Your vehicle report
2002 Mitsubishi Montero
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 111
- Received Jun 2002 to Apr 2024
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines14 complaints · 13% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Brake booster fails, leaving stiff pedal14 complaints · 13% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up8 complaints · 7.2% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #04V428000Certain 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 #04V319000On 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.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 9 crashes, 1 fire, 8 people injured, 1 death.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 10 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 7 |
| 2003 | 7 |
| 2004 | 5 |
| 2005 | 9 |
| 2006 | 13 |
| 2007 | 11 |
| 2008 | 9 |
| 2009 | 4 |
| 2010 | 4 |
| 2011 | 5 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 10 |
| 2014 | 3 |
| 2015 | 6 |
| 2016 | 9 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 111 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 14 | 13% | – | |
| Brake booster fails, leaving stiff pedal | 14 | 13% | – | NHTSA recall #01V254001 |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 8 | 7.2% | – | |
| Engine stalls and loses power while driving | 5 | 4.5% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 4 | 3.6% | – | |
| Horn fails with airbag warning light | 4 | 3.6% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 3 | 2.7% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 3 | 2.7% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 3 | 2.7% | – | |
| Brakes make grinding or squealing noise | 3 | 2.7% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #04V428000September 1, 2004100,432 vehicles affected
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.
This does not meet the requirements of the standard.
Remedy
Mitsubishi caribbean will mail a customer notification letter containing a written description and a graphic of the bi-lingual dashboard air bag warning label. In addition, all current 2000-2004 nativa owners will also receive replacement air bag alert labels for the sun visors. This recall is expected to begin during march or april 2005. The notification to the nativa owners is expected to begin during april or may 2005. Owners should contact Mitsubishi caribbean at 1-787-251-8715.
NHTSA recall #04V319000July 6, 200444,214 vehicles affected
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.
If the fuel leveling valve does not seal properly, fuel may leak onto the ground. Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the leveling valve. The recall began on august 30, 2004. Owners should contact Mitsubishi at 1-800-222-0037 or Mitsubishi caribbean at 1-787-251-8715.
NHTSA recall #01V254001August 3, 200139,020 vehicles affected
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.
The loss of this gas pressure could result in an abnormal noise from the left side of the dash panel when the brakes are applied, and possibly a delayed first time brake boost assist after the vehicle has been parked for a period of time, which could result in a vehicle crash.
Remedy
Dealers will install an improved accumulator. Owner notification mailing began october 1, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Mitsubishi at 1-800-222-0037.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2002 Mitsubishi Montero.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN