IllustrationWHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH LEFT FRONT WHEEL WOULD LOCK. HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP. MECHANIC INDICATED THAT ROTORS/PADS P AND CALIPERS NEEDED REPLACING. HAD PADS/CALIPERS AND ROTOR REPLACED, BUT PROBLEM STILL OCCURRED.*AK
1998 Mitsubishi Montero Sport
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1998 Mitsubishi Montero Sport do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 33.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Montero Sport 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: 16 of 35 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 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
5 crash reports1 fire reports3 injury reports
Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints
2 reportsTHERE HAS NOT YET ACTUALLY BEEN A FAILURE, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS RECALLED TWO YEARS AGO (5 MONTHS AFTER WE BOUGHT IT) FOR THE PROBLEM. WE NEVER RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF THE RECALL AND ONLY FOUND OUT ABOUT IT TWO DAYS AGO FROM THE MSN WEB SITE. I AM IN THE AIR FORCE AND WAS SENT TO ITALY 3 MONTHS AGO. LAST NIGHT WE CALLED MITSUB…
Read full complaint
THERE HAS NOT YET ACTUALLY BEEN A FAILURE, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS RECALLED TWO YEARS AGO (5 MONTHS AFTER WE BOUGHT IT) FOR THE PROBLEM. WE NEVER RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF THE RECALL AND ONLY FOUND OUT ABOUT IT TWO DAYS AGO FROM THE MSN WEB SITE. I AM IN THE AIR FORCE AND WAS SENT TO ITALY 3 MONTHS AGO. LAST NIGHT WE CALLED MITSUBISHI AND THEY SAID IT IS UP TO US TO HAVE THE CAR INSPECTED AND OF COURSE, PAY FOR IT OURSELVES. I DISAGREE; THE POTENTIAL DEFECT IS NOT OUR RESPONSIBILITY, NOR IS THE FACT THAT WE WERE NOT INFORMED OF THE RECALL. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT MITSUBISHI HAS AN INCORRECT ADDRESS FOR US AS THE HOUSE NUMBER HAD ONE WRONG NUMBER IN IT. IF SO, THAT'S THE WAY IT WAS REPORTED BY THE DEALERSHIP, AS THE DEALERSHIP HAS THE CORRECT ADDRESS; WE HAVE RECEIVED MAILINGS FROM THEM. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN AND MITSUBISHI SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND HELP US GET OUR CAR INSPECTED WITHOUT COST TO US. THERE IS A MITUBISHI DEALERSHIP IN A TOWN VERY CLOSE TO US (WE ARE STATIONED IN AVIANO). I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE YOUR HELP IN THIS MATTER AS WE ARE CURRENTLY AT A LOSS. THANK YOU. CAPT. EDWARD CABALLERO. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK
Official recalls
100V311001 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine
Oct 2, 2000
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES: MIRAGE MODEL VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 1.5L ENGINES; MONTERO SPORT MODELS EQUIPPED WITH 3.0L ENGINES; AND MONTERO MODELS EQUIPPED WITH 3.0L ENGINES. THE BOLT SECURING THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY CAN BECOME LOOSE AND THE PULLEY COULD FALL OFF THE VEHICLE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE CONDITION CAN RESULT IN A LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: ON THE MIRAGE VEHICLES, THE DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW, IMPROVED CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BOLT ON THE OLDER ENGINES. ON NEW ENGINES WHICH ALREADY HAVE THE IMPROVED BOLT, THE DEALER WILL TIGHTEN THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BOLT TO THE CORRECT TORQUE SPECIFICATION. ON THE MONTERO MODELS, DEALERS WILL TIGHTEN THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BOLT TO THE CORRECT TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS. IF THE BOLT IS DAMAGED, IT WILL BE REPLACED.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.