What breaks most · 1997 to 2009 model years
Mitsubishi Montero Sport problems by year
Owners have filed 341 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Mitsubishi Montero Sport across model years 1997 to 2009. Three years stand out: 2000 for brakes (hydraulic) complaints, 2001 for brakes (hydraulic) complaints and 2002 for air bags complaints. The quietest years are 1997, 2003 and 1999.
- Years to check closely: 2000, 2001, 2002
- Fewest complaints: 1997, 2003, 1999
- Complaints on file
- 3411997 to 2009, all trims
- Worst year
- 200096 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 5712 fires · 48 injuries · 3 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 100kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 8Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | 2 | 1 | Engine and cooling (14) | |
| 34 | 5 | 1 | Engine and cooling (14) | |
| 33 | 4 | 3 | Engine and cooling (6) | |
| 96 | 16 | 1 | Brakes (hydraulic) (15) | |
| 60 | 8 | 1 | Brakes (hydraulic) (14) | |
| 52 | 14 | 0 | Air bags (11) | |
| 31 | 6 | 0 | Engine (5) | |
| 5 | 1 | 1 | Fuel system (2) | |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | Air bags (1) |
What fails on the 2000 Mitsubishi Montero Sport
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 16% |
15 | 3 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 2000 Mitsubishi Montero Sport |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 16% |
15 | 0 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2000 Mitsubishi Montero Sport |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 15% |
14 | 0 | Shop suspension parts for the 2000 Mitsubishi Montero Sport |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 15% |
14 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 10% |
10 | 0 | Shop steering parts for the 2000 Mitsubishi Montero Sport |
| Air bags | 9% |
9 | 9 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 8% |
8 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2000 Mitsubishi Montero Sport |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 6% |
6 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2000 Mitsubishi Montero Sport |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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Consumer stated that when trying to apply the brakes the brake pedal would go to the floor causing the vehicle to have extended stopping distance and a vehicle accident. Problem was due to the brake vacuum hoes. Dealer notified ts
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Dt*: the contact stated while driving at various speeds, while applying brake pressure the brake pedal and the steering column vibrate and the brake light illuminated. Although the dealer was alerted no appointment for inspection was made.
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+brake pads must be changed because of premature wear. Mileage: 17,000.if the truck is stopped, and you press the accelerator, you feel like it would stall, but it keeps going.*ak
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Mitsubishi Montero Sport years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2000, 2001, 2002 carry the most filings on the Mitsubishi Montero Sport. The 2000 alone has 96 complaints, led by brakes (hydraulic).
What is the most common Mitsubishi Montero Sport problem?
On the 2000 model year, the most-reported component is brakes (hydraulic) with 15 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Mitsubishi Montero Sport problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Mitsubishi Montero Sport complaints that include mileage is about 100,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.