2002 Mitsubishi Montero Air bags Problems
- Complaints
- 7about this part
- Share
- 6%of 111 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 72,500miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 7 complaints about the air bags of the 2002 Mitsubishi Montero, 6% of the 111 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 72,500 miles. 4 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.
“Aging of the cosmetic vinyl covering on steering wheel that covers air bag module will contract too much in cold weather, approximately 40 degrees f or lower causing car horn to go off even without engine running. The vinyl covering squeezes the car horn contacts that are just under the cover and on top of air bag module.”
NHTSA complaint #10653550, filed 2014-11, 90,000 miles“My horn goes off when I turn the steering wheel or hit bumps when driving and when parked and turned off, if its close to freezing it will go off constantly early in the morning before dawn and I have to disconnect the battery or pull the fuse for the horn under the hood fuse panel to stop it. I can't drive it with a horn fuse in and have tried replacing the steering wheel airbag and it still has the same problem. My neighbor had the same issue on his 04 Jeep and his car was fixed with an airbag actuator recall. No warning lights ever come on. Only my mechanic has looked at the vehicle.”
NHTSA complaint #11583242, filed 2024-04“Takata recall - my late 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. Police report filed and sent to manufacturer with no response or comment. Noticed that there are several airbag complaints with ntsb for my vehicle type with no open investigations. My husband's death should trigger some type of investigation or concern from both ntsb and the manufacturer.”
NHTSA complaint #10795277, filed 2015-11“The contact stated that an accident occurred while driving 32 MPH and the seatbelt did not restrain and the air bag did not deploy. A police report was taken a the scene of the accident. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection however the dealer has not determined the cause of the problem.”
NHTSA complaint #10170413, filed 2006-10, 55,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10170086Nov 1, 2012This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
Air bags: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 3 | 8% |
| 2002 | 7 | 6% |
| 2001 | 14 | 8% |
| 2000 | 5 | 10% |
| 1999 | 5 | 13% |
| 1998 | 6 | 8% |
| 1997 | 5 | 8% |
| 1995 | 3 | 3% |
| 1994 | 1 | 3% |
| 1989 | 1 | 10% |
Other parts of the 2002 Mitsubishi Montero
68 complaintsEngine cooling
8 complaintsFuel system
8 complaintsElectrical system
7 complaintsBody and structure
5 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
5 complaintsOther or unknown
4 complaintsEquipment
3 complaintsExterior lighting
3 complaintsSteering
3 complaintsEngine
2 complaintsTires
2 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2002 Mitsubishi Montero
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 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