1998 Mitsubishi Montero Sport

Recalls

1 recall names the 1998 Mitsubishi Montero Sport. Newest first.

• Engine and engine cooling › Engine

  Oct 2, 2000NHTSA 00V311001210,000 vehicles

  Vehicle description: passenger vehicles: mirage model vehicles equipped with 1.5L engines; montero sport models equipped with 3.0L engines; and montero models equipped with 3.0L engines. the bolt securing the crankshaft pulley can become loose and the pulley could fall off the vehicle.

  Risk and remedy

  Risk

  The condition can result in a loss of power steering assist, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Remedy

  On the mirage vehicles, the dealers will install a new, improved crankshaft pulley bolt on the older engines. on new engines which already have the improved bolt, the dealer will tighten the crankshaft pulley bolt to the correct torque specification. on the montero models, dealers will tighten the crankshaft pulley bolt to the correct torque specifications. if the bolt IS damaged, it will be replaced.

  Full recall details →

Owner complaints

What owners report most

1. Engine and engine cooling14
2. Electrical system5
3. Air bags4
4. Service brakes, hydraulic4
5. Steering4
6. Power train2
7. Visibility2
8. Vehicle speed control1
9. Structure1
10. Suspension1

Latest complaints

• Aug 31, 2021FL
  Air bags
  On Tuesday August 31st I pulled up to Alexandra tire shop to get a tire. I got out of the truck to inquire if the tire that I needed was available. The mechanic informed me that they had the tire I needed. My wife sat in the car on the passenger side as I inquired with the mechanic. Once he…

  On Tuesday August 31st I pulled up to Alexandra tire shop to get a tire. I got out of the truck to inquire if the tire that I needed was available. The mechanic informed me that they had the tire I needed. My wife sat in the car on the passenger side as I inquired with the mechanic. Once he informed me that they had the tire, my wife got out of the passenger side to take a seat while the tire was being changed. The mechanic instructed me to get in the truck and pull It forward. I got in on the driver side, crank the truck up , and the airbag exploded, cracking my windshield and my dashboard. Prior to this incident there were no warning indication on my dashboard concerning a default. My wife was put at terrible risk. Had she not exited the truck 2 minutes before the airbag exploded. she would have been injured.

• Jun 8, 2012CA150,240 miFire
  Electronic stability control (esc)

  I turned my ac on and smelled something burning and my car battery light and brake light as well as my at light came on and then my radio, ac,dome light and moon roof wont close I took my car to the dealer and they wanted 400$ just to diagnose the problem and that doesn't include fixing it I took it to pepboys and they told me I could of had fire with a bad malfunction. *js

• Aug 8, 2011MD180,000 mi
  Engine and engine cooling
  TL* the contact owns a 1998 mitsubishi montero sport. While driving approximately 25 mph, the contact attempted to make a turn and the steering wheel seized without warning. Suddenly, within thirty seconds the steering wheel unseized on its own. The failure occurred sporadicly. The vehicle was…

  TL* the contact owns a 1998 mitsubishi montero sport. While driving approximately 25 mph, the contact attempted to make a turn and the steering wheel seized without warning. Suddenly, within thirty seconds the steering wheel unseized on its own. The failure occurred sporadicly. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who stated that a faulty crank shaft pulley contributed to the failure. The technician also informed the contact of a recall under nhtsa campaign ID number 00v311001 (engine and engine cooling:engine). The vin was not included in the recall. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 180,000.

• Jun 28, 2011NJ309,000 miCrash1 injury
  Air bags

  While traveling on route 632, another vehicle failed to yield the right of way, entered and stopped in the intersection of route 632 & route 645 in new jersey; causing my SUV to broad sided their pick-up truck. luckily there were no fatalities. however, neither the mitsubishi driver or passenger side air bags deployed upon impact.

• Jun 28, 2011NJ307,000 mi
  Electrical system
  While traveling on the new jersey turnpike, I-78, and other highways, the mitsubishi alternator intermittently failed, causing loss of power steering and other electrically control functions. what makes this notably IS that it was the 5TH alternator that failed and had to be replaced within 1-1/2…

  While traveling on the new jersey turnpike, I-78, and other highways, the mitsubishi alternator intermittently failed, causing loss of power steering and other electrically control functions. what makes this notably IS that it was the 5TH alternator that failed and had to be replaced within 1-1/2 years. each time while driving on highways between 55 and 65 mph the alternator failed and sudden loss of vehicle steering control and operation, occurred with narrow escapes from serious accidents while navigating to safety.

• Apr 27, 2011AZ198,500 mi
  Engine and engine cooling
  I was driving along I-17 near phoenix, az merging onto I-10 west - when all of the sudden I couldn't steer the vehicle. All while going 65 mph. It took every bit of my strength to maneuver the vehicle safely off the highway to avoid an accident. I had it towed to mark mitsubishi in avondale, az for…

  I was driving along I-17 near phoenix, az merging onto I-10 west - when all of the sudden I couldn't steer the vehicle. All while going 65 mph. It took every bit of my strength to maneuver the vehicle safely off the highway to avoid an accident. I had it towed to mark mitsubishi in avondale, az for repairs. After several days the "repairs" were done. The damage was due to the bolt - crank shaft pulley - I paid nearly $600 for repairs. Four and a half weeks later, the same thing happened, this time I was driving an hour from my home on 202 in chandler when I was getting off the highway, as soon as I got on the off ramp, I heard metal hit and saw something fly across the off-ramp. Again, I had my vehicle to towed to the dealership for yet another repair of the same problem. Then april 8TH, again it appears to be the same problem, the dealership said they can't fix it a third time. They refunded my money from the first repair. A local mechanic was able to get the bolt back in, for it to come out again today, april 26TH. There was a recall on this vehicle, that did not fix the issue. Now I have a truck that IS not safe to drive and the dealership will not work on it. I was in two separate incidents with this vehicle at high rates of speed and was very fortunate that I was not injured and that I did not get into accident injuring anyone else. This IS a manufacturer issue that mitsubishi needs to be held accountable for before someone IS killed or permanently injured.

• Apr 30, 2010TX152,000 mi
  Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Gasoline › Belts and associated pulleys
  Tl*the contact owns a 1998 mitsubishi montero sport. While driving at 60 mph, the contact had trouble turning to the right and noticed vibrations in the steering wheel. The contact pulled over and noticed that the driving belts were dislodged and the crankshaft bolt was hanging off the vehicle. The…

  Tl*the contact owns a 1998 mitsubishi montero sport. While driving at 60 mph, the contact had trouble turning to the right and noticed vibrations in the steering wheel. The contact pulled over and noticed that the driving belts were dislodged and the crankshaft bolt was hanging off the vehicle. The vehicle had not been inspected or repaired at the time of the complaint. The current and failure mileages were approximately 152,000.

• Oct 27, 2009TXCrash
  Tires
  I purchased a used tire at bj tire shop in bryan, tx on july 16, 2009. The tire purchased (bf goodrich radial long trail t/a 265 70R) turned out to be defective with the tread separating from the rest of the tire, causing my vehicle to flip over causing $9000 in damages to my vehicle. We were very…

  I purchased a used tire at bj tire shop in bryan, tx on july 16, 2009. The tire purchased (bf goodrich radial long trail t/a 265 70R) turned out to be defective with the tread separating from the rest of the tire, causing my vehicle to flip over causing $9000 in damages to my vehicle. We were very fortunate that no one got hurt or killed. I am afraid that this tire shop maybe selling more of these defective tires and could cause someone to be killed or cause more accidents. How can I make sure that more of these tires are not being sold. Bj's tire shop bobby duron - owner - anthony duron 1305 san jacinto bryan, texas 77803 thank you for your prompt attention and resolution of this matter. *Tr

• Mar 2, 2009NC183,114 mi
  Engine and engine cooling › Engine
  I bought a 1998 mitsubitshi montero sport LS approx. 9 months ago and while it ran great about a month ago I started noticing when I would go to start it up it would act like the battery was going dead. So I replaced the battery. The problem still occurred. Then about 4 days after that out of no…

  I bought a 1998 mitsubitshi montero sport LS approx. 9 months ago and while it ran great about a month ago I started noticing when I would go to start it up it would act like the battery was going dead. So I replaced the battery. The problem still occurred. Then about 4 days after that out of no where the engine would start squealing. But that would only last for about 30 seconds. And stop until the turn would be off long enough for the engine to get cold. Well I was on my way out of town to see a medical specialist for my daughter's continuing medical condition and the truck just shut down in the middle of the highway luckily we were not hit by any other motor vehicles. After getting the truck off the road I looked under the hood, seen and picked up a pulley off the ground with a long bolt still inside of it, I later learned that it was a crank shaft pulley which had caused me to throw the timing in the truck. I lost my job, missed the doctors appt for my daughter and have been without a vehicle every since that incident on january 28,2009. Now I do understand that the truck IS approx 11 years old but before I bought it I took it to the mitsubishi dealership and had them inspect it and hook it up to a machine. They told me that for an older truck it IS in great condition. And that nothing was work that they seen off found on the computer, with the truck. *Tr

• Mar 30, 2008LA
  Vehicle speed control

  While driving the car just begin to accelerate the more I tried to apply the brakes the faster the car ran. *tr

• Jan 4, 2008WV101,000 mi
  Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer › Motor
  We experienced a small sleet/freezing rain event. I turned on the front wipers for a fraction of a second because I realized the blades were frozen. I proceeded to clean the windshield and warm up the vehicle. After warming up the vehicle the wipers would not work; the 15 amp fuse had not blown…

  We experienced a small sleet/freezing rain event. I turned on the front wipers for a fraction of a second because I realized the blades were frozen. I proceeded to clean the windshield and warm up the vehicle. After warming up the vehicle the wipers would not work; the 15 amp fuse had not blown; and I could not find a wiper motor circuit breaker (i purchased the service manuals when I purchased the vehicle). To my amazement this IS what IS stated in the vehichle owner's manual "before operationg the wipers in cold weather, check to be sure the wipers are not frozen (good advice).attempting to operate while the blades are frozen could casue the wiper moter to burn out". the next statement goes on to say this "if the moving wipers become blocked by ice or other deposits on the glass the motor may burn out even if the wither switch IS at off." the motor may burn out just when you need it the most; the fuse does not protect the wiper motor (it did not); and there IS no circuit breaker to protect the motor even though there IS one in the schematic in the service manual. The motor did burn out within the fraction of a second. I called several different mitsubishi dearlerships and they all told me that this IS a common issue and they had replaced numerous wiper motors. Now there IS something seriously wrong with this picture. What IS wrong IS that anyone who has an inkling of basic electronics comprhends the purpose and uses for fuses and circuit breakers. These devices are utilized to protect important electrical components. There IS an invisible circuit breaker in the repair manual and a 15 amp fuse that did not open and there IS a wiper motor that will burn out even with the wiper switch IS off. I have work with several well trained mechanics for many years and there was a saying when we found ignorant mistakes made by u.s. Manufactureres. The quote was "built in detroit (japan)by idiots". this IS my summary statement regarding the wiper motor in this vehicle. *cn

• Jan 2, 2008SC
  Unknown or other

  1998 mitsubishi montero sport recalls. Consumer states that they would like any information about any recalls on their vehicle. *kb

• Apr 4, 2007LA100,110 mi
  Engine and engine cooling › Engine
  I was driving my 1998 montero sport and lost power steering in the middle of a major highway. my belts broke which I had to get a wrecker to tow my vehicle get it to a mechanic and he calls back with you have major problems. The reason the belts jumped off was the crank shaft pulley came loose and…

  I was driving my 1998 montero sport and lost power steering in the middle of a major highway. my belts broke which I had to get a wrecker to tow my vehicle get it to a mechanic and he calls back with you have major problems. The reason the belts jumped off was the crank shaft pulley came loose and screwed the harmonic balance and other things up. I could have been killed or injured and I know this was a recall on the 1998's but I bought this vehicle used so I do not know if it was taken in for the recall and now my mechanic says sometimes repairing this does not always hold so he would not warranty my 800.00 of damage. he did say this was a problem with mitsubishi vehicles in the design and I was lucky it did not screw the motor up. vehicles with this problem should not be allowed to be on the roads. *jb

• Jan 25, 2006NC210,000 mi
  Engine and engine cooling › Engine
  Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle lost the ability to move and there was a squealing noise coming from the engine. the vehicle was towed to the dealership. the pulley was broken. There was a recall for the vehicle concerning the bolts in the crank shaft pulley. there was also a recall for…

  Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle lost the ability to move and there was a squealing noise coming from the engine. the vehicle was towed to the dealership. the pulley was broken. There was a recall for the vehicle concerning the bolts in the crank shaft pulley. there was also a recall for the engine, nhtsa # 00v311001. the vin IS included in the recall. But the manufacturer will not approve the recall performance because the regular maintenance of the vehicle was done by an independent repair shop.

• Aug 30, 2005OH112,000 mi
  Fuel system, gasoline › Storage › Tank assembly · Parking brake

  Manufacturer defect...emergency brake cable wore a hole in vehicle's gas tank. both brake cable and gas tank were in the position as manufactured. *nm

• Jun 4, 2005MD120,000 mi
  Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer › Motor

  Windshield wiper motor quit working about a year ago, then started up again the next day, no other trouble until now, has quit completely. vehicle only has 120K miles on it now...was less than 100K last year when it happened the first time.

• Jan 26, 2005FL
  Engine and engine cooling

  Recall campaign 00v311001/crankshaft pulley bolt. the dealer charged the consumer for replacing the crankshaft bolts.*ak

• Jan 21, 2005TXCrash1 injury
  Air bags

  When consumer purchased vehicle he was told that the vehicle was never involved in any accident. When driving approximately 60 mph, consumer rear ended a car. When impacting, the air bags did not deploy. After investigation it was determined that the vehicle was involved in an prior accident and had no air bags. *nm

• Sep 21, 2004FLCrash
  Steering › Linkages
  During my drive to work at esm marketing, I was driving on I95 in broward county florida, and got off on cypress creek road and I was attempting to make a left hand turn and when I turned my steering wheel, the wheels did not move. the front end of the steering left me unble to control or…

  During my drive to work at esm marketing, I was driving on I95 in broward county florida, and got off on cypress creek road and I was attempting to make a left hand turn and when I turned my steering wheel, the wheels did not move. the front end of the steering left me unble to control or manipulate my vehicle. I landed on a median strip, magically back out of the median and made my way to a shell gas station. I had the gentlemen look at the car and he stated to me that "you must have a guardian angel cause I don't know how you suvived the stop". I had my mechanic come to my car and repair this damage and he stated that same thing. " in all the 16 years as a mechanic he never say anything like this before. he repair the front end. apparently, the mitsubishi front end streering wheel part where the part twisted into the sleeve of the front end was stripped. my mechanic repair this damage and first choice IS the mechanic that came to my rescue. my mechanic repaired the damage and told me that the part needs to be recalled and that I should get a reimbursement on the incident. *ak

• Jul 8, 2004FL115,000 mi
  Engine and engine cooling

  While driving 5 mph crank shaft bolt snapped. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem.*ak

• Mar 15, 2004GA65,378 mi
  Power train › Manual transmission › Column shift assembly

  On july 2002, at 65,378 miles dealer replaced the manual transmission. 2 year later, dealership indicated to the consumer the transmission needed to be replaced again. *Ak

• Nov 28, 2003AL188,000 mi
  Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Gasoline › Belts and associated pulleys

  While driving 70 mph harmonic balance assembly detached from the vehicle. an independent mechanic determined that the crank shaft pulley bolt broke which caused the failure. *ak

• Oct 20, 2003FL
  Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Disc › Caliper · Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Disc › Pads · Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Disc › Rotor

  While driving approximately 65 mph left front wheel would lock. Had taken vehicle to dealership. Mechanic indicated that rotors/pads p and calipers needed replacing. Had pads/calipers and rotor replaced, but problem still occurred.*ak

• Apr 24, 2003FL
  Structure › Body › Door

  When driving at highway speed, the door made a loud roaring noise as if the door was slightly open. *jb

• Apr 22, 2003CA84,000 miCrash2 injuries
  Air bags · Engine and engine cooling · Steering

  Make: mitsubishi model: montero sport xls year: 1998 SUV was total loss due to out of control and rolled over. *n lm

Service bulletins

Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.

• 10211530This Technical Service Bulletin was sent to dealers to explain the difference between normal dew condensation, which is a natural phenomenon, and water penetration caused by improper sealing or a defective/broken part.
• 10170852This Technical Service Bulletin updates the door adjustment procedure in the Body Section of the applicable service manuals.
• 10170100This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
• 10170099This is an index of Tech Talk newsletter articles released in 2012.
• 10170097This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
• 10170096This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
• 10170087This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
• 10170086This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
• 10170074This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
• 10170071This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
• 10170070This TSB contains troubleshooting steps for diagnosis of various customer complaints relating to the audio system speakers in Mitsubishi vehicles equipped with original equipment audio components.
• 10169006This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
• 10163703This is a Technical Service Bulletin sent to dealers. This bulletin supersedes TSB-18-00-003, issued April, 2018, to add updated information for Carrying Capacity Reduced Label.
• 10130469This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
• 10003753Oxygen sensor detection.
• 10002357Obd-ii drive cycle.
• 10002271Air conditioner refrigerant quantity - service manual revision.
• 10001040A pulsating or rattle noise heard when the air conditioner IS on.
• 10000696New and revised information relating to readiness test status descriptions and procedures.
• 10000437Powertrain control module (pcm) reprogramming for engine stalling / engine hesitation / diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p0154.
• 6092414Mitsubishi motor sales of america, inc. IS voluntarily recalling certain vehicles for inspection and, if necessary, repair of a condition related to the front brake tubes.
• 6088731This bulletin contains recommended automatic transmission / transaxle maintenance information.
• 6088726This bulletin contains recommended manual transmission / transaxle maintenance information.
• 637074Information on a diagnostic trouble code p0174 set
• 635109Information on crankshaft identification marks - service manual revision.
• 631890Subject regarding ball joint dust cover grease application, service manual revision. *Slc
• 631467Subject regarding diagnostic trouble codes p0171 and p0174 for V6 models.
• 629937Customers may report that after pushing the horn button when the accessory socket IS in use,the horn continues to blow when the button IS released.
• 627138Some vehicles may experience vehicle body vibration.*jb
• 627082Subject regarding incorrect propeller shaft installation.*jb
• 625956Technical information regarding crankshaft pulley bolt replacement.
• 625546This bulletin contains instructions for eliminating a popping noise from the rear hatch area of the vehicle.
• 622483Brief information concerning torque converter vibration / shudder.
• 622442Brief information regarding vibration / shudder condition at rear of vehicle on leaf-spring models.
• 622427This bulletin provides corrected instructions for troubleshooting cruise control system trouble code dtc 12, vehicle speed sensor system which was incorrect in the service manuals.
• 618246Information on diagnosing transfer lever stuck in 4H and torque converter vibration / shudder / surge condition.
• 618238Subject regarding crankshaft pulley bolt replacement.
• 618235Some 4-wheel drive models may exhibit a transfer lever stuck in 4H.
• 618232Subject regarding fuel pump operation check - service manual revision.
• 618215Information on corrections to circuit diagrams relating to the central door locking system.

Every Mitsubishi Montero Sport model year

Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.