AI Damage2003 Mitsubishi Montero: common problems
Owners of the 2003 Mitsubishi Montero filed 39 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 39
- involving a crash
- 4
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 28% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 15% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel system 13% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 10% of all complaints
- 5 Air bags 8% of all complaints
- 6 Engine and cooling 8% of all complaints
- 7 Suspension 8% of all complaints
- 8 Seat belts 5% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 11 complaints (28% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 6 complaints (15% of all).
- Fuel system: 5 complaints (13% of all).
- Electrical system: 4 complaints (10% of all).
- Air bags: 3 complaints (8% of all), 2 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.
- 3.8 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- automatic, 5-speed
Drive: RWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 39 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 | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Tires | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 0 | 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.
When I hit the brakes it sounded and felt like the brakes were grinding or even a crunching sound. When driving in dry conditions the brakes appear to work very well but in wet or snow conditions it does not handle at all. Since then the front brakes was again replaced in nov 2008.
I was operating a 2003 mitsubishi montero when I rear ended a mercury mountaineer and projected it into 2 other vehicles...... Heavy damage to the front end of my montero, however, my driver side air bag did not go off. I was projected into the steering column and then my head went through the windshield.
The air bags did not deploy in the accident. The air bag warning light was not illuminated prior to the crash. There were three occupants in the vehicle all of which were wearing seat belts. The contact was six months pregnant and received injuries during the accident. The police were alerted and a report was filed.
Also, drivers side seat belt did not retract, and the back seat on passenger's side won't fold forward. Had back seat repaired once.
The contact stated that the check engine warning light remained illuminated when the vehicle was purchased from the dealer. The contact stated that the vehicle had a strong hesitation as the failure progressed.
The technician put the vehicle on the lift and diagnosed that the entire sub frame was severely corroded. The technician stated that the repairs would have been more than what the vehicle was worth. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 162,000.
The horn goes off by itself the pads where stuck and it cost $1000 to repair since it needs to remove the steering airbag,this should be on a recall.this has a lot of problems who has same model on mitsubishi forums found here…
The contact also stated that the abs warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 93,000.
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 6,011 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 16% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Montero has 36 complaints (22 years in the data). This year has 39, about average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
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 2001166 sources
- Montero 2002111 sources
- Montero 20045 sources
- Montero 20064 sources
- Montero 99993 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Mitsubishi Montero?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, powertrain, fuel system. Total complaints: 39. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (13%), seat belts (8%), brake failure (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2003 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 2003 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 2003 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.