IllustrationDESPITE REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO BALANCE THESE TIRES - THEY CONSISTENTLY RETURN TO THEIR ORIGINAL STATE AND CAUSE VIBRATION AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 265-70-15 )
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 reportsWHEN DRIVING WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY STEERING COLUMN AND VEHICLE SEVRELY VIBRATE WHICH COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
FRONT AND REAR BRAKE ROTORS ARE PREMATURELY WARPING DUE TO EXCESSIVE HEA., DEALER CANNOT IDENTIFY WHY OVERHEATING OCCURS. ALSO, WHEN APPLYING BRAKES, BRAKE LINES LEAKED FLUID, CAUSING VEHICLE TO VIBRATE AND FADE, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE PRIOR TO/AFTER RECALL REPAIRS. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
I READ IN NOV. IMPORT SERVICE MAGAZINE THAT THE REAR BRAKE HOSE WILL FAIL IF THE VEHICLE IS LIFTED BY THE FRAME. IF THIS IS CORRECT WON'T THE BRAKE HOSE FAIL WHEN THE REAR WHEEL DROP INTO A HOLE IN THE ROAD? I DO NOT OWN SUCH A VEHICLE BUT AM CONCERNED IF THERE REPORT WAS CORRECT THAT THIS WILL BE A PROBLEM. THEY REPORTED THAT T…
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I READ IN NOV. IMPORT SERVICE MAGAZINE THAT THE REAR BRAKE HOSE WILL FAIL IF THE VEHICLE IS LIFTED BY THE FRAME. IF THIS IS CORRECT WON'T THE BRAKE HOSE FAIL WHEN THE REAR WHEEL DROP INTO A HOLE IN THE ROAD? I DO NOT OWN SUCH A VEHICLE BUT AM CONCERNED IF THERE REPORT WAS CORRECT THAT THIS WILL BE A PROBLEM. THEY REPORTED THAT THE REAR BRAKE HOSE WAS TOO SHORT AND THE REAR AXLE WILL NEED TO BE TIED UP BEFORE THE TRUCK IS LIFTED BY THE FRAME. PAGE 19 IN TECH. TIPS SECTION.
MANUFACTURER'S RECALL SR-98-005; VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR REPAIR WORK ON BRAKES, DEALER FOUND PROBLEM IN THE BRAKE MOTOR, AND WANTS CONSUMER TO PAY $570 FOR ADDITIONAL REPAIRS BEFORE THE RECALL PROBLEM CAN BE REMEDIED. *AK
INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING IN WET CONDITIONS, THE ABS BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THE WHEELS TO LOCK UP, AND ALMOST RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS. *AK
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…
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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.
THE CONSUMER HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH ANTI-LOCK BRAKES. VEHICLE SKIDS DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. IN ADDITION TO THAT, THERE IS A LOUD NOISE.*AK
CHILD SAFETY SEAT WITH THE SEAT BELT EXTENDED IN PROPER LOCKING MODE THE CSS STILL MOVES AROUND ON BOTH SIDES. GIVES MORE THAN 2 INCHES, WHICH DOES NOT MEET THE FMVSS OF INSTALLING A CHILDSEAT, (EVENFLO REGULAR ULTRIA), CONSUMER HAS TRIED THREE DIFFERENT CSS IN VEHICLE AND NOTHING IS COMPATIBLE. *AK
WINDOW SEAL MALFUNCTIONED.
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.