IllustrationDEFECTIVE BRAKE LIGHT COMES ON AND STAYS ON. UPON STARTING VEHICLE BRAKE LIGHTS AUTOMATICALLY COME ON. DEALER CONTACTED TWO TIMES, AND CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK
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 reportsBRAKES/EXHAUST/CRANCASE EMISSION CONTROL DEVICES AND CUP HOLDER FAILED.
ACCELERATOR FAILARE/BRAKE FAILARE.
ABS BRAKE PROBLEMS; DURING NORMAL BRAKING, NO INCLEMENT WEATHER, WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED THE TRUCK WOULD PULSATE VERY BADLY. THE FRONT ROTORS WERE RESURFACED ON DECEMBER 31, 1997 AT 4462 MILES. AT 7600 MILES ON MAR 10, 1997, BOTH ROTORS WERE REPLACED BECAUSE OF WARPING. ROTORS ARE BEING REPLACED EVERY 3 THOUSAND MILES. TH…
Read full complaint
ABS BRAKE PROBLEMS; DURING NORMAL BRAKING, NO INCLEMENT WEATHER, WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED THE TRUCK WOULD PULSATE VERY BADLY. THE FRONT ROTORS WERE RESURFACED ON DECEMBER 31, 1997 AT 4462 MILES. AT 7600 MILES ON MAR 10, 1997, BOTH ROTORS WERE REPLACED BECAUSE OF WARPING. ROTORS ARE BEING REPLACED EVERY 3 THOUSAND MILES. THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK
NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG DURING VEHICLE COLLISION.
WHEN SHIFTING FROM REVERSE INTO DRIVE VEHICLE STALLS.
WINDSHIELD WHISTLES VERY LOUD
LEFT FRONT BRAKE LINES ARE TOO CLOSE TO AIR CONDITIONER LINES. FRICTION CAUSED BRAKES LINE HOSE TO HAVE HOLE IN IT & LEAKED FLUID. WAS APPLYING BRAKES & VEHICLE DID NOT STOP QUICKLY. HAD IT REPAIRED. TOOK TO DEALER & WAS REIMBURSED. *AK
DRIVIING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH IN CENTER LANE, HIT SIDE OF ANOTHER VEHICLE HEAD ON, BOTH FENDERS AND ENTIRE FRONT WAS HIT. CONSUMER ALMOST HIT WINDSHIELD. DRIVER'S AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. HAD SEAT BELT ON. AROUND $4500 WORTH DAMAGE ON FRONT ALONE .THIS DEFECT CAN RESULT IN INJURIES IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. *AK
AIR CONDITIONING QUIT WORKING WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. *AK
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.