AI Damage2003 Mitsubishi Montero Sport: common problems
Owners of the 2003 Mitsubishi Montero Sport filed 31 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 31
- involving a crash
- 6
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 16% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 16% of all complaints
- 3 Engine 16% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 16% of all complaints
- 5 Engine and cooling 13% of all complaints
- 6 Service brakes 13% of all complaints
- 7 Fuel/propulsion system 10% of all complaints
- 8 Suspension 10% of all complaints
- Air bags: 5 complaints (16% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 5 complaints (16% of all).
- Engine: 5 complaints (16% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 5 complaints (16% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 4 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
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 cylnamed in 1 complaints
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: RWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 31 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 | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 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 airbags failed to deploy. The driver sustained unknown injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 240,000.
I rear-ended an suv going about 30-35 mph and my airbags failed to deploy and my seatbelt failed to catch, throwing my upper body forward into the steering wheel. The police at the scene of the accident said they could not believe my airbags did not deploy with the amount of damage to the front end of my vehicle.
During this time the frontal airbags failed to deploy. Moderate head injuries were sustained by the driver. There was a police report filed. The insurance company determined the vehicle was a total loss, but has not investigated the reason for the airbag failure.
Vehicle was idling in a restaurant drive thru lane. Without warning, the engine suddenly accelerated causing consumer to rear-end the vehicle in front.
"takata recall" when a oil leek accor in due time it automatically drips directly on one of the spark plugs.also the emissions control system doesn't function a reading electronic diagnostic when finding issue
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mitsubishi montero sport. While parked, there was a strong fuel odor coming from the vehicle. In addition, fuel was leaking from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 04v319000 (fuel system, propulsion system).
Pin in the harmonic balancer broke causing vehicle to sling a/c belt and drive belt causing harmonic balancer to seize up. Pin was replaced. Months later the check engine light began to come on showing a code of misfire. As well as harmonic balancer coming loose...**5/5/15**.....
The contact stated that while driving various speeds, the engine made a knocking sound. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 150,000.
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 6,740 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 18% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Montero Sport has 35 complaints (10 years in the data). This year has 31, about average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Mitsubishi Montero Sport?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, electrical system, engine. Total complaints: 31. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbags did not deploy (10%), jerking, harsh shifts (10%), warning lights, check engine (10%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2003 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 2003 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 2003 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.