Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1995 Mitsubishi Montero owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl contact owns a 1995 Mitsubishi Montero. While driving less than 55 MPH, the power steering failed and the contact almost struck a pedestrian. Upon further investigation, he found that a pulley failed in the crankshaft. The manufacturer stated that his VIN was included in a recall. Due to the age of the vehicle, the contact was informed that he would have had to have the timing belt replaced at some point, which would have also taken care of the recall. Mitsubishi refused to perform the recall repair. The contact was well within the statute of limitations to have his vehicle repaired according to the recall. NHTSA campaign id number 00V311001. The current and failure mileages were less than 215,000. Updated 7/9/09 the bolt holding the harmonic balancer pulley on, fell out which allowed the pulley to also fall off. Updated 07/17/09.
Dt*: the contact stated while traveling 40 MPH on dry road conditions, a clunking noise was heard from the engine bay, and power steering was lost. Also, the accelerator pedal was inoperable. The contact managed to pull the vehicle over, and was towed to the dealership. Upon inspection, the dealer determined that the crankshaft pulley bolt had fractured, and the bolt needed to be replaced. The bolt was replaced. The manufacturer was contacted, who denied responsibility for the fractured bolt because a safety recall was performed 5 years earlier for the retorqing of the bolt. The vehicle had air conditioning work and the timing chain replacement performed one month prior to the incident, and the contact was not sure if that work could have affected the crankshaft pulley bolt.
The crankshaft pulley bolt became loose, causing the vehicle to lose power steering,charging system, and the vehicle became hot. My wife was put in danger because of the steering loss during her commute from work in rush hour traffic. There is an active recall for this problem, NHTSA I.d. 00V311001 but the bolt was never replaced just inspected. I talked to the dealer and manufacturer service rep's and was informed by both that ,my vehicle was out of the "recall warranty" even though the original defective bolt caused the problem.
Tl* the contact owns a 1995 Mitsubishi Montero. The contact stated that while traveling at unknown speeds, the contact heard a strange noise as the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. The contact also mentioned that a series of warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was moved to the shoulder and later towed to a private mechanic where it was found that the crankshaft pulley bolt had fractured. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted about the failure. The failure mileage was 154,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 1995 Mitsubishi Montero. While driving 15 MPH, the contact heard an abnormal noise under the hood of the vehicle. An independent mechanic stated that the crank shaft bolt needed to be repaired. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, but was not repaired because the recall had expired. The manufacturer was not notified. The NHTSA campaign number for the recall was unavailable. The failure mileage was 192,000.
The crankshaft pulley bolt has broken 3 times in 2003 while driving. Powersteering is lost and the last time car died while driving.the previos owner fixed it on feb.7, 2003. It broke while my husband was on the freeway May 15th, 2003 and then it broke again sept.4,2003. There is a recall on this bolt for the Montero 3.0 l engine and the galant same year. Why no recall on the Montero 3.5 l? No fatalities this time.
Tl contact owns a 1995 Mitsubishi Montero. While at a stop sign, the instrument panel lights illuminated and the vehicle became difficult to steer. The mechanic stated that the pulley was not working properly. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign id number 00V311001 (engine and engine cooling:engine). The current and failure mileages were 152,000. Updated 09/16/08. Updated 09/18/08.
Dt: the caller said smoke came out of tail pipe when vehicle first accelerated. He had to put oil in the vehicle more often than normal. Dealer told him vehicle idled too slowly, and that oil was getting on the valves, causing the smoke. He was told the guides were dropping too low, and that was letting the oil leak onto the valves. Dealer and manufacturer offered no help for free.
Crankshaft pulley bolt broke off inside the crank shaft. Pulley began wobbling and shredding the belts causing loss of power steering at highway speeds. Vehicle towed 130 miles back to dealer location. Told by dealer the defective bolt was due to recent head gasket work and had nothing to do with the multiple reports of this bolt failing or the safety recall that had been issued.
Vehicle was at a complete stop, consumer noticed smoke coming from the engine. Consumer checked under the hood and notice a oil leak. Consumer had vehicle serviced by the dealership, who indicated that the porous head caused the engine leak. Please provide more details. Ts
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling › Engine
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.
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…
Engine complaints in other Montero years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 1995 Mitsubishi Montero?
NHTSA has 36 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 1995 Mitsubishi Montero, 42% of the model year's 86 complaints. The component named most often is engine (20 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1995 Mitsubishi Montero engine problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 00V311001 (engine, Oct 2, 2000). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1995 Mitsubishi Montero engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 149,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.