AI Damage2001 Mitsubishi Montero Sport: common problems
Owners of the 2001 Mitsubishi Montero Sport filed 63 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 63
- involving a crash
- 8
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 27% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 17% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 13% of all complaints
- 4 Air bags 11% of all complaints
- 5 Engine and cooling 10% of all complaints
- 6 Steering 10% of all complaints
- 7 Fuel system 5% of all complaints
- 8 Suspension 5% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 17 complaints (27% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 11 complaints (17% of all).
- Powertrain: 8 complaints (13% of all).
- Air bags: 7 complaints (11% of all), 6 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 6 complaints (10% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3 L · petrol · 6 cylnamed in 1 complaints
- 3.5 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: RWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 63 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 17 | 3 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 7 | 6 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 2 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The consumer was wearing his seat belt but the air bags did not deploy. The consumer suffered severe head trauma and other injuries. A police did arrive on the seen and a report was made.
Another vehicle made a left hand turn out of a parking lot onto the street in front of me. I had no time to brake. Hit the other vehicle at 45 mhp with entire front end of montero sport. Entire front end of montero sport smashed in, engine died, had to be towed.
While driving 55mph consumer rearended a parked vehicle, and airbags did not deploy. Frontal impact dealer contacted. There was one injury.
Brake lines completely rusted through and I lost all brakes while heading to work, thankfully I was able to pull the emergency brake to slow down and I coasted through a red light blowing my horn so I was not hit.
I had my vehicle towed home and had a mechanic inspect it and he found the steel gas lines were completely rusted thru on the pressure side and the return line as well upon further inspection he found severe frame rot and said it won't pass inspection when it comes due next time.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mitsubishi montero sport. The contact heard a squeaking noise coming from the steering pump pulley when the vehicle was started. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
After inspection of the entire frame the driver side is unaffected which leads me to believe it is poor metal/frame from the factory,no anty corrosion was apply to the metal frame from mitsubishi factory.[xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
While driving on the highway. I lost control of vehicle and proceeded to drive onto shoulder. After quickly checking tires, etc. I noticed the frame had ripped in half. The driver side frame was completely rotted for 4-5 feet. From the front door to the rear wheel well.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 4,699 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 13% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Montero Sport has 35 complaints (10 years in the data). This year has 63, above average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Mitsubishi Montero Sport?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, electrical system, powertrain. Total complaints: 63. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: knocking, grinding or other noise (11%), rust, corrosion (8%), vibration (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2001 Mitsubishi Montero Sport?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2001 Mitsubishi Montero Sport from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2001 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.