← New search

1997 Mitsubishi Montero

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 1997 Mitsubishi Montero do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 20.5.

About this comparison →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
Compare all Montero years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 11 of 63 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 17 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

6 crash reports4 fire reports4 injury reports

Equipment complaints

5 reports
Clear category filter
134,990 miles · Jul 18, 2007
Engine And Engine CoolingEquipment

STARTED CAR, NOTICED 3 RANDOM LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THEN POWER STEERING WAS INTERMITTENT. THEN A/C WENT OUT AND WOULD NOT COOL DOWN. THEN POWER STEERING FAILED COMPLETELY. CAR WAS DRIVEN TO REPAIR SHOP NEARBY, SINCE NO LOCAL MITSUBISHI DEALER. MECHANIC FOUND CRANKSHAFT BOLT BROKEN THAT LED TO POWER STEERIN…

Read full complaint

STARTED CAR, NOTICED 3 RANDOM LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THEN POWER STEERING WAS INTERMITTENT. THEN A/C WENT OUT AND WOULD NOT COOL DOWN. THEN POWER STEERING FAILED COMPLETELY. CAR WAS DRIVEN TO REPAIR SHOP NEARBY, SINCE NO LOCAL MITSUBISHI DEALER. MECHANIC FOUND CRANKSHAFT BOLT BROKEN THAT LED TO POWER STEERING AND A/C PULLEY NOT WORKING. INCIDENT LED TO NEAR LOSS OF CONTROL DURING TURNING , AS POWER STEERING WOULD "KICK" IN AT TIMES DURING CORNERING AND LEAD TO OVERSTEER. HAD TO CHANGE CRANKSHAFT BOLT, HARMONIC BALANCER, TIMING BELT GEAR, AND SOMETHING ELSE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10196657

Mileage unknown · Mar 10, 2000
EquipmentService Brakes, Hydraulic

I HAVE NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES AND CD CHANGER ON THIS VEHICLE, AS WELL AS NUMBROUS OTHER PROBLEMS. PLEASE ADVISE IF I HAVE ANY RECOURSE? *AK

NHTSA ODI #719928

Mileage unknown · Oct 26, 1998
Engine And Engine CoolingEquipmentSuspension

THIS CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP 17 TIMES WITHIN A YEAR. IT WAS BOUGHT BRAND NEW. THE MAJOR PROBLEMS WE HAVE WITH IT ARE THE WHEEN BEARING, AIRCONDITIONING AND THE ENGINE SHUTTING DOWN WITH NO WARNING. WHEN WE TAKE IT IN EITHER THEY SAY THEY CANT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. WITH THE WHEEL BEARING, THEY FIXED IT THE FIRST TIME. IT S…

Read full complaint

THIS CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP 17 TIMES WITHIN A YEAR. IT WAS BOUGHT BRAND NEW. THE MAJOR PROBLEMS WE HAVE WITH IT ARE THE WHEEN BEARING, AIRCONDITIONING AND THE ENGINE SHUTTING DOWN WITH NO WARNING. WHEN WE TAKE IT IN EITHER THEY SAY THEY CANT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. WITH THE WHEEL BEARING, THEY FIXED IT THE FIRST TIME. IT STARTED TO LEAK AGAIN AND THEY SAID THAT IT WASNT THE WHEEL BEARING.

NHTSA ODI #700095

Mileage unknown · Sep 17, 1997
Equipment

AIR CONDITIONING QUIT WORKING WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. *AK

NHTSA ODI #520305

Mileage unknown · Jun 19, 1997
Electrical SystemEquipment

14 HOURS AFTER PURCHASING A NEW VEHICLE THE CONSUMER TRIED TO START IT UP AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START, AND THEN TRIED TO TURN THE RADIO ON AND THE RADIO DID NOT WORK BECAUSE OF A SHORT CIRCUIT IN THE ELECTRICAL HARNESS. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ODI #813278

Official recalls

2

98V220000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings

Sep 9, 1998

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. THE FRONT BRAKE LINES CAN DEVELOP PIN HOLES DUE TO CHAFFING AGAINST THE EDGE OF THE PASS-THROUGH HOLE IN THE INNER FENDER.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: BRAKE FLUID CAN LEAK RESULTING IN DETERIORATED BRAKING PERFORMANCE AND ILLUMINATION OF THE BRAKE INDICATOR LAMP.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE FRONT BRAKE LINES FOR SIGNS OF WEAR AND ROUTING. IF THE LINES ARE NOT CORRECTLY CENTERED IN THE PASS-THROUGH HOLE, THE LINES WILL BE REPOSITIONED BY BENDING SLIGHTLY TO CORRECT. IF THERE IS EVIDENCE OF BRAKE LINE WEAR, THE BRAKE LINE WILL BE REPLACED.

98V205000 · Unknown Or Other

Sep 2, 1998

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ACCESSORY CARGO MATS IN THE THIRD-SEAT AND CARGO AREA. THIS CARGO MAT INTERFERES WITH THE LATCHING INTEGRITY OF THE FOLDING THIRD SEATS.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, AN OCCUPANT OF THE THIRD SEAT MAY NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED AND COULD BE EJECTED FROM THE VEHICLE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE THIRD-SEAT LATCH AND STRIKER. A RECTANGLE WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE CARGO MAT AROUND EACH STRIKER TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE STRIKER CLEARANCE AND PROPER LATCHING.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.