERS, N.Y. — Consumer Reports magazine said Wednesday it rated the 2001 Mitsubishi Montero Limited as "not acceptable" because the SUV tipped onto two wheels during sharp turns at about 37 mph.
The vehicle "would likely have rolled over if not for the safety outriggers," side struts installed for the tests that prevented the vehicle from toppling completely over, Consumer Reports said.
"If you're shopping for an SUV, we advise you not to buy the 2001 Montero Limited until the safety problem has been corrected," the magazine said.
The "not acceptable" rating applies only to the 2001 Montero Limited, not to previous Monteros or to the Montero Sport or Montero XLS. Consumer Reports found no reports of rollover crashes involving the 2001 Montero, but believes its test results point to an unnecessary risk.
Of 118 models Consumer Reports has tested during the past 13 years, only three have tipped so severely during similar maneuvers that they were judged "not acceptable." They were the Suzuki Samurai in 1988 and the Isuzu Trooper and its twin, the Acura SLX, in 1996.
Mitsubishi Motor Sales of America defended the Montero in a response included in the August issue of Consumer Reports.
"We have devoted thousands of hours to designing and testing the 2001 Montero Limited, including a full range of tests for handling and stability safety that are well-known and widely used in the industry," the manufacturer said. "All of these tests validated the 2001 Montero Limited's stability and safety."
Mitsubishi said it conducted more tests after seeing Consumer Reports' results, and those tests "validate our confidence in this vehicle."
In 1997, Daimler-Benz recalled and corrected the Mercedes-Benz A-class after it rolled over in similar tests conducted by a Swedish automotive magazine.