The 1994 Mitsubishi Montero has 5 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 373,587 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 35 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine and engine cooling. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING00V3110012000-10-02210,000 affected
Defect
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.
Consequence
THE CONDITION CAN RESULT IN A LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy
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…
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC00V2260012000-08-15344 affected
Defect
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE FRONT LOWER BRAKE HOSES CAN DEVELOP A CRACK, CAUSING A LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID.
Consequence
THIS COULD RESULT IN IMPAIRED BRAKING ABILITY AND A POSSIBLE CRASH.
Remedy
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE LEFT AND RIGHT LOWER BRAKE HOSES.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER98V2050001998-09-0260,243 affected
Defect
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.
Consequence
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
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.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC96V1430021996-08-1210,000 affected
Defect
UNDER CONDITIONS OF FULL LOCK STEERING AND FULL SUSPENSION TRAVEL, THE LEFT OR RIGHT FRONT WHEEL-SIDE BRAKE HOSE CAN CRACK, RESULTING IN BRAKE FLUID LEAKAGE.
Consequence
BRAKE FLUID LEAKAGE WILL CAUSE ILLUMINATION OF THE BRAKE WARNING LAMP AND REDUCTION IN BRAKING EFFECTIVENESS INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.
Remedy
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE LEFT AND RIGHT FRONT WHEEL-SIDE BRAKE HOSES WITH REVISED HOSE ASSEMBLIES.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC96V1430011996-07-2593,000 affected
Defect
UNDER CONDITIONS OF FULL LOCK STEERING AND FULL SUSPENSION TRAVEL, THE LEFT OR RIGHT FRONT WHEEL-SIDE BRAKE HOSE CAN CRACK, RESULTING IN BRAKE FLUID LEAKAGE.
Consequence
BRAKE FLUID LEAKAGE WILL CAUSE ILLUMINATION OF THE BRAKE WARNING LAMP AND REDUCTION IN BRAKING EFFICIENCY INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.
Remedy
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE LEFT AND RIGHT FRONT WHEEL-SIDE BRAKE HOSES WITH REVISED HOSE ASSEMBLIES.
Complaints by component
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
7
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
6
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
5
SUSPENSION:FRONT
2
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
1
1crashes1injuries
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CRANKCASE (PCV)
1
EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL:CARRIER/RACK
1
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL
1
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:FLASHER UNIT
1
Total complaints35
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“Tl*the contact owned a 1994 mitsubishi montero. The contact stated that when she stopped at a red light a vehicle crashed into the rear end her vehicle. The crash caused her to crash into a vehicle in front of her. The vehicle was destroyed. The air bags did not deploy. The contact hit her head…”
“A 12 year old boy was killed when his cargo seat in a mitsubishi montero detached and catapulted him out the side window in a rollover accident. He was wearing his seat belt, but with this particular seat design the belts are all attached to the seat, rather than the floor, giving the occupant no…”
“A 12 year old boy was killed when his cargo seat in a mitsubishi montero detached and catapulted him out the side window in a rollover accident. He was wearing his seat belt, but with this particular seat design the belts are all attached to the seat, rather than the floor, giving the occupant no…”
“1994 mitsubishi montero bolt securing crankshaft pulley came loose resulting in loss of power steering. Accident averted, thank god. As stated in other complaints, mitsubishi dealership and mitsubishi america absolutely refuse to repair my truck because my vin is not a match for the recall on this…”
“While driving my 1994 mitsubishi 3.0l montero at 55mph on a four-lane highway, the power steering suddenly failed. I was able to make it to the side of the road without hitting any other vehicles.when the vehicle was taken to my dealer's service department, they determined that the crankshaft…”
“I spent $ 6000 last year on a new half block engine. Last month my mitsubishi montero stalled. I was able to get it to the dealers, and they found that the plenum needed to get checked. They did that, but now they found that the butterfly valves on the plenum broke off ( which were plastic) and…”
“I was driving my mitsubishi montero 3.5l dohc while trying to join freeway on ramp while accelerating to reach 60 miles an hour to keep in pace with highway traffic. Then all of a sudden the vehicle speedometer started to decline despite me stepping on the gas. At the same time I lost power…”
“I was driving along, when my airconditioning and power steering went out. Believing it was a belt, I looked under the hood to find out that my crankshaft bolt had broken causing my keyway and harmonic balancer to fall off. I called the local mitsubishi dealer to locate the parts, and they notified…”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1994 Mitsubishi Montero as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
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