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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.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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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

Engine And Engine Cooling complaints

17 reports
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270,000 miles · Apr 16, 2011
Engine And Engine Cooling

1997 MITSUBISH MONTERO 3.5 LITER AUTOMATIC- CRANK SHAFT BOLT HAS COME OUT ON 5 SEPARATE OCCASIONS AND HAS COST OVER $3000 TO HAVE IT REPLACED. THE INSIDE OF THE CRANKSHAFT WHERE THE BOLT GOES IS COMPLETELY STRIPPED TO THE POINT I NOW HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED ISSUE AS THIS APPEARS TO BE AN INHERENT PR…

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1997 MITSUBISH MONTERO 3.5 LITER AUTOMATIC- CRANK SHAFT BOLT HAS COME OUT ON 5 SEPARATE OCCASIONS AND HAS COST OVER $3000 TO HAVE IT REPLACED. THE INSIDE OF THE CRANKSHAFT WHERE THE BOLT GOES IS COMPLETELY STRIPPED TO THE POINT I NOW HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED ISSUE AS THIS APPEARS TO BE AN INHERENT PROBLEM WITH ALL YEARS OF MONTEROS. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THIS AND MITSUBISHI SHOULD COVER THE COST FOR THERE NEGLIGENCE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10396534

Mileage unknown · Feb 26, 2011
Engine And Engine Cooling

CRANKSHAFT PULLEY PIN/BOLT GETS SHEARED OFF. DASH LIGHTS COME ON AND VEHICLE POWER STEERING STOPS WORKING AS THE PUMP IS NOT TURNING BECAUSE THE PROBLEM AFFECT THE ENTIRE PULLEY SYSTEM. IT ALSO AFFECTS THE TIMING GEAR/BELT/HARMONIC BALANCER. THIS IS THE 3RD TIME IN AS MANY YEARS THIS HAS HAPPENED. THIS IS THE 2ND MECHANIC WHO HA…

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CRANKSHAFT PULLEY PIN/BOLT GETS SHEARED OFF. DASH LIGHTS COME ON AND VEHICLE POWER STEERING STOPS WORKING AS THE PUMP IS NOT TURNING BECAUSE THE PROBLEM AFFECT THE ENTIRE PULLEY SYSTEM. IT ALSO AFFECTS THE TIMING GEAR/BELT/HARMONIC BALANCER. THIS IS THE 3RD TIME IN AS MANY YEARS THIS HAS HAPPENED. THIS IS THE 2ND MECHANIC WHO HAS TOLD ME THAT IT'S AN ENGINE DEFECT BECAUSE THE PIN/BOLT IS TOO SHORT. THERE IS NO WARNING BEFORE IT HAPPENS. IT OCCURS UNDER NORMAL CITY DRIVING CONDITIONS AT LOW OR NO SPEED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10384572

156,000 miles · Mar 17, 2010
Engine And Engine Cooling

1997 MITSUBISHI MONTERO CRANKSHAFT PULLEY CAME LOOSE THREE TIMES WHICH CREATED NO POWER STEERING AND NO CHARGING OF THE BATTERY PURCHASED NEW CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BUT DID NOT HELP THE THIRD TIME INSTALLED A LOCK WASHER ON THE BOLT AND RE TORQUED TO SPEC LAST WEEK. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10320369

190,000 miles · Sep 3, 2008
Engine And Engine Cooling

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 MITSUBISHI MONTERO. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CONTACT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN SINCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 190,000.

NHTSA ODI #10240750

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…

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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

92,165 miles · Aug 7, 2006
Engine And Engine Cooling

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY AND BOLT BECAME DISCONNECTED. THIS OCCURRED TWICE.

NHTSA ODI #10164861

Mileage unknown · Jul 14, 2004
Engine And Engine Cooling

WHILE DRIVING A LOUD CLANKING NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE FRONT. ALL ELECTRICAL LIGHTS FLASHED ON THE DASHBOARD. STEERING COLUMN FAILED TO MOVE. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN THE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE MAIN BOLT TO THE PULLEY BELT SHEARED OFF. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10082008

Mileage unknown · Oct 12, 2003
Engine And Engine Cooling

CONSUMER'S VEHICLE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AS STATED IN RECALL 00V311002 . THE DEALER WOULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED. *AK THE CRANKSHAFT BOLT LOOSENED WHICH RESULTED IN A LOST OF POWER STEERING. *TS *PH *NLM

NHTSA ODI #10034181

Mileage unknown · May 28, 2003
Engine And Engine Cooling

WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEED AND WITHOUT WARNING THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF. *TT

NHTSA ODI #10021714

Mileage unknown · Nov 25, 2002
Engine And Engine Cooling

AFTER VEHICLE CRANK SHAFT PULLEY WAS IMPACTED AND DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT IT WAS OKAY. WHILE DRIVING THE CRANK SHAFT PULLEY BROKE. THE DEALERSHIP IS REFUSING TO FIX THE VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE DETAILS TS

NHTSA ODI #8023247

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.