2002 Mitsubishi Montero Limited 3.5 gasoline

Summary:

Worst vehicle I have ever owned.. bar none!

Faults:

Front wheel bearing @ 97,000, and this vehicle has never been used off road or on dirt roads.

Timing belt failed at 99,00 miles.

Serpentine belt, crankshaft pulley, serpentine belt and both idler pulleys at 103,000 miles.

Brake booster at 98,000 miles.

General Comments:

Harsh ride compared to other SUVs and pickups. One would expect a vehicle with independent suspension front and rear to have a better ride.

Engine is underpowered for a 24 valve 3.5 liter engine and unsuited for weight of this vehicle.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 27th January, 2010

4th Oct 2010, 00:44

AMEN --- worst piece of junk.

9th Nov 2012, 15:25

Are you serious complaining about a serpentine and timing belts failing at 100k miles? I don't know what the service interval is for those belts, but it is probably far less than 100k miles.

Also, wheel bearing failure at 97k miles is another thing that seems reasonable. Not all vehicles, especially 4WD ones, have lifetime wheel bearings! If you did the proper preventative maintenance, the wheel bearings should be repacked whenever the front brakes were done.

It just seems that you are complaining about issues that should of been avoided if proper preventative maintenance was done. A complex 4WD vehicle is not a Corolla or Civic, which can be driven forever without any care! I have owned Mitsubishi products, and they have always been very reliable and well constructed.

3rd Mar 2014, 19:03

I agree with the previous comment - I believe the timing belt replacement interval is 60,000 miles. The owner then complains that it broke at 99,000 miles?!? Jeez. And I've NEVER had a serpentine belt break on any car that I've EVER owned. Why? Look at it every 8-10,000 miles. Oh, that'll take about 30 seconds out of your life. Almost 100,000 miles from wheel bearings on a 4x4 even if it was never used off-road? Good god, do you realize how much heavier a 4x4 vehicle is? And if you purchase a heavy-duty replacement wheel bearing (don't buy the cheapest one at the parts store), it will then outlast the engine & transmission.

Some people will complain about anything and everything, even if it's not rational.

2002 Mitsubishi Montero XLS 3.5

Summary:

Poor quality, poor dealership performance

Faults:

Brakes!!! I have had the brakes replaced in 6000 mile intervals. This includes the replacement of the front rotors. Rear brakes have not been replaced yet and do not appear to be operating correctly. Have had 5 sets of front rotors installed before 50K miles. Just installed Brembo rotors, they are holding up well.

Also, rear suspension bottoms out when more than 2 people are in vehicle. Dealer installed rubber bumpers in coil spring to eliminate frame from coming in contact with rear suspension linkage, but has not fixed the problem. No aftermarket springs are available at this time.

General Comments:

Power train has been very good with good performance and exceptional mpg.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 27th June, 2004

10th Jun 2005, 02:20

I also have a 2002 Montero Sport and go through front brake pads like crazy. The fist couple of times, I did the work myself, but then took it to a shop where lifetime replacements are part of their service agreement. The extra money spent upfront has more than paid for itself.

I fixed the "bottoming-out" problem by putting more durable ride control shocks on the rear replacing the factory ones, again at the same shop.

My Montero has been a great ride and a blast to drive both on road and off. My wife is the lucky one because she gets to drive it everyday.

2002 Mitsubishi Montero Limited 3.5L V6

Summary:

I bought a lemon

Faults:

Brakes have started to make a noise.

Engine vibrates. The RPM goes down, and car feels like it will stall, however it does not stall. Mitsubishi representatives have told me that they can't find the problem, and are calling it normal for that car. And they are not looking for a solution.

General Comments:

The styling is great, and car handles fine.

Seats are uncomfortable.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 7th March, 2003

25th Oct 2007, 21:41

I have a 2002. I've had a similar problem. While sitting at a red light the engine would stumble. Despite the cost of gas I started using premium in it and the stumble has stopped and I get better gas mileage.

4th Jan 2009, 08:58

I've had the same issue with my 2002. The stumble happened randomly while idling, and once when driving on vacation it stumbled while the cruise control was on. I had the cruise set at 65, and I accelerated to pass a truck and it stumbled bad. Because gas was so high, I was using cheaper gas I believe this was the problem. I have since changed my plugs and wires, and started using premium gas. The stumble was seemed to clear up a bit.

4th Jan 2009, 10:15

The Montero is a great vehicle with a **VERY DANGEROUS DESIGN***