2002 Mitsubishi Montero Sport Air bags Problems
- Complaints
- 11about this part
- Share
- 20%of 54 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 100,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 11 complaints about the air bags of the 2002 Mitsubishi Montero Sport, 20% of the 54 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 100,000 miles. 9 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“I was in an auto accident and hit a car in it's side. I was going approximately 30 MPH. The vehicle also rolled on it's left side after impact. I was the only front passenger. My airbag never deployed. My head ended up hitting the steering wheel.”
NHTSA complaint #10327616, filed 2010-04, 127,871 miles“2002 Mitsubishi Montero Sport; the car horn/alarm goes off usually when a drop of temperature occurs in the middle of the night. To fix ... Has something to do with a short in the electrical of the air bag and the steering wheel column. Very expensive for a mechanic, over $1200. I have to unhook my battery every night and on colder days. Researching online.....a lot of people are disabling the horn/alarm system and driving without horns. Or they are tampering with the air bag to try and fix. It is a very common problem....... …”
NHTSA complaint #10556927, filed 2013-12, 125,000 miles“I was a passenger in a 2002 Mitsubishi montero and we were hit head on doing 40+ on the highway. Neither front airbag deployed. I fractured my humorous requiring surgery for the installation of hardware to mend the bone.”
NHTSA complaint #10239122, filed 2008-08, 50,000 miles“I own a 2002 Mitsubishi montero, it has been in 2 severe head on impacts, one at over 35mph.....neither time has the airbags deployed on this vehicle. I have contacted Mitsubishi, they maintain the airbags have worked properly, how they determine this, I do not know. This is a manufacturer defect.”
NHTSA complaint #10000656, filed 2002-12, 9,500 miles“My husband and I were in a SUV rollover accident in may 4, 2006. Our vehicle was rear-ended by another SUV and ultimately involved four (4) vehicles total. The airbags in our vehicle did not deploy and my husband died later from complications induced by internal bleeding.”
NHTSA complaint #10212380, filed 2007-12Related service bulletins
- 10170086Nov 1, 2012This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
Air bags: other model years
Other parts of the 2002 Mitsubishi Montero Sport
11 complaintsElectrical system
7 complaintsEngine cooling
6 complaintsBody and structure
5 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
5 complaintsFuel system
3 complaintsSteering
3 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
3 complaintsExterior lighting
2 complaintsTires
2 complaintsEngine
1 complaintsEquipment
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2002 Mitsubishi Montero Sport
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Nov 1, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology