Research · complaint index
Mitsubishi Montero years to avoidWhat NHTSA complaint data does and doesn’t say
We compared 9 model years of the Mitsubishi Montero by owner complaints to NHTSA, adjusted for how long each year has been on the road. 2002, 1997 stand out with at least twice the typical complaint rate.
Complaints per year on the road
1.0 = typical year for this model
| Year | Complaints | Per year on road | Index | Recalls | Crashes | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 4 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | Fewest complaints |
| 2005 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | Fewest complaints |
| 2004 | 5 | 0 | 0.2 | 3 | 0 | Fewest complaints |
| 2002 | 174 | 7 | 4.9 | 3 | 24 | Most complaints |
| 2000 | 50 | 2 | 1.3 | 2 | 7 | Typical |
| 1999 | 40 | 1 | 1.0 | 2 | 4 | Typical |
| 1998 | 74 | 3 | 1.8 | 4 | 9 | Typical |
| 1997 | 97 | 3 | 2.3 | 2 | 8 | Most complaints |
| 1996 | 27 | 1 | 0.6 | 2 | 0 | Typical |
- 20064 complaints · 0 recallsFewest complaints
- 20051 complaints · 0 recallsFewest complaints
- 20045 complaints · 3 recallsFewest complaints
- 2002174 complaints · 3 recallsMost complaints
- 200050 complaints · 2 recallsTypical
- 199940 complaints · 2 recallsTypical
- 199874 complaints · 4 recallsTypical
- 199797 complaints · 2 recallsMost complaints
- 199627 complaints · 2 recallsTypical
Data from NHTSA Complaints & Recalls APIs · synced Nov 12, 2026
Fewest complaints for their age: 2005, 2006, 2004.
About this comparison
What Mitsubishi Montero years have the most complaints?
Adjusted for years on the road, 2002, 1997 drew at least twice the typical rate of NHTSA owner complaints among the 9 model years compared.
Is this a reliability rating?
No. These are counts of unverified owner complaints to NHTSA. They are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so a popular year can collect more complaints. Use them to find patterns, then read the reports.
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.