AI Damage2002 Mitsubishi Montero Sport: common problems
Owners of the 2002 Mitsubishi Montero Sport filed 54 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 54
- involving a crash
- 14
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 20% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 19% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 13% of all complaints
- 4 Engine and cooling 11% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 9% of all complaints
- 6 Structure 9% of all complaints
- 7 Steering 6% of all complaints
- 8 Visibility 6% of all complaints
- Air bags: 11 complaints (20% of all), 9 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 10 complaints (19% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 7 complaints (13% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 6 complaints (11% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 5 complaints (9% 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 cyl
- 3.5 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: RWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 54 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 11 | 9 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 10 | 2 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 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 rear view mirror changes automatically to night vision you can not change it back. It very difficult to see cars behind you with the way it changes and how close they are to you. My daughter backed into someone because she could not tell they were behind her. I have had problems with this also.
The front passenger air bag partially deployed but the driver side front air bag did not deploy at all. The contact sustained multiple injuries. A police report was filed. The current and failure mileages were 122,785.
I was in an auto accident and hit a car in it's side. I was going approximately 30 mph. The vehicle also rolled on it's left side after impact. I was the only front passenger. My airbag never deployed. My head ended up hitting the steering wheel.
The front air bags failed to deploy. The seat belt did not retract and she lunged forward into the steering wheel. His wife sustained minor injuries to her arm, face, and chest. The vehicle sustained major front end damage. The dealer has not been notified. A police report was filed.
At only 15 miles per hour, our mitsubishi montero sport rolled over and the car was totalled.
I checked and there's several recalls on the vehicle and I purchase it last year from the dealership and I never received anything about the recalls and now my vehicle doesn't want to start it lock me out.
I had no steering, Lost power to vehicle and battery light came on. Wasnt sure what happened, looked under the hood and noticed belts were off. Went and got new ones and noticed when trying to put the mew belts on the bolt on the crankshaft pulley was loose and the pin was broken making that pulley loose.I was lucky…
The hood flew up when safety latch failed to hold it,, plus brake line troubles as well as gas tank fill pipe all rusted out,, hood was on highway at about 30mph an wrapped arround windshield,,
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 5,128 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 14% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Montero Sport has 35 complaints (10 years in the data). This year has 54, above average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- 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.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Mitsubishi Montero Sport?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, service brakes, electrical system. Total complaints: 54. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbags did not deploy (11%), seat belts (6%), stalls while driving (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2002 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 2002 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 2002 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.