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#BS-2002-MITMON-5FF6

2002 Mitsubishi Montero

Based on reports from 132 owners and 3 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
132
Crashes
11
Fires
1
Recalls
3
TSBs
78
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 132 complaints, 11 crashes, 1 fires, and 3 recalls. This is the worst model year for this vehicle.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

hard to brake

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX
2

rattling

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX
3

doesnt want to shift into gear

1 complaints • Severity 6/10

$X,XXX

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the BrakesHIGH

38 owners reported brakes issues — failures commonly reported around 85K miles.

!Inspect the Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist:vacuumMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

10
0–30K
11
30–60K
29
60–90K
22
90–120K
16
120–150K
4
150K+

Peak failure range: 60–90K miles (29 reports) • Median: 85K 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: Brakes (38 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

Brakes38 (29%)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist:vacuum15 (11%)
Electrical7 (5%)
Fuel System7 (5%)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip6 (5%)
Other6 (5%)
Airbags5 (4%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine5 (4%)

2002 Mitsubishi Montero: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Brakes Issues

Brakes complaints account for 29% of all reports filed for the 2002 Mitsubishi Montero, with 38 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 85,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 85K-mile mark.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist:vacuum Issues

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist:vacuum complaints account for 11% of all reports filed for the 2002 Mitsubishi Montero, with 15 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to service brakes, hydraulic:power assist:vacuum-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Electrical Issues

Electrical complaints account for 5% of all reports filed for the 2002 Mitsubishi Montero, with 7 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Fuel System Issues

Fuel System complaints account for 5% of all reports filed for the 2002 Mitsubishi Montero, with 7 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to fuel system-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

11
02
10
03
5
04
9
05
14
06
12
07
10
08
5
09
5
10
5
11
1
12
12
13
4
14
7
15
11
16
2
17
2
18
3
19
2
21
1
22
1
24

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2002 Mitsubishi Montero. Recent trend: stable.

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Recall History (3 recalls)

01V254001Oct 2001

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. THE ACCUMULATOR THAT IS INSTALLED ON THE HYDRAULIC BRAKE BOOSTER MAY HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY MANUFACTURED. OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, THIS COULD RESULT IN LEAKAGE OF THE PRESSURIZED NITROGEN GAS FROM INSIDE THE ACCUMULATOR.

04V319000Aug 2004

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, WHEN THE FUEL TANK IS FULL AND THE VEHICLE IS PARKED FACING FORWARD ON AN UPWARD SLOPE, THE FUEL TANK LEVELING VALVE MAY NOT MAINTAIN PROPER SEALING IN THE EVENT THE FUEL EXPANDS FROM A RISE IN THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE.

04V428000

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 208, 'OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION.' THE BILINGUAL ENGLISH/SPANISH REMOVABLE AIR BAG WARNING LABELS AFFIXED TO THE DASH AND TO THE SUNVISOR DO NOT MEET THE SIZE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STANDARD.

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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This is the worst model year for the Mitsubishi Montero according to owner complaint data. The biggest problem area is engine.

2002 Mitsubishi Montero vs. Class Average (Sport Utility Vehicle - 4WD)

This vehicle

132

Class avg

124

Complaint volume is roughly in line with other sport utility vehicle - 4wd vehicles from 2002.

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. 132 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 3 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

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

Other Mitsubishi Montero Model Years

2006200520042003200220012000199919981997199619951994199319921991199019891988198719861984
View all Mitsubishi Montero years →

2002 Mitsubishi Montero: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2002 Mitsubishi Montero?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2002 Mitsubishi Montero is related to the brakes, with 38 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2002 Mitsubishi Montero reliable?
The 2002 Mitsubishi Montero has 132 complaints, 11 crash reports, and 1 fire reports filed with NHTSA. The full report analyzes whether these numbers indicate real risk or are proportional to the vehicle’s popularity.
How much does it cost to fix 2002 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 2002 Mitsubishi Montero have any recalls?
Yes, the 2002 Mitsubishi Montero has 3 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 92 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 85,000 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.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 132 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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