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1996 Mitsubishi Montero Recalls & Complaints

2

open safety recalls on record

Serious

40 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.10 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious00V311001

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

THE CONDITION CAN RESULT IN A LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST, raises the risk of A CRASH.

Remedy & full details

ON THE MIRAGE VEHICLES, THE DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW, IMPROVED CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BOLT ON THE OLDER ENGINES. ON NEW ENGINES WHICH ALREADY HAVE THE IMPROVED BOLT, THE DEALER WILL TIGHTEN THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BOLT TO THE CORRECT TORQUE SPECIFICATION. ON THE MONTERO MODELS, DEALERS WILL TIGHTEN THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BOLT TO THE CORRECT TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS. IF THE BOLT IS DAMAGED, IT WILL BE REPLACED.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES: MIRAGE MODEL VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 1.5L ENGINES; MONTERO SPORT MODELS EQUIPPED WITH 3.0L ENGINES; AND MONTERO MODELS EQUIPPED WITH 3.0L ENGINES. THE BOLT SECURING THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY CAN BECOME LOOSE AND THE PULLEY COULD FALL OFF THE VEHICLE.

Serious98V205000

Unknown Or Other

IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, AN OCCUPANT OF THE THIRD SEAT MAY NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED AND COULD BE EJECTED FROM THE VEHICLE.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE THIRD-SEAT LATCH AND STRIKER. A RECTANGLE WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE CARGO MAT AROUND EACH STRIKER TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE STRIKER CLEARANCE AND PROPER LATCHING.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ACCESSORY CARGO MATS IN THE THIRD-SEAT AND CARGO AREA. THIS CARGO MAT INTERFERES WITH THE LATCHING INTEGRITY OF THE FOLDING THIRD SEATS.

Complaint volume

40 this model-year 8 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

0Crashes
0Fires
1Injuries
0Deaths

Across 40 complaints. Severity Index 0.10.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Unknown Or Other6 · 15%Engine And Engine Cooling…4 · 10%Power Train · Automatic T…2 · 5%Service Brakes, Hydraulic…2 · 5%Service Brakes, Hydraulic…2 · 5%Structure · Body · Door ·…2 · 5%Steering · Hydraulic Powe…2 · 5%Engine And Engine Cooling…2 · 5%
  1. Unknown Or Other — 6 reports
  2. Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine — 4 reports
  3. Power Train:Automatic Transmission — 2 reports
  4. Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components — 2 reports
  5. Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Rotor — 2 reports
  6. Structure:Body:Door:Hinge And Attachments — 2 reports
  7. Steering:Hydraulic Power Assist System — 2 reports
  8. Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Belts And Associated Pulleys — 2 reports
  9. Visibility:Rearview Mirrors/Devices:Exterior — 1 reports
  10. Vehicle Speed Control — 1 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1995 (2) · 1996 · 1997 (2) · 1998 (4) · 1999 (2) · 2000 (2) · 2001 (4) · 2002 (3) · 2003 (2) · 2004 (3) · 2006

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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