20th Dec 2005, 13:16

I have a 2001 Montero Limited which I bought new. It has about 80K miles now, but has been in the shop on many occasions. Front wheel hubs, complete front brakes, radiator, transmission's electrical switches, wheels lost their protective coating very early, a lot of rust spots, rear heater lines rotted through, and some other minor things. I have been told that there is more rust on this truck than mechanics have ever seen. It has never been 4-wheeling on the beach, and I have always been pretty meticulous about my cars. Very disappointed, and will be trading soon... after I get it back from the shop.

16th Jul 2006, 10:37

I have a 2001 Montero Sport LS. I have 155 thousand miles on it, now (the current year is 2006). The only thing that it's ever needed was a brake job at 75 thousand miles, and light bulbs. I drive it about 120 miles per day. The only noticeable problem it now has is a shudder when I apply the brakes. For the abuse I put the thing through it is a very good medium SUV. I would definitely purchase another one if gas prices weren't so high...

27th Sep 2006, 15:09

I have a 1999 Montero (full size) that is the BEST VEHICLE EVER built; for my purposes. It has 129k miles on it and has only needed the battery and the brakes replaced (at 65k), which I did myself in about an hour-and-a-half (rotors didn't need turned). It'll probably need brakes again soon, but for the $95 for pads (from Mitsu. dealer), it's an inexpensive and easy job. The vehicle has performed flawless in snow, mud, rain, ice, and daily driving. My sports have me throwing my bike and kayak on it and driving off-road all the time. It hauls everything I need (removed third row jump seats), including my family and friends. When I clean it up, it looks like new. The leather and wood-grain trim look brand new. My ONLY complaint is that the 10-disc CD player jammed twice (which was an easy fix as well).

The thing that amazes me most is that I get 26 mpg highway and average 22 mpg (it's a V6 and I don't think this is normal for this model). Since she's getting a little older now, I looked around to see what could replace it, if needed. There is NOTHING on the market that has the styling, capabilities, gas mileage and overall usability that my Monty has provided. Plus, I don't see many on the road (I don't like having what everyone else has). I wish they would've never changed it. For me, THE BEST SUV EVER BUILT.

2nd Jun 2010, 12:00

I bought my 2002 Montero Ltd new. It has been the best buy.

I had AC problems at 34,000 miles, the dealership replaced the compressor (warranty).

Since then, I've had normal wear on brakes.

I did get a "service engine" light for the catalytic converter. The SUV never hinted any problems, but I had it replaced.

The part was $1000 (something about being made from precious metals :-) ) and only available at the dealership. Total was around $1300.

In 2008 at 170K it began to shake at 65mph and would not go over that speed. Everyone told me the engine was gone. I took it to an honest mechanic and he told me that I needed a full tune-up, $500. It now runs like a champ.

It uses more oil today, but at 8 years old and 190K miles, AC runs cold. Everything works well.

I've wrecked it 3 times, but repaired it under insurance. I am very pleased with it. I expect to have problems with vehicles, however, my Montero overall has done me well.

11th Mar 2011, 02:13

My Montero Limited 2002 is good, but not more than good. I got it at 105000 miles, 8 years old, and it was very good at the beginning. After that, the front right caliper was down, brakes and wheel bearings.

Because I got a full SUV that was 38000$ for 10000$, I think that was a good deal, but I still have to put money in it. It's shaking big time, and is slow. This great car needs 250-300 hp, not 200-215, which is what they gave it. But overall, it's a beautiful car and an impressive SUV, so to the X5, Q7 and ML, you are ugly.