Problems · by component

2002 Mitsubishi Montero service brakes, hydraulic problems

55 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2002 Mitsubishi Montero cite service brakes, hydraulic, 32% of all 174 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 1 recall on this component.

Complaints
55
32% of all complaints
Crashes
4
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
2
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the service brakes, hydraulic

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MITSUBISHI MONTERO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS ENGAGED AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SLOW DOWN. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE BY APPLYING FORCE TO THE BRAKES, SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL, AND APPLYING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS WHO INFORMED THAT THE BRAKE BOOSTER WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THERE WAS A RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH A NHSTA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 01V254001 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC); HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,451....UPDATED 07-10-13 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE BRAKES LOCKED UP, BECAUSE THERE WAS NO FLUID GOING TO THE BRAKES. THE REPAIR SHOP INFORMED THE CONSUMER, THE ABS BOOSTER AND HYDRAULIC PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. UPDATED 07/16/13”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 24, 2013Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10513370
“MY MONTERO WAS MAKING A CHIRPING NOISE. I CALLED MITSUBISHI AND TWO DEALERDS AT SAN ANTONIO TEXAS TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE ISSUE. THEY TOLD ME MY VIN DID NOT HAVE ANY RECALLS OR SAFETY RECALLS AT THE TIME. LATER AFTER THE SYSTEM FAILING I CONDUCTED RESEARCH ON THE WWW AND FOUND THE HYDRAULIC BRAKE BOOSTER ACCUMULATOR WAS THE ONE LEAKING NITROGEN GAS A CAUSING THE FAULT AND THE NOISE. I CALLED MITSUBISHI AGAIN WITH INFO BUT I WAS TOLD THAT MY VEHICLE EVENTHOUGH IT WAS SHOWING THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF A BAD HYDRAULIC BRAKE BOOSTER ACCUMULATOR MY VEHICLE'S VIN WAS NOT LISTED ON THE RECALL LIST. SO THEY WERE NOT GOING TO HONOR THE SAFETY RECALL FOR MY MITSIBISHI MONTERO. *TT”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 27, 2011Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10427554
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MITSUBISHI MONTERO. THE CONTACT STATED WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THEY MADE A SQUEAKING NOISE, THE STEERING COLUMN WOULD VIBRATE AND THE ANTI LOCK BRAKE WARNING LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE CONTACT OF NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 01V254001 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM), BUT THE VIN WAS NOT A PART OF THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 121,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 121,030.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 3, 2011Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10416951
“MY 2002 MITSUBISHI MONTERO HYDRAULIC ACCUMULATOR WAS REPAIRED DUE TO THE RECALL OF THE PART. THE HYDRAULIC BRAKE ACCUMULATOR WAS RECALLED BECAUSE IT CAN RESULT IN A LEAK OF NITROGEN GAS FROM THE ACCUMULATOR. A COUPLE DAYS AGO ON MY WAY TO WORK MY BRAKES FAILED ME ONCE AGAIN AS I WAS IN A SCHOOL ZONE FULL OF CHILDREN AND APPROACHING TRAIN TRACKS THIS TIME IT WAS BECAUSE I HAVE A GAS LEAK IN MY POWER BOOSTER WHICH OCCURRED FROM THE ACCUMULATOR WHICH WAS THE PART THAT WAS RECALLED BY MITSUBISHI. I CONTACTED MITSUBISHI TO BE TOLD THAT IT WILL NOT BE REPAIRED BY THEM EVEN THOUGH I COULD HAVE KILLED MYSELF OR SOMEONE'S CHILD. KNOWING THAT THE SAME PROBLEM WILL OCCUR WITH A DIFFERENT PART IN RESULTS OF THE PART THAT WAS RECALLED MITSUBISHI SHOULD HAVE RECALLED THE ENTIRE ABS SYSTEM NOT JUST THE ACCUMULATOR COULD HAVE STILL HAPPENED,AND DEATH COULD HAVE STILL HAPPENED. NOW I HAVE TO REPLACE MY WHOLE ENTIRE ABS SYSTEM AND THE SYSTEM ITSELF COST $1500 DOLLARS NOT INCLUDING LABOR. I DO NOT HAVE MONEY LIKE THAT TO REPAIR MY VEHICLE WHEN IT WAS NOT WEAR AND TARE OF THE VEHICLE BUT WAS CAUSED BY THEIR FAILURE ABS SYSTEM. NOTHING HAVE BEEN DONE TO REPAIR MY TRUCK. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 17, 2011Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10383078
“WHEN ATTEMPTING TO BRAKE THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE LEFT SIDE OUT OF MY DASHBOARD. THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK. THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON AS WELL AS THE EMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHT.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 29, 2010Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10374148
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MITSUBISHI MONTERO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS LOSING FUEL PRESSURE ABNORMALLY AND THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED AN UNUSUAL, INDESCRIBABLE NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE HYDRAULIC BRAKE BOOSTER ACCUMULATOR WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 124,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 153,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 27, 2010Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10357774

Showing 6 of 55 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 12, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Related recalls

1 recall on this component

Service brakes

Free remedy

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.

Service brakes, hydraulicReported Aug 3, 2001NHTSA 01V254001
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 12, 2026

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

Other 2002 Montero problem areas