1998 Mitsubishi Montero Sport: problems, recalls and reliability
1 recall and 35 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is engine and engine cooling (38% of complaints).
Data updated weekly · latest recall Oct 2000
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 35 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“I turned my ac on and smelled something burning and my car battery light and brake light as well as my at light came on and then my radio, ac,dome light and moon roof wont close I took my car to the dealer and they wanted 400$ just to diagnose the problem and that doesn't include fixing it I took it to pepboys and they told me I could of had fire with a bad malfunction. *js”Owner report · Electronic Stability Control (Esc) · Jun 2012
“While traveling on route 632, another vehicle failed to yield the right of way, entered and stopped in the intersection of route 632 & route 645 in new jersey; causing my suv to broad sided their pick-up truck. Luckily there were no fatalities. However, neither the mitsubishi driver or passenger side air bags deployed upon impact.”Owner report · Air Bags · Jun 2011
“While traveling on the new jersey turnpike, I-78, and other highways, the mitsubishi alternator intermittently failed, causing loss of power steering and other electrically control functions. What makes this notably is that it was the 5th alternator that failed and had to be replaced within 1-1/2 years. Each time while driving on highways between 55 and 65 mph the alternator failed and sudden loss of vehicle steering control and operation, occurred with narrow escapes from serious accidents while navigating to safety.”Owner report · Electrical System · May 2011
Show 7 more owner reports
“Tl*the contact owns a 1998 mitsubishi montero sport. While driving at 60 mph, the contact had trouble turning to the right and noticed vibrations in the steering wheel. The contact pulled over and noticed that the driving belts were dislodged and the crankshaft bolt was hanging off the vehicle. The vehicle had not been inspected or repaired at the time of the complaint. The current and failure mileages were approximately 152,000.”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Apr 2010
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 mitsubishi montero sport. While driving approximately 25 mph, the contact attempted to make a turn and the steering wheel seized without warning. Suddenly, within thirty seconds the steering wheel unseized on its own. The failure occurred sporadicly. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who stated that a faulty crank shaft pulley contributed to the failure. The technician also informed the contact of a recall under NHTSA campaign id number 00v311001 (engine and engine cooling:engine). The VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 180,000.”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Mar 2010
“Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle lost the ability to move and there was a squealing noise coming from the engine. The vehicle was towed to the dealership. The pulley was broken. There was a recall for the vehicle concerning the bolts in the crank shaft pulley. There was also a recall for the engine, NHTSA # 00v311001. The VIN is included in the recall. But the manufacturer will not approve the recall performance because the regular maintenance of the vehicle was done by an independent repair shop.”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Jan 2006
“Manufacturer defect...emergency brake cable wore a hole in vehicle's gas tank. Both brake cable and gas tank were in the position as manufactured. *nm”Owner report · Parking Brake · Aug 2005
“Windshield wiper motor quit working about a year ago, then started up again the next day, no other trouble until now, has quit completely. Vehicle only has 120k miles on it now...was less than 100k last year when it happened the first time.”Owner report · Visibility · May 2005
“Recall campaign 00v311001/crankshaft pulley bolt. The dealer charged the consumer for replacing the crankshaft bolts.*ak”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Jan 2005
“When consumer purchased vehicle he was told that the vehicle was never involved in any accident. When driving approximately 60 mph, consumer rear ended a car. When impacting, the air bags did not deploy. After investigation it was determined that the vehicle was involved in an prior accident and had no air bags. *nm”Owner report · Air Bags · Jan 2005
When filing, owners marked a crash in 5 of these complaints and injuries in 4 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 1 campaign
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES: MIRAGE MODEL VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 1.5L ENGINES; MONTERO SPORT MODELS EQUIPPED WITH 3.0L ENGINES; AND MONTERO MODELS EQUIPPED WITH 3.0L ENGINES. THE BOLT SECURING THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY CAN BECOME LOOSE AND THE PULLEY COULD FALL OFF THE VEHICLE.
Remedy: ON THE MIRAGE VEHICLES, THE DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW, IMPROVED CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BOLT ON THE OLDER ENGINES. ON NEW ENGINES WHICH ALREADY HAVE THE IMPROVED BOLT, THE DEALER WILL TIGHTEN THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BOLT TO THE CORRECT TORQUE SPECIFICATION. ON THE MONTERO MODELS, DEALERS WILL TIGHTEN THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BOLT TO THE CORRECT TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS. IF THE BOLT IS DAMAGED, IT WILL BE REPLACED.
How other years compare
Check your exact Montero Sport by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 1998 Mitsubishi Montero Sport reliable?
NHTSA has 35 owner complaints and 1 recall campaign on record for the 1998 Mitsubishi Montero Sport. The most complained-about area is engine and engine cooling (38% of complaints).
At what mileage do 1998 Mitsubishi Montero Sport problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 151,120 miles or less.
Does the 1998 Mitsubishi Montero Sport have open recalls?
1 recall campaign has been issued, the latest concerning engine and engine cooling:engine. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.