Most common 1997 Mitsubishi Montero problems
Share of the 63 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Mitsubishi Montero complaints by model year
Best Montero years: 2004, 1996, 2003. Years to avoid: 2001, 2002, 1998, 1995. Compare all years →
1997 Mitsubishi Montero recalls (2)
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
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.
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.
Unknown or other
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.
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.
What 1997 Mitsubishi Montero owners say
Engine & cooling
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.
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.
Brakes
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. 2. Service engine soon comes on at random and only goes off when the battery is unhooked and rehooked or replaced.
I've had same problems with my brakes twice now. My brakes pulsate at higher speeds. I've had my rotors resurfaced twice.(1) at 34,000 miles & (2) at 58840. The warranty the dealer ship gives me is 3 month or 3000 miles for pulsating, even if I were to buy new rotors. I' ve had to recently replace my right back shoe because it was rubbuing metal on metal but my left side was perfectly fine. They could'nt give me an explanation why. I'm tired of paying $ 500 for the same problem year after year. My antenna was replaced because it broke off, so I had the dealer put a new one in a year ago and now the antenna doesn't go down. My moonroofs cover (interior ) popped off while driving. I somehow managed to put it back in. These are the couple of problems I've encountered. I especially don't feel safe driving this truck when it starts to pulsate. …
Electrical system
While sitting in traffic, passenger (wife) moved her window visor, a flame shot out towards her face coming from upper right corner of window visor, where wire for vanity mirror had chaffed over time, due to a plastic covering edge to hide wire. Flame was 4-5 inches long, 1 inch thick and flamed for 6-8 seconds, then large amounts of thick grey smoke came from area. Wire for vanity mirror had chaffed away the wiring cover and was touching the metal rod used to hold up visor. Fuse did not blow. This could have easily caught fire inside my headliner, behind dash, etc.
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.
1997 Mitsubishi Montero engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 15 / 18 / 16 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 14 / 17 / 15 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 14 / 17 / 15 |
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 14 / 18 / 15 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1997 Mitsubishi Montero a good car?
Based on 63 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1997 Montero rates average: 1.2× as many complaints as a typical year of the Montero at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1997 Mitsubishi Montero?
The engine & cooling — 17 complaints, 27% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine. Next are the brakes (14) and electrical system (8).
How many recalls does the 1997 Mitsubishi Montero have?
There are 2 recalls for the 1997 Mitsubishi Montero, the most recent from September 9, 1998 (hoses, lines/piping, and fittings). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Mitsubishi Montero?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2004, 1996 and 2003. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2001, 2002, 1998 and 1995. See the full Mitsubishi Montero years comparison.
At what mileage do 1997 Mitsubishi Montero problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 111,000 miles; 0% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 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.