The 1989 Mitsubishi Montero has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 665,500 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 10 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the seat belts. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
SEAT BELTS95V1030041995-05-24658,000 affected
Defect
THE FRONT SAFETY BELT BUCKLE RELEASE BUTTONS CAN BREAK. THESE RED PLASTIC RELEASE BUTTONS ARE MARKED "PRESS." IF A BUTTON BREAKS, PIECES CAN FALL INTO THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY CAUSING THE BUCKLE TO OPERATE IMPROPERLY.
Consequence
THE SAFETY BELTS WOULD NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE PROTECTION TO AN OCCUPANT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy
OWNERS SHOULD PROMPTLY CHECK THE CONDITION AND OPERATION OF BOTH FRONT SAFETY BELT BUCKLES AND CAREFULLY INSPECT THE RED RELEASE BUTTON FOR ANY BREAKS OR CRACKS. THEY SHOULD ENSURE THAT BOTH BUCKLES ARE OPERATING PROPERLY BY INSERTING EACH LATCH PLATE INTO ITS BUCKLE, TUGGING ON THE BELT TO MAKE SURE THE LATCH IS…
THE ENGINES ARE SUBJECT TO THROTTLE VALVE ICING UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS.
Consequence
THIS MAY CAUSE THE THROTTLE VALVE TO STICK AND NOT ALLOWTHE ENGINE RPM TO RETURN TO IDLE WHICH COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT.
Remedy
INSTALL A HEATED ADAPTER PLATE.
Complaints by component
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
2
AIR BAGS
1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
1
STEERING
1
1crashes
STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY
1
SUSPENSION:FRONT
1
1crashes
TIRES
1
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
1
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
1
Total complaints10
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“The horn was inoperative. The consumer had to disconnect the horn connector to stop the horn from operating. The dealer was notified. The dealer informed the consumer that problem was not covered under a recall. *jb *tc”
“We have experienced this problem on three different occasions in the past year. Our mechanic believes that it is a flaw in the design of the parts involved. We have been told by the mechanic that he won't even attempt to fix the vehicle in the future. He has told us to sell the car as soon as…”
“First tire blowout just after leaving paring lot at work. Second tire blowout while driving to work. Third tire replaced in parking lot at work when it started to vibrate and showed damage indicating a ply separation was imminent. Fourth tire blew out at 65 mph on interstate 10 near benson, az,…”
“Engine crankshaft:pulley bolts broke.”
“The tie rod broke inside the adjustment sleeve.”
“Accelerator pedal stuck while driving the vehicle. Tt”
“When making left hand turns vehicle went out of control. Tt”
“Vehicle not designed to turn corners as other 2 wheel drive vehicles, causing loss of control/accident. *sd”
Defect investigations
InvestigationEA95004 Opened 1995-03-10 · closed 1995-08-01
TAKATA SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE
There is no summary currently available
InvestigationPE89131 Opened 1989-06-19 · closed 1989-09-06
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1989 Mitsubishi Montero as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.