AI Damage1989 Mitsubishi Montero: common problems
Owners of the 1989 Mitsubishi Montero filed 10 complaints with NHTSA, most often about seat belts and steering. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 10
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Seat belts 20% of all complaints
- 2 Steering 20% of all complaints
- 3 Air bags 10% of all complaints
- 4 Engine and cooling 10% of all complaints
- 5 Suspension 10% of all complaints
- 6 Tires 10% of all complaints
- 7 Vehicle speed control 10% of all complaints
- Seat belts: 2 complaints (20% of all).
- Steering: 2 complaints (20% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 1 complaints (10% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (10% of all).
- Suspension: 1 complaints (10% 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.
- 2.6 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- 3 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 10 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seat belts | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 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.
Vehicle not designed to turn corners as other 2 wheel drive vehicles, causing loss of control/accident.
The horn was inoperative. The consumer had to disconnect the horn connector to stop the horn from operating. The dealer was notified. The dealer informed the consumer that problem was not covered under a recall.
First tire blowout just after leaving paring lot at work. Second tire blowout while driving to work. Third tire replaced in parking lot at work when it started to vibrate and showed damage indicating a ply separation was imminent. Fourth tire blew out at 65 mph on interstate 10 near benson, az, without any warning.
Plastic press release button broke off making seat belt buckle inoperable. Owner has broken part. Tt
Driver side seat belt buckle model #524 does not latch most of the time. Tt
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 10,921 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 30% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Montero has 36 complaints (22 years in the data). This year has 10, below average.
What to check before buying
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- 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.
Other years of this model
- Montero 19864 sources
- Montero 19873 sources
- Montero 199023 sources
- Montero 199118 sources
- Montero 199212 sources
- Montero 199314 sources
- Montero 199431 sources
- Montero 199586 sources
- Montero 199627 sources
- Montero 199763 sources
- Montero 199874 sources
- Montero 199940 sources
- Montero 200051 sources
- Montero 2001166 sources
- Montero 2002111 sources
- Montero 200339 sources
- Montero 20045 sources
- Montero 20064 sources
- Montero 99993 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1989 Mitsubishi Montero?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: seat belts, steering, air bags. Total complaints: 10. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (20%), tires: bulges, blowouts (10%), vibration (10%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1989 Mitsubishi Montero?
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 1989 Mitsubishi Montero 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 1989 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.