Problems · NHTSA complaints

1998 Mitsubishi Montero Sport problems

Owners filed 35 complaints about the 1998 Mitsubishi Montero Sport with NHTSA between Aug 2000 and Aug 2021. The most-cited component is engine and engine cooling (14).

Complaints
35
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
5
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
4
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Engine and engine cooling14
  2. Air bags4
  3. Electrical system4
  4. Steering4
  5. Visibility2
  6. Power train2
  7. Service brakes, hydraulic2
  8. Electronic stability control (esc)1
  9. Tires1
  10. Vehicle speed control1
  11. Parking brake1
  12. Fuel system, gasoline1
  13. Structure1
  14. Equipment1

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 13, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20004
20016
20020
20034
20043
20054
20061
20071
20083
20092
20101
20114
20121
20130
20140
20150
20160
20170
20180
20190
20200
20211

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Engine and engine cooling

14 reports1 crash1 related recall
“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 complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 8, 2011Engine and engine coolingODI 10417892

Air bags

4 reports3 crashes
“On Tuesday August 31st I pulled up to Alexandra tire shop to get a tire. I got out of the truck to inquire if the tire that I needed was available. The mechanic informed me that they had the tire I needed. My wife sat in the car on the passenger side as I inquired with the mechanic. Once he informed me that they had the tire, my wife got out of the passenger side to take a seat while the tire was being changed. The mechanic instructed me to get in the truck and pull It forward. I got in on the driver side, crank the truck up , and the airbag exploded, cracking my windshield and my dashboard. Prior to this incident there were no warning indication on my dashboard concerning a default. My wife was put at terrible risk. Had she not exited the truck 2 minutes before the airbag exploded. she would have been injured.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 31, 2021Air bagsODI 11431281

Electrical system

4 reports
“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 complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 28, 2011Electrical systemODI 10409788

Steering

4 reports2 crashes
“DURING MY DRIVE TO WORK AT ESM MARKETING, I WAS DRIVING ON I95 IN BROWARD COUNTY FLORIDA, AND GOT OFF ON CYPRESS CREEK ROAD AND I WAS ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN AND WHEN I TURNED MY STEERING WHEEL, THE WHEELS DID NOT MOVE. THE FRONT END OF THE STEERING LEFT ME UNBLE TO CONTROL OR MANIPULATE MY VEHICLE. I LANDED ON A MEDIAN STRIP, MAGICALLY BACK OUT OF THE MEDIAN AND MADE MY WAY TO A SHELL GAS STATION. I HAD THE GENTLEMEN LOOK AT THE CAR AND HE STATED TO ME THAT "YOU MUST HAVE A GUARDIAN ANGEL CAUSE I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU SUVIVED THE STOP". I HAD MY MECHANIC COME TO MY CAR AND REPAIR THIS DAMAGE AND HE STATED THAT SAME THING. " IN ALL THE 16 YEARS AS A MECHANIC HE NEVER SAY ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE. HE REPAIR THE FRONT END. APPARENTLY, THE MITSUBISHI FRONT END STREERING WHEEL PART WHERE THE PART TWISTED INTO THE SLEEVE OF THE FRONT END WAS STRIPPED. MY MECHANIC REPAIR THIS DAMAGE AND FIRST CHOICE IS THE MECHANIC THAT CAME TO MY RESCUE. MY MECHANIC REPAIRED THE DAMAGE AND TOLD ME THAT THE PART NEEDS TO BE RECALLED AND THAT I SHOULD GET A REIMBURSEMENT ON THE INCIDENT. *AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 21, 2004SteeringCrash reportedODI 10092979

Visibility

2 reports
“WE EXPERIENCED A SMALL SLEET/FREEZING RAIN EVENT. I TURNED ON THE FRONT WIPERS FOR A FRACTION OF A SECOND BECAUSE I REALIZED THE BLADES WERE FROZEN. I PROCEEDED TO CLEAN THE WINDSHIELD AND WARM UP THE VEHICLE. AFTER WARMING UP THE VEHICLE THE WIPERS WOULD NOT WORK; THE 15 AMP FUSE HAD NOT BLOWN; AND I COULD NOT FIND A WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BREAKER (I PURCHASED THE SERVICE MANUALS WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE). TO MY AMAZEMENT THIS IS WHAT IS STATED IN THE VEHICHLE OWNER'S MANUAL "BEFORE OPERATIONG THE WIPERS IN COLD WEATHER, CHECK TO BE SURE THE WIPERS ARE NOT FROZEN (GOOD ADVICE).ATTEMPTING TO OPERATE WHILE THE BLADES ARE FROZEN COULD CASUE THE WIPER MOTER TO BURN OUT". THE NEXT STATEMENT GOES ON TO SAY THIS "IF THE MOVING WIPERS BECOME BLOCKED BY ICE OR OTHER DEPOSITS ON THE GLASS THE MOTOR MAY BURN OUT EVEN IF THE WITHER SWITCH IS AT OFF." THE MOTOR MAY BURN OUT JUST WHEN YOU NEED IT THE MOST; THE FUSE DOES NOT PROTECT THE WIPER MOTOR (IT DID NOT); AND THERE IS NO CIRCUIT BREAKER TO PROTECT THE MOTOR EVEN THOUGH THERE IS ONE IN THE SCHEMATIC IN THE SERVICE MANUAL. THE MOTOR DID BURN OUT WITHIN THE FRACTION OF A SECOND. I CALLED SEVERAL DIFFERENT MITSUBISHI…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 4, 2008VisibilityODI 10213681

Power train

2 reports
“ON JULY 2002, AT 65,378 MILES DEALER REPLACED THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION. 2 YEAR LATER, DEALERSHIP INDICATED TO THE CONSUMER THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. *AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 15, 2004Power trainODI 10063154
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 13, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.