IllustrationFAILURE CAUSED ERRATIC OPERATION OF POWER DOOR LOCKS, ALARM AND ALL OTHER ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS. OF SPECIAL CONCERN WAS THE RAPID FAILURE OF DOOR LOCKING COMPONENTS.
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
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
What owners actually said
63 reportsWHILE DRIVING ABOUT 35 MPH HIT AN ELK, AND AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
VEHICLE WAS IN 40 MPH CAR COLLISION, CRASHED INTO A TREE, AND ROOF COLLAPSED. ONTO CONSUMER'S HUSBAND. HAS NOT CONTACTED DEALER YET. *AK
REAR AXLE LEAF SPRING BROKE. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED.*AK
BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO FLOOR. REGULAR BRAKES WOULD FAIL TO WORK WHENEVER PEDAL IS DEPRESSED. TOOK TO MECHANIC, AND HAD MASTER CYLINDER REPLACED, AND BRAKES BLED. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK
ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ILLUMINATED AND NEVER GOES OFF, ON ONE OCCASION WHEN THE BATTERY WAS FAILED, THE LIGHT WENT OFF. *SLC
THIS CAR WAS IN A MAJOR ACCIDENT & SOLD TO ME WITHOUT A MV-103 FORM OR TITLE STATING THAT THIS A REBUILT SALVAGE. NO SAFTCY DEFECT MENTIONE DIN SUMMARY. *AK
DESIGN OF THE CUP HOLDER DOES NOT HOLD A CUP PROPERLY. THIS ALLOWS THE CUP TO FALL OVER WHICH DISTRACTS THE DRIVER. ALSO, CAUSES LIQUID TO SPILL ALL OVER THE DASH, WHICH CAUSES ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
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
I'VE HAD SAME PROBLEMS WITH MY BRAKES TWICE NOW. MY BRAKES PULSATE AT HIGHER SPEEDS. I'VE HAD MY ROTORS RESURFACED TWICE.(1) AT 34,000 MILES & (2) AT 58840. THE WARRANTY THE DEALER SHIP GIVES ME IS 3 MONTH OR 3000 MILES FOR PULSATING, EVEN IF I WERE TO BUY NEW ROTORS. I' VE HAD TO RECENTLY REPLACE MY RIGHT BACK SHOE BECAUSE IT W…
Read full complaint
I'VE HAD SAME PROBLEMS WITH MY BRAKES TWICE NOW. MY BRAKES PULSATE AT HIGHER SPEEDS. I'VE HAD MY ROTORS RESURFACED TWICE.(1) AT 34,000 MILES & (2) AT 58840. THE WARRANTY THE DEALER SHIP GIVES ME IS 3 MONTH OR 3000 MILES FOR PULSATING, EVEN IF I WERE TO BUY NEW ROTORS. I' VE HAD TO RECENTLY REPLACE MY RIGHT BACK SHOE BECAUSE IT WAS RUBBUING METAL ON METAL BUT MY LEFT SIDE WAS PERFECTLY FINE. THEY COULD'NT GIVE ME AN EXPLANATION WHY. I'M TIRED OF PAYING $ 500 FOR THE SAME PROBLEM YEAR AFTER YEAR. MY ANTENNA WAS REPLACED BECAUSE IT BROKE OFF, SO I HAD THE DEALER PUT A NEW ONE IN A YEAR AGO AND NOW THE ANTENNA DOESN'T GO DOWN. MY MOONROOFS COVER (INTERIOR ) POPPED OFF WHILE DRIVING. I SOMEHOW MANAGED TO PUT IT BACK IN. THESE ARE THE COUPLE OF PROBLEMS I'VE ENCOUNTERED. I ESPECIALLY DON'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS TRUCK WHEN IT STARTS TO PULSATE. I HAVE A 4 MONTH OLD BABY & I'M ALWAYS AFRAID SOMETHING IS GOING TO GO WRONG.
Official recalls
298V220000 · 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.