2002 Mitsubishi Montero Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year mostly complain about the brakes, and the recurring theme is a chirping or grinding noise from the driver-side dash area that appears before or alongside a brake pedal that feels stiff or sinks to the floor. Many of the brake complaints describe being told the vehicle was not covered by the hydraulic brake booster accumulator recall for their build date, and the rest of the sample covers scattered fuel leaks, frame corrosion, engine noise and stalling on older, higher-mileage vehicles.

1. 1
   Brakes

   Brake booster accumulator failure (chirping, hard or dead

   • 52 complaints (47%)
   • median 87,500 mi at 7.2 yrs old (46 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $625 (median of 6 quotes)
   • filed 2005–2018

   Complaints describe a chirping, squeaking or grinding noise from the left side of the dash when the brake pedal is pressed, sometimes accompanied by a stiff pedal on first start, an illuminated ABS or brake warning light, or a pedal that travels to the floor. Several owners report that a shop or dealer traced the symptom to the hydraulic brake booster accumulator and quoted replacement, and many say they were told their VIN or build date was outside the related brake booster recall, so they paid for the work themselves. Some complaints describe the noise recurring for months before any stopping problem appeared. Reported across a wide mileage range, roughly 5,500 to 180,000 miles, with many complaints filed at 60,000 to 130,000 miles.

   Recall 01V254001

   What to check: Ask whether the hydraulic brake booster accumulator has ever been replaced and keep the paperwork; before buying, listen for a chirp from the dash area with the engine running and check that the pedal is firm on first application.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “This is concerning a 2002 Mitsubishi Montero limited. My wife and daughter were headed down our driveway when the brakes failed. My wife started pumping the brakes and was finally able to stop the car, but, not before the front end was already out in the road. Had there been a car coming, it would have resulted in a crash. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10159689, filed 2006-06, 68,435 miles

   “My Montero was making a chirping noise. I called Mitsubishi and two dealerds at san antonio texas to find out more about the issue. They told me my VIN did not have any recalls or safety recalls at the time. Later after the system failing I conducted research on the www and found the hydraulic brake booster accumulator was the one leaking nitrogen gas a causing the fault and the noise. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10427554, filed 2011-09, 64,800 miles
2. 2
   Brakes

   Brakes slow to stop or locking up

   Mentioned in 9 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe delayed stopping, a pedal that goes to the floorboard, or wheels that lock on their own during braking, in a few cases leading to a collision or a near miss. Some complaints say the ABS light came on and the system behaved normally again after a restart, only to repeat later. Shops in these complaints variously diagnosed a faulty ABS system, ABS control module or leaking booster assembly, and some owners report repeat visits without a lasting resolution. Spread from very low mileage (under 1,000 miles) up to about 145,000 miles, with several reports between 70,000 and 120,000 miles.

   Recall 01V254001

   What to check: Test the brakes from a low speed on a quiet road and confirm the ABS and brake warning lights come on at start-up and then go out; ask for brake and ABS service records.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I bought this truck in april then I was driving on the express way and when I applied the brakes to start slowing down the brakes locked on the vehicle almost causing and accident. I have tried to fix them and still having the same problem, them I found out there is a recall on the brakes. The dealers refuse to fix it. What should I do and what are the laws on recalls.”

   NHTSA complaint #10549212, filed 2013-10, 108,974 miles

   “While parked in my driveway at night, my 2002 limited Mitsubishi Montero's car alarm will go off at exactly 4:30 am each morning until we disable the alarm with the remote. We checked and no one else or thing is bumping or setting off the alarm.”

   NHTSA complaint #10715075, filed 2015-05, 72,000 miles
3. 3
   Fuel system

   Fuel smell and leaks around the tank and filler area

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe a gasoline smell around the vehicle, sometimes with a visible puddle under the tank, and one owner reports rust under the plastic shield around the tank where the leak appeared. Another owner says the vehicle leaked fuel again after recall work for a fuel leak was already performed, and one complaint links a leak to stalling. The fuel tank leveling valve recall is the closest match in this vehicle's recall list, and some owners say they were refused repair at the manufacturer's expense. Reported from about 21,000 to 104,000 miles, appearing in complaints filed between 2005 and 2016.

   Recall 04V319000

   What to check: Smell around the fuel filler and under the rear of the vehicle after it has sat full, and look under the plastic shield around the tank for rust or damp spots; ask whether the fuel tank recall work was completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I started to smell gas when near the Montero. I thought it was another recall notice about a valve sealing but it got worse, and I started noticing a gas puddle under the Montero. I removed the plastic shield from around the tank and found an area about 9 x 7 had surface rust on it and the leak is from this. The plastic shield traps dirt and moisture in this location and caused this highly dangerous situation.”

   NHTSA complaint #10253184, filed 2008-12, 104,000 miles

   “This car have a lot of problem that the dealer cannot resolved or fix, it first started on nov 15,2002 when the car stalled when on idle. I called the dealer the next day nov 16,2002 and address the problem, but they told me if the same problem happen, bring it to the nearest dealer. On january 1, 2003 the car stalls again and the check engine light is on, on january 2,2003 I went to the dealer and they diagnosed the car and they told me the problem is misfire and they reset the lights and adjust the idle. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10003369, filed 2003-01, 9,142 miles
4. 4
   Engine cooling

   Engine noise, rough idle and stalling

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners report loud knocking or diesel-like noise from the front of the engine, idle vibration where the tachometer drops toward zero and the engine nearly stalls, and occasional stalling while slowing for a turn. One complaint cites a service bulletin describing piston pin contact with the cylinder walls and cylinder scuffing as a possible cause of the idle noise. Dealers in these complaints replaced spark plugs and manifold gaskets or adjusted idle without a permanent fix in some cases. Mostly reported between roughly 9,000 and 75,000 miles, with a few at higher mileage.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Listen to the engine at idle with the hood open for a knocking or diesel-like tick, and ask whether ignition and idle-related repairs have been done; a compression or cylinder-wall inspection is worth requesting if the noise is present.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was driving my 2002 Mitsubishi Montero limited through town when out of the blue, the loudest noise started coming from the front of the engine. You could hear the noise from blocks down the road. Took it to a local mechanic who discovered a technical service bulletin that states, some vehicles may experience a dieseling-type noise when the engine is idling. This may be due to the piston pins contacting the cylinders. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10220864, filed 2008-03, 72,100 miles

   “I was driving home from work and notice my truck had died while slowing to make a right turn at a light..noticed the brake and battery light came on...I restarted the car then tried to make a quick left on my street and couldn't steer my car...I had to use all my strength to turn the steering wheel...had to make a hard turn because on coming traffic was coming and I couldn't speed up or really brake...luckily I made the turn coasted a bit heard a loud clacking under my hood coasted to side of road where I wouldn't be in middle of road...I …”

   NHTSA complaint #10510149, filed 2013-04, 126,000 miles

Buying note. Brake-related complaints dominate this model year, so prioritize a vehicle with documented brake booster and ABS service and have the frame inspected for rust. A pre-purchase inspection that includes a brake test and an underbody check is worth the cost on these trucks.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.