On 5/31/14, my 1997 mitsubishi montero was parked in my driveway. When I went to get into the vehicle, I noticed a large burn in the back of the driver's side seat. After calling mitsubishi, the fire department came since it was still smoldering and disconnected the battery. They believed it to be an electrical short. After many follow-up calls to mitsubishi, they believe it was caused by wear and tear since the car was 17 years old. All of the cost to fix the issue was on me as the owner.
The worst 1997 Mitsubishi Montero problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
Recalls 2
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles. The front brake lines can develop pin holes due to chaffing against the edge of the pass-through hole in the inner fender.
- Risk
- Brake fluid can leak resulting in deteriorated braking performance and illumination of the brake indicator lamp.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the front brake lines for signs of wear and routing. If the lines are not correctly centered in the pass-through hole, the lines will be repositioned by bending slightly to correct. If there is evidence of brake line wear, the brake line will be replaced.
Recall number 98V220000 · Recall details
Unknown or other
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with accessory cargo mats in the third-seat and cargo area. This cargo mat interferes with the latching integrity of the folding third seats.
- Risk
- In the event of a crash, an occupant of the third seat may not be properly restrained and could be ejected from the vehicle.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the third-seat latch and striker. A rectangle will be removed from the cargo mat around each striker to provide adequate striker clearance and proper latching.
Recall number 98V205000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 1997 Mitsubishi Montero 59
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This Technical Service Bulletin was sent to dealers to explain the difference between normal dew...
- This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
- This is a Technical Service Bulletin sent to dealers
- This TSB contains troubleshooting steps for diagnosis of various customer complaints relating to the audio...
- This is an index of Tech Talk newsletter articles released in 2012.
- This Technical Service Bulletin updates the door adjustment procedure in the Body Section of the...
- Alarm sounds when unlocking
- Obd-ii drive cycle
- New and revised information relating to readiness test status descriptions and procedures
- This bulletin contains obd-ii drive cycle procedures and warranty claim information for obd-ii drive cycle...
1997 Mitsubishi Montero fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6‑cyl | 4WD | 14-15 | 18 | 15-16 |
| 3.0L 6‑cyl | 4WD | 14 | 17 | 15 |
What 1997 Mitsubishi Montero owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
1997 mitsubish montero 3.5 liter automatic- crank shaft bolt has come out on 5 separate occasions and has cost over $3000 to have it replaced. The inside of the crankshaft where the bolt goes is completely stripped to the point I now have to replace the engine. This is not an isolated issue as this appears to be an inherent problem with all years of monteros. There should be a recall for this and mitsubishi should cover the cost for there negligence.
Crankshaft pulley pin/bolt gets sheared off. Dash lights come on and vehicle power steering stops working as the pump is not turning because the problem affect the entire pulley system. It also affects the timing gear/belt/harmonic balancer. This is the 3rd time in as many years this has happened. This is the 2nd mechanic who has told me that it's an engine defect because the pin/bolt is too short. There is no warning before it happens. It occurs under normal city driving conditions at low or no speed.
The vehicle was parked and idling. I was in the driver's seat when a fire broke out and the flames caused me severe burns to my body. I was nearly asphyxiated. The car was a total loss.
1997 mitsubishi montero crankshaft pulley came loose three times which created no power steering and no charging of the battery purchased new crankshaft pulley but did not help the third time installed a lock washer on the bolt and re torqued to spec last week.
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 mitsubishi montero. When the vehicle was started, the crankshaft pulley detached from the vehicle. The dealer stated that the contact would be responsible for the repair. The vehicle has not been driven since. The failure mileage was 190,000.
Started car, noticed 3 random lights illuminated on instrument cluster. Then power steering was intermittent. Then A/C went out and would not cool down. Then power steering failed completely. Car was driven to repair shop nearby, since no local mitsubishi dealer. Mechanic found crankshaft bolt broken that LED to power steering and A/C pulley not working. Incident LED to near loss of control during turning , as power steering would "kick" in at times during cornering and lead to oversteer. Had to change crankshaft bolt, harmonic balancer, timing belt gear, and something else.
Dt*: the contact stated the crankshaft pulley and bolt became disconnected. This occurred twice.
1. Brake light came on and has stayed on for a couple of days. Car was checked out and estimated charges for repairs to front brake, including new rotor, would be $1000. I was not aware of the recall for 1997 monteros in regard to brake lines. *ak 2. Service engine soon comes on at random and only goes off when the battery is unhooked and rehooked or replaced.
1 - this just started happening, no accident or misuse. 2 - vehicle will not start at times and must keep turning ignition, eventually it stats. (changed battery, terminals, wires, etc, with no affect) alarm goes off sporadically or sets on it's own. Door locks unlock, then immediately lock back. Windows are not going up correctly and are tilting slightly causing a small air leak on both front windows. All problems are annoying but I can still get from point a to point b. This happens every day.
Compare the 1997 Mitsubishi Montero
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Questions about the 1997 Mitsubishi Montero
Is the 1997 Mitsubishi Montero reliable?
Owners have filed 63 complaints about the 1997 Mitsubishi Montero, 1.6 times a typical Montero model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1997 Mitsubishi Montero?
Engine and cooling, with 17 complaints, typically around 156,000 miles. Next is brakes (14).
How many recalls does the 1997 Mitsubishi Montero have?
2 recalls, covering service brakes, hydraulic and unknown or other.
What year does the Mitsubishi Montero have bad engine?
The Mitsubishi Montero model years with the most engine complaints are 1995 (36 complaints), 2001 (24 complaints) and 1997 (17 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 1997 Mitsubishi Montero get?
Official estimates for the 1997 Mitsubishi Montero range from 15 to 16 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.5L 6-cyl, 4WD) gets 14-15 city and 18 highway.
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