AI Damage1997 Mitsubishi Montero: common problems
Owners of the 1997 Mitsubishi Montero filed 63 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 63
- involving a crash
- 6
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 27% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 22% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 13% of all complaints
- 4 Suspension 10% of all complaints
- 5 Air bags 8% of all complaints
- 6 Equipment 8% of all complaints
- 7 Powertrain 6% of all complaints
- 8 Structure 6% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 17 complaints (27% of all).
- Service brakes: 14 complaints (22% of all).
- Electrical system: 8 complaints (13% of all).
- Suspension: 6 complaints (10% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 5 complaints (8% of all), 4 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
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| Equipment | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Backover prevention | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Child seat | 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.
They did nothing to fix, just reset check engine light. 3 weeks later car was in a rollover accident. Driver steered slightly to avoid collision with another vehicle that was making an illegal lane change and montero went out of control. Neither steering nor braking could stop or affect what was happening.
While driving about 35 mph hit an elk, and air bags did not deploy.
Vehicle was in 40 mph car collision, crashed into a tree, and roof collapsed. Onto consumer's husband. Has not contacted dealer yet.
Driver's air bag failed to deploy. Had seat belt on. Around $4500 worth damage on front alone .this defect can result in injuries in case of an accident.
Dual airbags did not deploy during front end crash, vehicle broadsided another moving vehicle, according to auto repair shop, sensors were not hit, front bumpers totally damaged.
After calling mitsubishi, the fire department came since it was still smoldering and disconnected the battery. They believed it to be an electrical short. After many follow-up calls to mitsubishi, they believe it was caused by wear and tear since the car was 17 years old.
Dash lights come on and vehicle power steering stops working as the pump is not turning because the problem affect the entire pulley system. It also affects the timing gear/belt/harmonic balancer. This is the 3rd time in as many years this has happened.
I was in the driver's seat when a fire broke out and the flames caused me severe burns to my body. I was nearly asphyxiated. The car was a total loss.
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 has 36 complaints (22 years in the data). This year has 63, above average.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- 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.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Other years of this model
- Montero 19864 sources
- Montero 19873 sources
- Montero 198910 sources
- Montero 199023 sources
- Montero 199118 sources
- Montero 199212 sources
- Montero 199314 sources
- Montero 199431 sources
- Montero 199586 sources
- Montero 199627 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 1997 Mitsubishi Montero?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, service brakes, electrical system. Total complaints: 63. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: steering or power steering problems (10%), vibration (8%), won't start (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1997 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 1997 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 1997 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.