Mitsubishi Montero Reliability by Year
Based on 2M+ real complaints filed with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
989 NHTSA complaints (1986–2006).Complaint rate: 3789.3 per 1,000 vehicles.
Should I buy a Mitsubishi Montero?
Quick answer from 989 NHTSA complaints · 1986–2006
Mitsubishi Montero reliability depends heavily on the model year. Several years show complaint spikes well above the model's own average, while others are meaningfully cleaner. The most commonly reported issue across all years is engine and engine cooling:engine. Pick the right year and this Montero can be a reasonable used buy; pick the wrong one and you're inheriting known problems.
- 2001 Mitsubishi Montero· 213 complaints
- 2002 Mitsubishi Montero· 132 complaints
Keep scrolling for year-by-year complaint trends, recall campaigns, and component breakdowns — or click any year above for a full report.
Why these years are worse
The most common issues driving the complaint spikes:
- engine and engine cooling:engine — 71 complaints (0.0% involved a crash)
- hydraulic brakes — 48 complaints (2.1% involved a crash)
- brakes — 47 complaints (6.4% involved a crash)
- service brakes, hydraulic:power assist:vacuum — 40 complaints (2.5% involved a crash)
- service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip — 37 complaints (13.5% involved a crash)
Which Years to Buy & Avoid
Years auto-clustered by complaint volume relative to this model's median.
Rankings based on raw NHTSA complaint counts. Sales volume data not yet available for this model.
Bottom line: Avoid the 2000–2003 Mitsubishi Montero. The 2006 models had significantly fewer reported issues. Most common issue across all years: Engine And Engine Cooling:engine.
Avoid These Years
Average
Better Years
A model's reputation is just the start.
Even within the “good” years, individual cars can have hidden accidents, title issues, or odometer rollbacks. Check the actual VIN before you buy — full history report for $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
Complaints by Model Year
NHTSA complaint count per model year
Common Mitsubishi Montero Problems
Most reported component complaints to NHTSA. Bar length = volume; color = crash-involvement rate.
Show full table
| Component | Complaints | Crash % |
|---|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 71 | 0.0% |
| Hydraulic Brakes | 48 | 2.1% |
| Brakes | 47 | 6.4% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Power Assist:Vacuum | 40 | 2.5% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | 37 | 13.5% |
| Electrical Faults | 32 | 0.0% |
| Airbags | 30 | 40.0% |
| Suspension:Front | 28 | 17.9% |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline | 27 | 3.7% |
| Engine & Cooling | 26 | 0.0% |
When Each Problem Spiked
Year × component heatmap. Darker cells = more complaints that year. Reveals which model years a specific defect concentrated in — useful for spotting redesign-cycle quality dips.
Year-by-Year Breakdown
NHTSA complaint count per model year — click any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
| Year | Generation | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986NO DATA | — | 8 | 0 | — | View → |
| 1987NO DATA | — | 4 | 1 | — | View → |
| 1989NO DATA | — | 10 | 2 | — | View → |
| 1990NO DATA | — | 25 | 2 | 2 | View → |
| 1991NO DATA | — | 22 | 0 | 2 | View → |
| 1992NO DATA | — | 18 | 2 | — | View → |
| 1993NO DATA | — | 17 | 0 | — | View → |
| 1994NO DATA | — | 35 | 3 | — | View → |
| 1995AVOID | — | 106 | 8 | — | View → |
| 1996 | — | 40 | 0 | — | View → |
| 1997AVOID | — | 85 | 7 | 6 | View → |
| 1998AVOID | — | 91 | 13 | — | View → |
| 1999 | — | 47 | 4 | 3 | View → |
| 2000 | — | 68 | 8 | 1 | View → |
| 2001AVOID | — | 213 | 16 | 2 | View → |
| 2002AVOID | — | 132 | 11 | 1 | View → |
| 2003 | — | 53 | 6 | 1 | View → |
| 2004NO DATA | — | 7 | 0 | — | View → |
| 2006NO DATA | — | 6 | 0 | — | View → |
Year-by-Year Breakdown
Tap any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
Data Sources & Methodology
Complaints: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation consumer complaint database (989 records for this model). Public domain data, updated monthly.
Sales data: Not yet available for this model. Complaint counts are shown as raw numbers.
Rate calculation: Complaints per 10,000 vehicles sold = (complaint count / US annual sales) x 10,000. This normalizes for sales volume so high-volume models like Civic or Camry aren't unfairly penalized.
Year classifications: AVOID = 1.5x+ the model's median complaint count. GOOD = 0.6x or below. Years less than 3 years old are marked TOO NEW (insufficient data).
See also: Mitsubishi Monteroaccident & safety statistics from our vehicle history database.
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