Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2002 Mitsubishi Montero submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 10 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
WE HAVE THE CAR FOR THE PAST 17 YEARS AND WE ALWASY HAVE A ELECTRICAL, ENGINE AND HEAD LIGHTS PROBLEMS. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THE THEY CAN FIX IT . WE PAID GOOD MONEY FOR THEM TO FIX IT
I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND NOTICE MY TRUCK HAD DIED WHILE SLOWING TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN AT A LIGHT..NOTICED THE BRAKE AND BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON...I RESTARTED THE CAR THEN TRIED TO MAKE A QUICK LEFT ON MY STREET AND COULDN'T STEER MY CAR...I HAD TO USE ALL MY STRENGTH TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL...HAD TO MAKE A HARD TURN BECAUSE ON COMING TRAFFIC WAS COMING AND I COULDN'T SPEED UP OR REALLY BRAKE...LUCKILY I MADE THE TURN COASTED A BIT HEARD A LOUD CLACKING UNDER MY HOOD COASTED TO SIDE OF ROAD WHERE I WOULDN'T BE IN MIDDLE OF ROAD...I LOST ALL POWER STEERING...TRIED TO CRANK IT WOULDN'T START...LOOKED UP UNDER HOOD DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING...CALLED MY STEPDAD AND MOM WE TRIED TO GIVE IT A BOOST WITH CABLES DIDN'T WORK...SO LOOKED UNDER THE CAR WHERE THE TRAP IS NOTICED A FAIRLY LARGE BOLT SHEARED IN HALF AND WHAT I FOUND OUT LATER TO BE THE HARMONIC BALANCER AND BELT TO IT...PULLED ALL THIS OUT FROM ATOP HOOD...HAD IT TOWED TO A MECHANIC AND THEY SAID THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BOLT HAD BROKE AND PART OF IT WAS STILL IN THE CRANKSHAFT SAID PRAY I CAN GET THIS BOLT OUT IF NOT YOU HAVE TO REPLACE THE WHOLE MOTOR... *TR
2000 MONTERO CHECK ENGINE SOON LIGHT ON CONTINUOUSLY STEPS TAKEN, REPLACED PLUGS,WIRES, COILS, TIMING BELT, IDLER PULLEY, THERMOSTAT, ENGINE HEAT INDICATOR RISES TO HOT THAN BACK TO NORMAL, ENGINE RUN'S SLUGGISH, NO POWER, SHIFTING IS DELAYED WHEN ON AN INCLINE AND HEAR A MUFFLED BACK FIRE ON OCCASION NO POWER. THIS SUV HAS HAD PROBLEMS SINCE WE BOUGHT IT. NOT A GOOD BUY FOR SURE. *TR
I WAS DRIVING MY 2002 MITSUBISHI MONTERO LIMITED THROUGH TOWN WHEN OUT OF THE BLUE, THE LOUDEST NOISE STARTED COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE. YOU COULD HEAR THE NOISE FROM BLOCKS DOWN THE ROAD. TOOK IT TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO DISCOVERED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN THAT STATES, "SOME VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE A DIESELING-TYPE NOISE WHEN THE ENGINE IS IDLING. THIS MAY BE DUE TO THE PISTON PINS CONTACTING THE CYLINDERS. INSPECT THE CYLINDERS WALLS FOR EVIDENCE OF SCUFFING." IF THIS IS THE CASE, I'M LOOKING AT A NEW ENGINE OF UPWARDS OF $5,000 - PLUS THE COST OF TOWING IT TO THE NEAREST DEALER A FIVE HOUR ONE-WAY DRIVE FROM WHERE I LIVE. I BOUGHT THE CAR AT 59,500. IT ONLY HAS 72,000 MILES NOW. I FEEL LIKE I WAS SOLD A LEMON! THE CAR IS INOPERABLE RIGHT NOW. I STILL OWE $13,000 ON IT. I'M SO SCREWED!!! *TR
OUR 2002 MITSUBISHI MONTERO ENGINE BLEW UP WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON A LOCAL HIGHWAY (RT. 680(N)). THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO THAT DAY (THE "CHECK ENGINE" WARNING LIGHT HAD NEVER LIT UP). AT THE TIME THIS INSTANCE OCCURRED, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON THE FREEWAY AS IT WENT UP IN SMOKE, ESSENTIALLY ENDANGERING HER LIFE ALONG WITH THE SURROUNDING MOTORISTS, SHOULD THIS REALLY HAPPEN TO A VEHICLE THAT IS ONLY 5 YEARS OLD. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MITSUBISHI MONTERO. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FEELS AS IF IT IS DRIVING 40 MPH. HE HAS TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE DEALER IS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE ENGINE SIZE, FAILURE MILEAGE, AND A VALID VIN WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 85,000.
I'M EXPERIENCING 'AGAIN' ENGINE VIBRATIONS WHILE AT IDLE. THE SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE STARTS TO GO DOWN TO 0, ENGINE VIBRATES, APPEARS THAT IT WILL STALL, AND JUST IN THE NICK OF TIME BEFORE THE NEEDLE HITS 0, THE NEEDLE RETURNS TO IDLE AND ALL IS OK. OK???? I DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS VEHICLE AND NEITHER DOES THE DEALER. LAST TIME I TOOK THE VEHICLE FOR SERVICE (11/3/03) THEY CHANGED SPARK PLUGS, GASKET AND INLET MANIFOLD BOTH SIDES. I'M TAKING IT TO THE DEALER ON TOMORROW (THE DAY AFTER THE INCIDENT) AND IF THEY CAN'T FIT IT I'M GETTING A V8 FORD. *JB
ENGINE VIBRATES WHEN AT IDLE, AND ACTS AS IF IT MAY STALL, BUT DOES NOT. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND DEALER SAID IDLE WAS TOO LOW. BUT A WEEK LATER, ENGINE VIBRATED AGAIN AND APPEARED IT WAS GOING TO STALL BUT DID NOT. I CALLED MITSUBISHI REPS IN CALIFORNIA, THEY CAME DOWN TO FLORIDA TO TEST MY CAR. FOR THREE DAYS THEY KEPT IT AND SAID THEY FIXED THE PROBLEM: THEY CHANGED THE SPARK PLUGS AND CABLES AND TOLD ME TO USE PREMIUM FUEL FROM AMOCO. A WEEK LATER THE CAR VIBRATED AGAIN AND APPEARED IT WOULD STALL BUT IT DID NOT. MITSUBISHI SAID THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS CAUSING VIBRATIONS BUT THEY ARE LOOKING IN TO IT. THEY TOLD ME THEY CAN NOT FIND A SOLUTION IF THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS CAUSING PROBLEM. I AM VERY FRUSTRATED WITH MY MONTERO. WILL PROBABLY TRADE FOR BIG AMERICAN GAS GUZZLER.*JB
THIS CAR HAVE A LOT OF PROBLEM THAT THE DEALER CANNOT RESOLVED OR FIX, IT FIRST STARTED ON NOV 15,2002 WHEN THE CAR STALLED WHEN ON IDLE. I CALLED THE DEALER THE NEXT DAY NOV 16,2002 AND ADDRESS THE PROBLEM, BUT THEY TOLD ME IF THE SAME PROBLEM HAPPEN, BRING IT TO THE NEAREST DEALER. ON JANUARY 1, 2003 THE CAR STALLS AGAIN AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON, ON JANUARY 2,2003 I WENT TO THE DEALER AND THEY DIAGNOSED THE CAR AND THEY TOLD ME THE PROBLEM IS MISFIRE AND THEY RESET THE LIGHTS AND ADJUST THE IDLE. ON JANUARY 14,2003 THE CAR STALLS AGAIN, THE NEXT DAY I WENT TO THE DEALER AND THE CAR STALLS AGAIN AND I GOT ALMOST HIT AT THE FREEWAY. AND THEY REPLACED THE IDLE SPEED CONTROL AND TOLD ME THEY FIX THE PROBLEM. BUT AFTER A WEEK ON JANUARY 14, 2003 THE CAR STALLS AGAIN, AND WHEN I GOT HOME A GAS IS LEAKING UNDER THE GAS TANK IT ONLY STOP LEAKING WHEN I OPEN THE THE GAS CAP. THE NEXT DAY ON MY WAY TO THE DEALER THE CAR STALLS AGAIN ON THE FREEWAY AND I GOT ALMOST GOT AN ACCIDENT ON THE FREEWAY BECAUSE THE CAR JUST STOP AND HESITATE TO START AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMP IT STARTS AND I CALLED THE DEALER AND MITSUBISHI CUSTOMER RELATIONS AND DRIVE TO THE DEALER, THEY ADVICE ME TO LEAVE THE CAR FOR THE DAY AND THEY WILL CONTACT THE FACTORY TECHNICIAN REGARDING THE PROBLEM, THE NEXT DAY I WENT BACK TO THE DEALER TO PICK UP THE CAR BUT THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM SO THEY NEED ANOTHER DAY, ON THE THIRD DAY I JUST CALLED THEM AND ASK ANY DEVELOPEMENT BUT THEY TOLD ME THAT THE DISTRICT MANAGER IS GOING TO THE DEALER TO LOOK IN TO THE PROBLEM, AND THEY WILL GIVE ME AN ANSWER. THE NEXT DAY ON THE FOURTH DAY I CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME TO PICK UP THE CAR AND THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, SO HOW IS MY SAFETY WITH THIS CAR WHILE I AM DRIVING IT AND STALLS ON THE ROAD WITHOUT WARNING AND GOT AN ACCIDENT, AND WHEN WILL THEY FIND A SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM IF THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM
THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WHICH THE DEALERSHIP, ON MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO FIX, HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIX FAILURE. INITIALLY, THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING FUEL AT THE PASSENGER REAR WHEEL WELL. THIS HAS OCCURRED ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS. NO REASON FOR THIS WAS FOUND UPON INSPECTION. THE 3RD TIME THERE WAS FUEL LEAKAGE, THERE WAS ALSO A FAILURE OF THE ENGINE IN WHICH HESITATING AND STALLING OCCURRED. THE SES LIGHT DID INITIATE. INITIALLY THE SOLENOID WAS REPLACED. 6 DAYS LATER THE SAME THING OCCURRED AND THE SES LIGHT DID AGAIN COME ON. THE VEHICLE WAS AGAIN TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE REAR CAMSTER AND FILTER WAS REPLACED. WE REQUESTED A MEETING WITH THE DISTRICT MANAGER TO DISCUSS THE PROBLEM. WE WERE TOLD HE WOULD BE BACK FROM VACATION AFTER 10/1 AND WE WOULD BE CONTACTED. AFTER THE LAST REPAIR, THE VEHICLE HAD A PROBLEM WITH LOSS OF POWER AT TIMES. THIS INCLUDED SLOW RESPONSE WHEN STEPPING ON THE FUEL (TO INCLUDE FLOORING IT) WHEN TRYING TO PASS. IT WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON 10/4. THE SERVICE MANAGER DROVE IT AND STATED "COULD NOT DUPLICATE COMPLAINT". IT WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER A SECOND TIME APPROX. 1 WK LATER AND EVEN THOUGH FLOORING IT AT 35 MPH INITIATED A SLUGGISH RESPONSE IN WHICH THE RPM NEVER JUMPED UP BUT JUST STEADILY INCLINED AT A SLOW RATE, THE SERVICE MANAGER AGAIN SAID HE FELT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. THIS LOSS OF POWER HAPPENED ONCE WHEN TRYING TO MERGE ONTO THE FREEWAY AND I ALMOST GOT HIT BEFORE I COULD PULL BACK OVER AND OUT OF THE WAY. ON 10/21 THE VEHICLE AGAIN EXHIBITED PROBLEMS WITH ACCELERATION FROM A STOP THIS TIME STALLING. AFTER 3 ATTEMPTS, I WAS STILL UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. IT SAT FOR 65 MINUTES WAITING FOR MITSUBISHI'S TOWING SERVICE. AT THAT TIME, MY HUSBAND CAME AND STARTED THE VEHICLE. IT STARTED ON THE 2ND ATTEMPT AND BLUE-BLACK SMOKE CAME OUT FROM THE EXHAUST. WE DID DRIVE IT DOWN TO THE DEALERSHIP WITH ONLY TWO INSTANCES OF SOME LOSS OF POWER. PROBLEM STILL NOT CORRECTED. DT
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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