MITSUBISHI MONTERO SPORT · model year

1999 MITSUBISHI MONTERO SPORT

48 NHTSA complaints, 4 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1999MITSUBISHIMONTERO SPORT carries 48 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 4 crashes, 4 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1999 MONTERO SPORT is equipment:appliance:air conditioner with 5 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (3) and tires (3). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 14 investigation files overlapping the 1999 MONTERO SPORT. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

48
Complaints
4
Crashes
4
Fires
4
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

48 filings

Crashes Reported

4 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER5
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP3
TIRES3
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE3
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION3
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE2
SUSPENSION2
STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR2
SUSPENSION:REAR:SPRINGS:LEAF SPRING ASSEMBLY2
STRUCTURE2
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE2
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS1
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN1

Recent Complaints

20161007ENGINE

MY CAR HAS BROKEN DOWN 3 TIMES THIS YEAR WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAD IT REPAIRED TWICE, THEN FOUND OUT IT HAD AN OPEN RECALL FROM 2000. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER YESTERDAY, FELT THEY DISMISSED MY SITUATION AS I TOLD THEM THE CAR WAS DOING EXACTLY WHAT THE RECALL DESCRIBED AND I WAS CONCERNED IT WOULD HAPPEN AGAIN. I EXPLAINED IN DETAIL ABOUT THE 1ST TWO REPAIRS. MY CAR BROKE DOWN YESTERDAY, AFTER I LEFT THE DEALER, AND WAS ONCE AGAIN UNDRIVEABLE. IT IS RELATED TO THE CRANKSHAFT BOLT. I SENT THE DEALER A VERY DETAILED EMAIL ABOUT THIS FINAL SITUATION AND TO LET THEM KNOW I WAS FILING A COMPLAINT. NO RESPONSE FROM THEM. THE RECALL IS REGARDING A BOLT THAT SECURES A PULLEY. EACH TIME THIS HAPPENED, THE SYMPTOMS WERE THE SAME, THE CAR STARTS MAKING RATTLING NOISES THEN WILL NOT STEER, THEN IS UNDRIVEABLE. THESE ARE THE EXACT SYMPTOMS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL AS "WORST CASE". I BOUGHT THE CAR 2 YEARS AGO FROM A DEALER BUT WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF AN OPEN RECALL, SO JUST RECENTLY DISCO

Mileage: 150,000

20161007STEERING

MY CAR HAS BROKEN DOWN 3 TIMES THIS YEAR WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAD IT REPAIRED TWICE, THEN FOUND OUT IT HAD AN OPEN RECALL FROM 2000. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER YESTERDAY, FELT THEY DISMISSED MY SITUATION AS I TOLD THEM THE CAR WAS DOING EXACTLY WHAT THE RECALL DESCRIBED AND I WAS CONCERNED IT WOULD HAPPEN AGAIN. I EXPLAINED IN DETAIL ABOUT THE 1ST TWO REPAIRS. MY CAR BROKE DOWN YESTERDAY, AFTER I LEFT THE DEALER, AND WAS ONCE AGAIN UNDRIVEABLE. IT IS RELATED TO THE CRANKSHAFT BOLT. I SENT THE DEALER A VERY DETAILED EMAIL ABOUT THIS FINAL SITUATION AND TO LET THEM KNOW I WAS FILING A COMPLAINT. NO RESPONSE FROM THEM. THE RECALL IS REGARDING A BOLT THAT SECURES A PULLEY. EACH TIME THIS HAPPENED, THE SYMPTOMS WERE THE SAME, THE CAR STARTS MAKING RATTLING NOISES THEN WILL NOT STEER, THEN IS UNDRIVEABLE. THESE ARE THE EXACT SYMPTOMS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL AS "WORST CASE". I BOUGHT THE CAR 2 YEARS AGO FROM A DEALER BUT WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF AN OPEN RECALL, SO JUST RECENTLY DISCO

Mileage: 150,000

20161007UNKNOWN OR OTHER

MY CAR HAS BROKEN DOWN 3 TIMES THIS YEAR WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAD IT REPAIRED TWICE, THEN FOUND OUT IT HAD AN OPEN RECALL FROM 2000. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER YESTERDAY, FELT THEY DISMISSED MY SITUATION AS I TOLD THEM THE CAR WAS DOING EXACTLY WHAT THE RECALL DESCRIBED AND I WAS CONCERNED IT WOULD HAPPEN AGAIN. I EXPLAINED IN DETAIL ABOUT THE 1ST TWO REPAIRS. MY CAR BROKE DOWN YESTERDAY, AFTER I LEFT THE DEALER, AND WAS ONCE AGAIN UNDRIVEABLE. IT IS RELATED TO THE CRANKSHAFT BOLT. I SENT THE DEALER A VERY DETAILED EMAIL ABOUT THIS FINAL SITUATION AND TO LET THEM KNOW I WAS FILING A COMPLAINT. NO RESPONSE FROM THEM. THE RECALL IS REGARDING A BOLT THAT SECURES A PULLEY. EACH TIME THIS HAPPENED, THE SYMPTOMS WERE THE SAME, THE CAR STARTS MAKING RATTLING NOISES THEN WILL NOT STEER, THEN IS UNDRIVEABLE. THESE ARE THE EXACT SYMPTOMS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL AS "WORST CASE". I BOUGHT THE CAR 2 YEARS AGO FROM A DEALER BUT WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF AN OPEN RECALL, SO JUST RECENTLY DISCO

Mileage: 150,000

20131108TIRES

TIRES PURCHASE NEW, MAINTAINED WELL WITH APPROX 25K MILES OF WEAR. WITH NO NOTICE, HAD A TREAD SEPARATION ON FRONT RIGHT TIRE. TOOK TO DEALER AND IT WAS REPLACED WITH ONLY A PARTIAL CREDIT FOR WARRANTY. OTHER TIRES WERE INSPECTED AND TOLD IT WAS A FLUKE. APPROXIMATELY ONE MONTH LATER, WAS PULLING OFF FREEWAY AT ABOUT 50MPH AND LEFT REAR TIRE EXPLODED AND RIPPED FENDER OFF OF SUV. NO NOTICE OF WEAR PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. WITNESS DRIVER PULLED OVER AND TOLD ME THAT HIS WIFE NOTICED A HUGE BUBBLE IN THE TIRE RIGHT BEFORE THE TREAD FELL APART. TOOK TO DEALER AGAIN AND THEY SAID IN EFFECT, "SO SAD, TOO BAD" BUT I MUST BE UNLUCKY AND THE OTHER TWO TIRES STILL "LOOK" GOOD. TIRE REPLACED. NOW, SAME DAY THIRD TIRE IS LOOSING AIR-NO NAILS, GOOD SEAL, GOOD VALVE. I EXPECT IT TO BLOW UP SOON AS WELL. I CANNOT AFFORD TO PURCHASE ANYMORE TIRES. I HOPE THAT I AM ALIVE BY THE TIME I CAN AFFORD TO REPLACE THE REMAINING TWO TIRES. I AM ASTONISHED THAT THESE HAVE NOT BEEN RECALLED OR THAT THE MFTR IS NO

20100209ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

ON SAT. 2/6/2010 WHILE DRIVING, I EXPERIENCED LOSS OF STEERING WHICH SCARED ME FOR A MOMENT. AFTER PULLING OVER, I INVESTIGATED WHAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM, AND FOUND THAT MY HARMONIC BALANCER HAD COME LOOSE. I GOT MY VEHICLE BACK TO THE HOUSE, AND PARKED IT. *TR

Mileage: 180,291

20090513POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

TRANSMISSION WARNING LIGHT CAME ON TO INDICATE OVERHEAT OR POSSIBLE TRANSMISSION FAILURE. I HAD TO PULL OFF THE HIGHWAY TO THE BREAKDOWN LANE (SAFETY CONCERN) TO ALLOW TRANS TO COOL DOWN. I NOW DISCOVER MITSUBISHI HAS A TECH SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB) ON THIS ISSUE FOR MY VEHICLE, REQUIRING INSTALLATION OF A LARGER CAPACITY TRANSMISSION PAN, FILTER AND SCREEN, AND A LONGER FILL TUBE AND MEASURING WAND. *TR

Mileage: 93,500

20080313ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MITSUBISHI MONTERO SPORT. WHEN THE CONTACT STARTED THE VEHICLE, SHE HEARD A TAPPING SOUND. SHE DROVE THE VEHICLE, APPROACHED A STOP LIGHT, AND HEARD THREE THUMPS FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND DRIVE TO THE MECHANIC. HE DISCOVERED THAT THE A/C BELT WAS MISSING. WHEN THE MECHANIC ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR THE BELT, HE NOTICED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BOLT WAS LOOSE AND WAS UNABLE TO BE TIGHTENED. HE ALSO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE NOISE SHE HEARD WAS THE A/C BELT DETACHING AND STRIKING THE ENGINE. DUE TO THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY'S FAILURE, THE A/C BELT DETACHED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 00V311001 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE). THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER AND FOUND THAT THE A/C BELT DETACHED ONCE AGAIN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 123,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,000.

Mileage: 115,000

20070306POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MITSUBISH MONTERO SPORT. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION LIGHT CAME ON INTERMITTENTLY AND OVERHEATED ON LONG TRIPS. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THERE WAS A DESIGN FLAW IN THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,473. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 88,000. *AK

Mileage: 40,473

20061201SUSPENSION:REAR:SPRINGS:LEAF SPRING ASSEMBLY

THE VEHICLE FELT UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND ONE OF THE LEFT REAR LEAF SPRINGS WAS FOUND TO BE CRACKED. *NM

Mileage: 100,000

20050830ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

VEHICLE LOST USE OF POWER STEERING DURING A 90 DEGREE TURN AT A BUSY INTERSECTION AND I WAS BARELY ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF IT. I PROCEEDED TO PULL INTO PARKING LOT OF NEARBY CONVENIENCE STORE AND CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD. I NOTICED THAT THE V-BELT TO THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND OTHER COMPONENTS WAS TURNING RATHER SLUGGISHLY AND COULD HEAR A SQUEAKING/CHIRPING SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. AFTER SWITCHING OFF THE A/C, I OBSERVED THAT THE V-BELT BEGAN TO TURN MORE FREELY BUT STILL SOMEWHAT SLOWER THAN NORMAL. I THEN DROVE THE VEHICLE AT SLOW SPEEDS (35-40 MPH) TO MY HOME APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES AWAY. THE NEXT MORNING, I DROVE THE VEHICLE TO A NEARBY MECHANIC'S SHOP APPROXIMATELY 1.25 MILE AWAY TO HAVE THE VEHICLE CHECKED OUT. MECHANIC FOUND THAT THE V-BELT HAD NOW JUMPED OFF THE PULLEYS BECAUSE THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BOLT WAS NOT IN ALL THE WAY, CAUSING THE V-BELT TO BE MISALIGNED WITH THE OTHER PULLEYS. THAT SAME DAY, I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE LOCAL MITSUB

Mileage: 143,000

20050605POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)

NUTRAL LIGHT COMES ON (FLASHING) WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY, ONCE ON 5/08/05 AND AGAIN ON 6/5/05

Mileage: 76,000

20050605EQUIPMENT:RECREATIONAL VEHICLE/TRAILER

NUTRAL LIGHT COMES ON (FLASHING) WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY, ONCE ON 5/08/05 AND AGAIN ON 6/5/05

Mileage: 76,000

20050124FireFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

THE DRIVER NOTICED FLUID LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. SUDDENLY, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A BODY SHOP FOR INSPECTION. THE CAUSE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED AT THIS TIME. *TT

20050124FireFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

THE CONSUMER NOTICED FLUID LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. SUDDENLY, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE.THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A BODY SHOP. THE CAUSE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED AT THIS TIME. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.

20050103CrashFireSTRUCTURE

THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SLIDE WHILE MERGING AND ROLLED OVER HITTING THE CENTER WALL OF THE ROAD AND STOPPED IN THE OTHER DIRECTION. *TC THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED A ROLL OVER. THE ROAD CONDITIONS WERE DRY, THE CONSUMER WAS NOT IN A SEAT BELT, THE AIR BAGS DID IN FACT DEPLOY, BUT THE CONSUMER WAS SHIFTED TO THE PASSENGER'S SEAT DUE TO THE IMPACT AND THE ENGINE STARTED TO SMOKE. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT HE/SHE DID NOT GO OVER THE SPEED LIMIT AND WAS DRIVING PROPERLY. THE CONSUMER DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT CAUSED THE ACCIDENT. *SC *JB

20030922FireSTRUCTURE

WHILE DRIVING RIGHT WHEEL WELL CAUGHT ON FIRE WITHOUT WARNING. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK

20030724EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER

1999 MONTERO SPORT. THE AIR CONDITIONER A/C BELT WENT OUT 3 TIMES LAST SUMMER AND NOW, ITS SUMMER AGAIN IN AZ, AND THERE GOES THE A/C AGAIN! IT HAS NOT BEEN A YEAR SINCE THE LAST A/C REPAIR! DID I FAIL TO MENTION THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE COMPLETELY REBUILT BEFORE 80,000 MILES?. *AK

20030716POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

NEUTRAL LIGHT FLASHS WHEN DRIVING. *AK

Mileage: 90,493

20030704VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR

THE MOTOR FOR MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS JUST SUDDENLY WENT OUT. I AM ALSO UPSET THAT THE PARTS STORE QUOTED ME A PRICE OF $110, ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT IT WOULD BE TWO WEEKS BEFORE ONE COULD BE OBTAINED, AND THEN ONLY MITSUBISHI WOULD SELL IT TO ME AND FOR $190. WHY WOULD A MOTOR GO OUT ON A VEHICLE WITH ONLY 86,000 MILES?. *AK

Mileage: 86,000

20021105ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

AFTER RECALL FOR THE CRANKSHAFT WAS DONE ON THE VEHICLE, THE DEFECT REACCURED. DEALERSHIP REFUSING TO FIX PROBLEM. TS

Compare 1999MITSUBISHIMONTERO SPORT to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1999 MITSUBISHI MONTERO SPORT have?
The 1999 MITSUBISHI MONTERO SPORT has 48 NHTSA complaints, 4 crashes, 4 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1999 MITSUBISHI MONTERO SPORT?
The most-complained component for the 1999 MITSUBISHI MONTERO SPORT is EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER with 5 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP and TIRES.
Is the 1999 MITSUBISHI MONTERO SPORT safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.