FaultScore

1997 Mitsubishi Montero engine problems

17 of the 85 complaints about the 1997 Mitsubishi Montero are about the engine — 20% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 156,000 miles.

C

17

Complaints

0

Crashes

0

Fires

0

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Engine 5 29.4%
Engine AND Engine Cooling 5 29.4%
Gasoline 4 23.5%
Exhaust System 1 5.9%
Belts AND Associated Pulleys 1 5.9%
FAN 1 5.9%

Engine & Cooling across every Mitsubishi Montero year

1994 14 11.1%
1995 37 29.4%
1996 10 7.9%
1997 17 13.5%
1998 11 8.7%
2001 26 20.6%
2002 11 8.7%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

at 270,000 miles Chester, VA

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

1997 MITSUBISH MONTERO 3.5 LITER AUTOMATIC- CRANK SHAFT BOLT HAS COME OUT ON 5 SEPARATE OCCASIONS AND HAS COST OVER $3000 TO HAVE IT REPLACED. THE INSIDE OF THE CRANKSHAFT WHERE THE BOLT GOES IS COMPLETELY STRIPPED TO THE POINT I NOW HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED ISSUE AS THIS APPEARS TO BE AN INHERENT PROBLEM WITH ALL YEARS OF MONTEROS. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THIS AND MITSUBISHI SHOULD COVER THE COST FOR THERE NEGLIGENCE.

NHTSA complaint #10396534 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Joplin, MO

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

CRANKSHAFT PULLEY PIN/BOLT GETS SHEARED OFF. DASH LIGHTS COME ON AND VEHICLE POWER STEERING STOPS WORKING AS THE PUMP IS NOT TURNING BECAUSE THE PROBLEM AFFECT THE ENTIRE PULLEY SYSTEM. IT ALSO AFFECTS THE TIMING GEAR/BELT/HARMONIC BALANCER. THIS IS THE 3RD TIME IN AS MANY YEARS THIS HAS HAPPENED. THIS IS THE 2ND MECHANIC WHO HAS TOLD ME THAT IT'S AN ENGINE DEFECT BECAUSE THE PIN/BOLT IS TOO SHORT. THERE IS NO WARNING BEFORE IT HAPPENS. IT OCCURS UNDER NORMAL CITY DRIVING CONDITIONS AT LOW OR NO SPEED.

NHTSA complaint #10384572 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 156,000 miles Norfolk, VA

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

1997 MITSUBISHI MONTERO CRANKSHAFT PULLEY CAME LOOSE THREE TIMES WHICH CREATED NO POWER STEERING AND NO CHARGING OF THE BATTERY PURCHASED NEW CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BUT DID NOT HELP THE THIRD TIME INSTALLED A LOCK WASHER ON THE BOLT AND RE TORQUED TO SPEC LAST WEEK.

NHTSA complaint #10320369 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 190,000 miles Panama City, FL

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 MITSUBISHI MONTERO. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CONTACT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN SINCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 190,000.

NHTSA complaint #10240750 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 134,990 miles Lancaster, CA

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

STARTED CAR, NOTICED 3 RANDOM LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THEN POWER STEERING WAS INTERMITTENT. THEN A/C WENT OUT AND WOULD NOT COOL DOWN. THEN POWER STEERING FAILED COMPLETELY. CAR WAS DRIVEN TO REPAIR SHOP NEARBY, SINCE NO LOCAL MITSUBISHI DEALER. MECHANIC FOUND CRANKSHAFT BOLT BROKEN THAT LED TO POWER STEERING AND A/C PULLEY NOT WORKING. INCIDENT LED TO NEAR LOSS OF CONTROL DURING TURNING , AS POWER STEERING WOULD "KICK" IN AT TIMES DURING CORNERING AND LEAD TO OVERSTEER. HAD TO CHANGE CRANKSHAFT BOLT, HARMONIC BALANCER, TIMING BELT GEAR, AND SOMETHING ELSE.

NHTSA complaint #10196657 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 92,165 miles Rockville Centre, NY

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY AND BOLT BECAME DISCONNECTED. THIS OCCURRED TWICE.

NHTSA complaint #10164861 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Fairbanks, AK

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS

WHILE DRIVING A LOUD CLANKING NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE FRONT. ALL ELECTRICAL LIGHTS FLASHED ON THE DASHBOARD. STEERING COLUMN FAILED TO MOVE. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN THE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE MAIN BOLT TO THE PULLEY BELT SHEARED OFF.

NHTSA complaint #10082008 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Flemington, NJ

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

CONSUMER'S VEHICLE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AS STATED IN RECALL 00V311002 . THE DEALER WOULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED. *AK THE CRANKSHAFT BOLT LOOSENED WHICH RESULTED IN A LOST OF POWER STEERING. *TS *PH *NLM

NHTSA complaint #10034181 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Fort Meade, MD

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEED AND WITHOUT WARNING THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF.

NHTSA complaint #10021714 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Alabaster, AL

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

AFTER VEHICLE CRANK SHAFT PULLEY WAS IMPACTED AND DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT IT WAS OKAY. WHILE DRIVING THE CRANK SHAFT PULLEY BROKE. THE DEALERSHIP IS REFUSING TO FIX THE VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE DETAILS TS

NHTSA complaint #8023247 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Central Islip, NY

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

AFTER DRIVING THE CAR FOR 49 DAYS THE OIL PLUG CAME OUT, ALL THE OIL FELLOUT OF THE CAR AND ENGINE LOCKED, DEALER SAYS IT IS NOT COVERED MY WARRANTY

NHTSA complaint #766528 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Vega Alta, PR

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ILLUMINATED AND NEVER GOES OFF, ON ONE OCCASION WHEN THE BATTERY WAS FAILED, THE LIGHT WENT OFF. *SLC

NHTSA complaint #880747 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Beaumont, TX

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

MY SUV ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS HAS STALLED WHEN VEHICLE COMES TO STOP. ON ONE OCCASION, MY WIFE WAS ACCELERATING FROM A STANDSTILL-WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED. ON EACH OCCASION, WE WERE ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE WITHOUT PROBLEMS. HOWEVER, WITH THE VEHICLE STALLING UPON ACCELERATING FROM STANDSTILL IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION COULD PROVE TO BE VERY DANGEROUL!!!!!!!!!!!

NHTSA complaint #712049 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Orlando, FL

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN

ENTIRE FAN AND CLUTCH ASSEMBLY. SHEARED OFF WHILE I WAS TRAVELING IN INTER CITY TRAFFIC, IF THIS FAILURE WOULD HAVE OCCURRED WHILE TRAVELING ON A HIGHWAY THIS ASSEMBLY COULD HAVE DAMAGED EITHER THE STEERING, FUEL OR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THE LOCAL DEALER AND FACTORY REPRESENTATIVES HAVE REVIEWED AND COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THIS IS JUST A FAILURE DUE TO MILEAGE. IF THIS IS THE CASE THERE POTENTIALLY ARE MANY VEHICLES OF THIS TYPE THAT MAY EXPERIENCE THE SAME FAILURE.

NHTSA complaint #707222 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Austell, GA

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

THIS CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP 17 TIMES WITHIN A YEAR. IT WAS BOUGHT BRAND NEW. THE MAJOR PROBLEMS WE HAVE WITH IT ARE THE WHEEN BEARING, AIRCONDITIONING AND THE ENGINE SHUTTING DOWN WITH NO WARNING. WHEN WE TAKE IT IN EITHER THEY SAY THEY CANT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. WITH THE WHEEL BEARING, THEY FIXED IT THE FIRST TIME. IT STARTED TO LEAK AGAIN AND THEY SAID THAT IT WASNT THE WHEEL BEARING.

NHTSA complaint #700095 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Tampa, FL

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

ON CERTAIN OCCASIONS WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, ENGINE STALLS, AND VEHICLE HAS TO SIT FOR A FEW MINUTES IN ORDER TO BE STARTED AGAIN. DEALER CAN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #835373 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Virginia B, VA

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM

BRAKES/EXHAUST/CRANCASE EMISSION CONTROL DEVICES AND CUP HOLDER FAILED.

NHTSA complaint #539958 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 1997 Mitsubishi Montero problems

← Full 1997 Mitsubishi Montero report