"How reliable is the 1998 Mitsubishi Montero?"

"Based on 91 NHTSA complaints, the 1998 Mitsubishi Montero has a median complaint mileage of 89500 miles. The most common issue is Front."

"What are common problems with the 1998 Mitsubishi Montero?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 1998 Mitsubishi Montero is Front, accounting for a significant portion of the 91 total complaints filed."

1998 Mitsubishi Montero: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 91 complaints

Total Complaints

89,500mi

Median Mileage

Front

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

54,320 25th Percentile

89,500 Median Mileage

103,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Front

Suspension

Unknown Or Other

Foundation Components

Air Bags

Anchorage

Gasoline

Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip

Bumpers

Structure

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"WHEN DRIVING THE FUEL LINE BROKE AWAY FOR THE ENGINE AND CAUSED THE FUEL TO POUR OUT OVER THE ENGINE. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPAIRED BY DEALER. DEALER STATED THAT A BRACKET WAS MISSING FROM THE FUEL LINE. *AK"

"DUE TO NON -TIGHTENING/MISSING OF THE LOWER BALL JOINT NUT BY THE MANUFACTURER. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE RIGHT WHEEL ALMOST CAME OFF, CAUSING LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, RESULTING IN THE CONSUMER HITTING A GUARDRAIL. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK"

"OWNER BELIEVES THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDS ADDITIONAL FENDERS OR HAVE A REDESIGNED FRONT SKID PLATE INSTALLED UNDER THE BUMPER TO STOP WATER FROM SPRAYING THE WINDSHIELD WHEN DRIVING THROUGH FOUR INCHES OF WATER AT 30 MPH CAUSING NO VISIBILITY FOR SEVERAL SECONDS."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 20 FL: 12 TX: 9 PR: 7 PA: 7 NY: 5 NJ: 5 LA: 3 GA: 3 MA: 2

Who Files Complaints?

58.2%

Original Owners

41.8%

Second+ Owners

Mitsubishi Montero — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1990	25	-	Buckle Assembly	2
1991	22	-	Engine	0
1994	35	185,000	Engine	3
1995	106	143,000	Engine	8
1996	40	-	Unknown Or Other	0
1997	85	110,500	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	7
1999	47	84,000	Automatic Transmission	4
2000	68	109,000	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	8
2001	213	103,530	Vacuum	16
2002	132	84,000	Service Brakes	11
2003	53	67,000	Service Brakes, Hydraulic	6

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28