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#BS-1997-MITMON-5FF5

1997 Mitsubishi Montero

Based on reports from 85 owners and 2 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints

Crashes

Fires

Recalls

TSBs

🟡

Preliminary Verdict

Think Twice

Based on 85 complaints, 7 crashes, 6 fires, and 2 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited SlipHIGH

7 owners reported service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip issues — failures commonly reported around 111K miles.

!Inspect the Engine And Engine Cooling:engineMED

Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure

+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

0–30K

30–60K

60–90K

90–120K

120–150K

150K+

Peak failure range: 60–90K miles (6 reports) • Median: 111K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip (7 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip7 (8%)

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine5 (6%)

Engine5 (6%)

Air Bags:frontal4 (5%)

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components4 (5%)

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings4 (5%)

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline4 (5%)

Equipment:appliance:air Conditioner3 (4%)

1997 Mitsubishi Montero: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip Issues

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip complaints account for 8% of all reports filed for the 1997 Mitsubishi Montero, with 7 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 110,500 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 111K-mile mark.

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine Issues

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 1997 Mitsubishi Montero, with 5 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine and engine cooling:engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 1997 Mitsubishi Montero, with 5 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Air Bags:frontal Issues

Air Bags:frontal complaints account for 5% of all reports filed for the 1997 Mitsubishi Montero, with 4 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to air bags:frontal-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 1997 Mitsubishi Montero. Recent trend: stable.

Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own

Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (2 recalls)

98V205000Oct 1998

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

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.

98V220000Oct 1998

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

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.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Mitsubishi Montero is the 2002 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.

1997 Mitsubishi Montero vs. Class Average (Special Purpose Vehicles)

This vehicle

Class avg

350

Below the class average — fewer complaints than typical special purpose vehicles vehicles. A good sign.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 85 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 2 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Mitsubishi Montero Model Years

2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1984

View all Mitsubishi Montero years →

1997 Mitsubishi Montero: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 1997 Mitsubishi Montero?

The most commonly reported issue with the 1997 Mitsubishi Montero is related to the service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, with 7 complaints filed with NHTSA.

Is the 1997 Mitsubishi Montero reliable?

The 1997 Mitsubishi Montero has 85 complaints, 7 crash reports, and 6 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is below the class average — a positive sign for reliability.

How much does it cost to fix 1997 Mitsubishi Montero problems?

Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.

Does the 1997 Mitsubishi Montero have any recalls?

Yes, the 1997 Mitsubishi Montero has 2 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

What mileage do Mitsubishi Montero problems start?

Based on 17 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 110,500 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 60–90K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.

What’s in the full report?

10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.

How is this different from free NHTSA data?

NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.

How is this different from Carfax?

Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.

What if the report isn’t useful?

100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.