AI Damage2004 Mitsubishi Montero Sport: common problems
Owners of the 2004 Mitsubishi Montero Sport filed 5 complaints with NHTSA, most often about fuel/propulsion system and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 5
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Fuel/propulsion system 40% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 20% of all complaints
- 3 Engine and cooling 20% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 20% of all complaints
- 5 Seat belts 20% of all complaints
- Fuel/propulsion system: 2 complaints (40% of all).
- Air bags: 1 complaints (20% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (20% of all).
- Powertrain: 1 complaints (20% of all).
- Seat belts: 1 complaints (20% 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.
- 3.5 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: RWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 5 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel/propulsion system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Upon impact, both frontal airbags failed to deploy and the driver's seat belt failed. The seat belt came unlatched while the vehicle rolled over the fence. The seat belt was able to latch after the accident. The contact sustained back and neck injuries along with loss of movement to the hand.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mitsubishi montero sport. The contact detected the odor of fuel in the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure became progressively worse over time. After fully refueling the vehicle, it began to leak fuel at approximatelty four drops per second.
Heat gauge says its running fine but it is really overheating to the boiling point. I am not sure how long it has had this problem as I just bought it 2 weeks ago and have had no use for the heat till now and never drove it far enough till today when I noticed the heat gauge and heard it boiling over with steam coming…
2004 mitsubishi montero sport I purchased the vehicle from drivetime and the service engine light came on immediately. It went off after I turned it off. 2 days later the a/t temp light came on. The 4h light came on and the anti lock brake light came on.
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 14,282 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 39% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Montero Sport has 35 complaints (10 years in the data). This year has 5, below average.
What to check before buying
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- 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 2004 Mitsubishi Montero Sport?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: fuel/propulsion system, air bags, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 5. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbags did not deploy (20%), overheating, coolant loss (20%), seat belts (20%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2004 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 2004 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 2004 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.