AI Damage2000 Mitsubishi Montero: common problems
Owners of the 2000 Mitsubishi Montero filed 51 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and structure. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 51
- involving a crash
- 8
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 14% of all complaints
- 2 Structure 14% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 12% of all complaints
- 4 Suspension 12% of all complaints
- 5 Air bags 10% of all complaints
- 6 Engine and cooling 10% of all complaints
- 7 Powertrain 10% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel system 6% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 7 complaints (14% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Structure: 7 complaints (14% of all).
- Electrical system: 6 complaints (12% of all).
- Suspension: 6 complaints (12% of all).
- Air bags: 5 complaints (10% 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 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 51 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 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.
In addition, the contact suffered from headaches due to smoke inhalation. A police report was filed. The failure mileage was 180,000.
The vehicle rolled over three times and the air bags did not deploy. The contact sustained severe injuries to both arms. The vehicle was destroyed and a police report was filed. The manufacturer was not contacted. The vin was unavailable. The failure mileage was 100,000.
Hit a deer at 60 mph. Full frontal collision and the airbags did not deploy.
In february, 2000, I had pulled up underneath my home. The car was in park when the motor excelled. I thought something must be wrong with the timing. I turned off the car. I didn't think any more about it until 9-20-2000 when the engine did it again.
Rented vehicle. Speed control locked up at 60mph. Driver swerved, and vehicle rolled over, resulting in injuries. Vehicle was totalled.
I have been driving for 36 years, accident-free, never even coming close to an accident, and then my brand-new mitsu has brake failure under emergency conditions & I have this accident that was not my fault. I do not drive recklessly, nor too close, always defensively & apparently trusting too much in the quality
I got brakes changed on my montero twice in 3 years happen again while driving brake fail pads came out of caliper brakes keeps going bad after 1.5 to two years did calipers change as well same thing calipers will get stuck and pads will come out they have a recall on 1997 1998 models for brakes issue not 1999 and 2000
The contact stated that while driving 40 mph, the vehicle began to shake uncontrollably. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that the frame was fractured and corroded. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 109,000.
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 5,293 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 14% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Montero has 36 complaints (22 years in the data). This year has 51, above average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- 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 199763 sources
- Montero 199874 sources
- Montero 199940 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 2000 Mitsubishi Montero?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, structure, electrical system. Total complaints: 51. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: vibration (10%), airbags did not deploy (6%), smoke, burning smell, fire (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2000 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 2000 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 2000 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.