1997 Mitsubishi Montero Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Montero years
- More complaints than other years 5th of 12 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 63 complaints with NHTSA about the 1997 Mitsubishi Montero. That ranks 5th out of 12 Montero model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (17 complaints, 27%), typically at around 156,000 miles. Complaints mention 6 crashes, 4 fires, 9 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 63owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 6complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1997 Mitsubishi Montero problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 17 | 27% | 156,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 14 | 22% | 110,500 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 8 | 13% | 103,250 | — | — |
| Suspension | 6 | 10% | — | — | — |
| Air Bags | 5 | 8% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 5 | 8% | 134,990 | — | — |
| Power Train | 4 | 6% | 62,295 | — | — |
| Structure | 4 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 3 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 3 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 3% | 68,253 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Child Seat | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 2% | 61,505 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 2% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 2% | 172,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1997 Mitsubishi Montero recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Problem: Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles. The front brake lines can develop pin holes due to chaffing against the edge of the pass-through hole in the inner fender.
Risk: Brake fluid can leak resulting in deteriorated braking performance and illumination of the brake indicator lamp.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the front brake lines for signs of wear and routing. If the lines are not correctly centered in the pass-through hole, the lines will be repositioned by bending slightly to correct. If there is evidence of brake line wear, the brake line will be replaced.
Unknown or other
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with accessory cargo mats in the third-seat and cargo area. This cargo mat interferes with the latching integrity of the folding third seats.
Risk: In the event of a crash, an occupant of the third seat may not be properly restrained and could be ejected from the vehicle.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the third-seat latch and striker. A rectangle will be removed from the cargo mat around each striker to provide adequate striker clearance and proper latching.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
On 5/31/14, my 1997 mitsubishi montero was parked in my driveway. When i went to get into the vehicle, i noticed a large burn in the back of the driver's side seat. After calling mitsubishi, the fire department came since it was still smoldering and disconnected the battery. They believed it to be…
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…
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…
The vehicle was parked and idling. I was in the driver's seat when a fire broke out and the flames caused me severe burns to my body. I was nearly asphyxiated. The car was a total loss. *tr
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. *tr
Other Mitsubishi Montero years
← 1996 Montero · 1998 Montero →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 Montero | 4 | 0 |
| 2005 Montero | 1 | 0 |
| 2004 Montero | 5 | 3 |
| 2003 Montero | 39 | 2 |
| 2002 Montero | 111 | 3 |
| 2001 Montero | 166 | 4 |
| 2000 Montero | 51 | 2 |
| 1999 Montero | 40 | 2 |
| 1998 Montero | 74 | 4 |
| 1997 | 63 | 2 |
| 1996 Montero | 27 | 2 |
| 1995 Montero | 86 | 2 |
See all Mitsubishi Montero problems by year, every Mitsubishi model, or the Mitsubishi VIN decoder.
Similar Mitsubishi models
Embed this 1997 Mitsubishi Montero badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Mitsubishi Montero?
Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, service brakes, hydraulic, electrical system problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 17 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Mitsubishi Montero?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1997 Mitsubishi Montero a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Montero model years, the 1997 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.