AI Damage2001 Mitsubishi Montero: common problems
Owners of the 2001 Mitsubishi Montero filed 166 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 166
- involving a crash
- 15
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 45% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 13% of all complaints
- 3 Engine and cooling 13% of all complaints
- 4 Air bags 8% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 8% of all complaints
- 6 Suspension 7% of all complaints
- 7 Steering 5% of all complaints
- 8 Visibility 4% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 74 complaints (45% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 22 complaints (13% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 21 complaints (13% of all).
- Air bags: 14 complaints (8% of all), 9 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 13 complaints (8% of all).
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
- automatic, 5-speed
Drive: AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 166 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 | 74 | 2 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 14 | 9 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 8 | 2 | 0 |
| Visibility | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion 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.
The brakes failed and the contact crashed into the vehicle. The abs warning light illuminated immediately after impact. The police were not contacted. There were no injuries associated with the crash. The vehicle was not inspected by a dealer or an independent mechanic.
The steering box shaft completely snapped apart, steering was lost and had to drift into a guardrail to stop vehicle. I contacted the dealership and was told part was 2100 dollars for steering. If the vehicle was not going less than 15 mph the results would have been a diaster.
Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle was involved in a front-end collision while driving at 70mph and the air bags did not deploy. The contact suffered minor bruising in the collision, and a police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to a private repair shop, where the mechanic was unable to determine the problem.
I was cited for "failure to yield, but contested that my brakes failed at the point of avoiding the car in front of me. I had the vehicle checked several times and no one knew what was wrong with the vehicle?
While driving at 45 mph in the rain a deer ran in front of consumer's vehicle. Consumer swerved to avoid the deer and went into a ditch. Front of the vehicle struck a metal pole in a driveway and flipped over several times. Seat belts were worn at the time of the collision, but air bags did not deploy.
Upon impact, air bags failed to deploy. Driver lost control of vehicle, it skidded into a guard rail, and flipped over before rolling down a hill. No injuries were reported. Vehicle was totaled by the insurance company.
Right side of car suddenly dropped when making a left turn from a stop light. Driver lost control of car running into right side curb no injuries. After collision the wheel was at an angle and joint at the right upper control arm was loose at the hub.
Windshield wipers stopped working on snow, causing an accident. Also, engine revving noise coming.
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 2,417 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 7% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Montero has 36 complaints (22 years in the data). This year has 166, above average.
What to check before buying
- 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.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
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 200051 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 2001 Mitsubishi Montero?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, electrical system, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 166. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (9%), brake failure (8%), vibration (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2001 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 2001 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 2001 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.