Mitsubishi Montero Sport 2003

Model Montero Sport made in 2003 by Mitsubishi got 31 consumer complains as well as 19 service bulletins. Consumer complaints with reference, among others things, to air bags and communications. Technical service bulletines regarding electrical system and engine and engine cooling.

Model 2003

Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION - ANTI-THEFT CONTROLLER
035400706/01/200310002027Immobilizer system information update (2003 models). *tt08/11/2003
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
031400212/01/2003031400210005271Corrected specified engine coolant - service manual revision. *tt02/18/2004
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
031400110/01/2003031400110004447New radiator cap opening pressure specifications - service manual revision. *tt12/15/2003
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE
041300207/01/20040413002R10007308Powertrain control module (pcm) reprogramming for engine hesitation / diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p0154. *tt06/09/2004
031700102/01/200310001208Corrected vacuum hose routing diagrams - service manual revision. *tt04/22/2003
0213018R11/01/2002021301810000437Powertrain control module (pcm) reprogramming for engine stalling / engine hesitation / diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p0154. *tt02/27/2003
021301809/01/200210000095Powertrain control module (pcm) reprogramming for engine stalling / engine hesitation / diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p0154. *tt02/12/2003
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM
9406/01/200310003753Oxygen sensor detection. *tt10/29/2003
EQUIPMENT - ELECTRICAL - AIR CONDITIONER
045500608/01/2004045500610010792Corrected automatic a/c compressor controller terminal voltage table - service manual revision. *tt12/13/2004
035500403/01/200310002271Air conditioner refrigerant quantity - service manual revision. *tt08/20/2003
EQUIPMENT - OTHER - LABELS
SC0300110/01/200310004443Vacuum hose routing diagram label must be changed- service campaign. *tt12/12/2003
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
032300509/01/200310004660Shift flare during the 2nd-to-3rd gear upshift may be due to learned data in the powertrain control module (pcm). *tt12/30/2003
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - TORQUE CONVERTER
032300610/01/2003012301010004448Torque converter shudder, surge, and/or vibration (possibly intermittent) when driving 35-50 mph at steady throttle. *tt12/15/2003
POWER TRAIN - TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE)
052300104/01/200510016137Transfer case oil quantity - service manual revision. *tt08/31/2005
STRUCTURE
032300201/01/200310001036Speedometer driven gear worn. *tt04/11/2003
STRUCTURE - BODY
0242A01108/01/2002634567Subject regarding body repair information. *jg10/03/2002
SUSPENSION
9305/01/200310002724Shudder at acceleration / suspension bottoming out. *tt09/11/2003
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
8508/01/2002636848Subject regarding tsb-02-00-010 - technical specifications. *tt11/14/2002
020001007/01/2002634703Subject regarding technical specifications. *jg10/04/2002

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
AIR BAGS - FRONTAL
08/22/2008930001
 I rear-ended an suv going about 30-35 mph and my airbags failed to deploy and my seatbelt failed to catch, throwing my upper body forward into the steering wheel. the police at the scene of the accident said they could not believe my airbags did not deploy with the amount of damage to the front end of my vehicle. *tr
03/01/2006139000109/21/2002
 Dt*: the contact stated while driving 55mph on rough slippery roads the vehicle slid off the road. after pulling back on the road, the vehicle started fish tailing and went over a twenty foot embankment. the vehicle uprooted a tree. during this time the frontal airbags failed to deploy. moderate head injuries were sustained by the driver. there was a police report filed. the insurance company determined the vehicle was a total loss, but has not investigated the reason for the airbag failure.
COMMUNICATIONS - HORN ASSEMBLY
12/01/200766280112/15/2006
 Tl*the contact owns a 2003 mitsubishi montero sport. the contact stated that the horn worked sporadically. in addition, the horn would continue to sound unless the fuse was disconnected. the contact replaced the fuse; however, the failure continued to occur. as of january 3, 2008, the dealer or manufacturer had not inspected the vehicle. the current and failure mileages were 66,280.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
400001
 The license plate lights went out. the bulbs were good therefore it's probable that the failure was due to a relay defect. the horn was also defective. the horn would blow but wouldn't stop. the driver had to pull the fuse in order to get the horn to stop blowing. provide further ant additional information. *nlm
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
12/27/20031400112/24/2003
 While driving at any speed dashboard lights reflected on the external rear view mirror at night. consumer considered the reflection very distracting while driving. *ak speedometer reflects off driver side window and onto the exterior rear view mirror. *la
ENGINE
08/29/20121173291
 I just picked up my son's vehicle from the service garage where i had just had new brakes and rotors installed for him. i was on the way to meet my husband at the grocery store but needed to drop off some letters at the outdoor mail box at the post office which was < 1/4 mile from the service garage. as i pulled up to the post office drop box, i had my foot on the brake and was going just a few miles an hour. all of a sudden the engine revved loudly and the vehicle lurched forward. i pushed harder on the brake but it wouldn't stop! thank god there was no one in front of me or in the parking lot, so i just steered the vehicle around the lot concentrating on not hitting anything! all the while trying to brake the vehicle to a stop. it took about 10-15 seconds and the engine finally revved back down (to the normal sound) and the brakes worked and i was able to stop the vehicle. i was able to drive the car to the grocery store without another incident. this has never happened before (my son was given the vehicle at about 50,000 miles) according to my son. it was very frightening-i am so glad no one was in front of me. i just want some kind of record of this, in case something happens later. is there any other complaints of this? *tr
08/29/2012117329
 I just picked up my son's vehicle from the service garage where i had just had new brakes and rotors installed for him. i was on the way to meet my husband at the grocery store but needed to drop off some letters at the outdoor mail box at the post office which was < 1/4 mile from the service garage. as i pulled up to the post office drop box, i had my foot on the brake and was going just a few miles an hour. all of a sudden the engine revved loudly and the vehicle lurched forward. i pushed harder on the brake but it wouldn't stop! thank god there was no one in front of me or in the parking lot, so i just steered the vehicle around the lot concentrating on not hitting anything! all the while trying to brake the vehicle to a stop. it took about 10-15 seconds and the engine finally revved back down (to the normal sound) and the brakes worked and i was able to stop the vehicle. i was able to drive the car to the grocery store without another incident. this has never happened before (my son was given the vehicle at about 50,000 miles) according to my son. it was very frightening-i am so glad no one was in front of me. i just want some kind of record of this, in case something happens later. is there any other complaints of this?
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE
09/03/200665600209/16/2003
 Head gasket failures on 2003 mitsubishi montero sport 3.5 l v6 engine. 1. no preceding event, car started idling rough when first started. idle smoothes after a short time. 2. right side head gasket started leaking coolant into cyl #2 at 30k miles, replaced under warranty. left side head gasket started leaking coolant into cyl #1 at 65,600 miles. replacement denied by manufacturer, even thought it is an obvious manufacturing defect. 3. not yet replaced due to cost. *nm
06/12/20031
 While driving, the check engine light illuminated on the dashboard. *jb
07/19/2003900
 Vehicle was idling in a restaurant drive thru lane. without warning, the engine suddenly accelerated causing consumer to rear-end the vehicle in front.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE
12/07/200440140108/20/2003
 I have a brand new 2003 mitsubishi montero sport with a 3.0 engine. the cam shaft came apart and the mitsubishi rep refuse to authorize the repair. this vehicle is still under the new car warranty. nothing was done to repair my vehicle. the suv needs a new engine. what happen to customer service? *jb
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM - FUEL RAIL
08/17/2004360001
 The owner smelled gasoline fuel when operating vehicle and starting it one last time, the engine compartment burst into flames. this loss was investigated by superior investigations 800-779-2858. the fuel rail pressure valve was loose, and caused fuel to leak and start a fire.*ak
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
12/01/2008960001
 Tl*the contact owns a 2003 mitsubishi montero sport. while driving over 30 mph, the vehicle would jerk backwards and hesitate. whether the vehicle was idling or in park, the contact smelled a strong odor of burning oil. the dealer stated that the failure may be minor and could not assist because the vehicle was not covered under warranty. the contact intends to take the vehicle in for service soon. the failure and current mileages were less than 96,000.
10/07/20031110/07/2003
 I bought the truck on a cloudy day. when the sun hit it, it had swirl marks burnt into it from where it was buffed at the factory. when turned in they buffed it again. now that it rained it still shows all. another problem is the transmission. it has severe lag and sometimes won't shift at all. *jb
09/15/200316559209/23/2002
 2nd timeinto daeler for transmission problems. will have problems shifting then the check engine light comes on. first time dealer unsure of the cause or how to fix had vehicle in shop almost 2 weeks. 2nd time, dealer has had vehicle over 2 weeks and still not fixed ,said could be 1 of 3 things. they have replaced 2 of the 3 so still have 1 to go and i guess i will be out of the vehicle another week for a total of 3 weeks if this fixes the problem.first incident was around 3000 miles second incident at 16000 miles.
1
 When it is cold vehicle will not engage into drive. it takes about 30 to 40 seconds, and then vehicle jumps into gear. *ak
04/01/200325203/29/2003
 Vehicle won't engage when shifted into drive and reverse (acts like it's in neutral). only happens when vehicle is cold (under 30 degrees outside). sometimes will slam into gear causing the vehicle to lunge forward. very dangerous in our opinion. vehicle has 146 miles. dealer had vehicle twice for 2 days each and say they can't reproduce the problem. *jb
SEAT BELTS
08/22/2008930001
 I rear-ended an suv going about 30-35 mph and my airbags failed to deploy and my seatbelt failed to catch, throwing my upper body forward into the steering wheel. the police at the scene of the accident said they could not believe my airbags did not deploy with the amount of damage to the front end of my vehicle. *tr
SERVICE BRAKES
08/29/20121173291
 I just picked up my son's vehicle from the service garage where i had just had new brakes and rotors installed for him. i was on the way to meet my husband at the grocery store but needed to drop off some letters at the outdoor mail box at the post office which was < 1/4 mile from the service garage. as i pulled up to the post office drop box, i had my foot on the brake and was going just a few miles an hour. all of a sudden the engine revved loudly and the vehicle lurched forward. i pushed harder on the brake but it wouldn't stop! thank god there was no one in front of me or in the parking lot, so i just steered the vehicle around the lot concentrating on not hitting anything! all the while trying to brake the vehicle to a stop. it took about 10-15 seconds and the engine finally revved back down (to the normal sound) and the brakes worked and i was able to stop the vehicle. i was able to drive the car to the grocery store without another incident. this has never happened before (my son was given the vehicle at about 50,000 miles) according to my son. it was very frightening-i am so glad no one was in front of me. i just want some kind of record of this, in case something happens later. is there any other complaints of this? *tr
08/29/2012117329
 I just picked up my son's vehicle from the service garage where i had just had new brakes and rotors installed for him. i was on the way to meet my husband at the grocery store but needed to drop off some letters at the outdoor mail box at the post office which was < 1/4 mile from the service garage. as i pulled up to the post office drop box, i had my foot on the brake and was going just a few miles an hour. all of a sudden the engine revved loudly and the vehicle lurched forward. i pushed harder on the brake but it wouldn't stop! thank god there was no one in front of me or in the parking lot, so i just steered the vehicle around the lot concentrating on not hitting anything! all the while trying to brake the vehicle to a stop. it took about 10-15 seconds and the engine finally revved back down (to the normal sound) and the brakes worked and i was able to stop the vehicle. i was able to drive the car to the grocery store without another incident. this has never happened before (my son was given the vehicle at about 50,000 miles) according to my son. it was very frightening-i am so glad no one was in front of me. i just want some kind of record of this, in case something happens later. is there any other complaints of this?
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - PADS
01/02/200430002
 Brake rotors and pads replaced every 3,000-4,000 miles. dealer claimed it was driver's abuse that caused premature wear of brake rotors/pads. consumer was furious. currently, after 4,000 miles. brakes were shot.*ak
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - ROTOR
01/01/200420000111/16/2002
 By 20,000 miles the truck's front brake rotors were so out of round that the truck is very difficult to control durring braking. the dealer reports that the braking system, and more importantly the brake pads are not covered under the new car warrenty. this is rediculous. i have never needed to have a truck's braking system serviced before 80,000 miles.*ak
01/02/200430002
 Brake rotors and pads replaced every 3,000-4,000 miles. dealer claimed it was driver's abuse that caused premature wear of brake rotors/pads. consumer was furious. currently, after 4,000 miles. brakes were shot.*ak
STEERING
08/03/20033108/03/2003
 Vehicle sways, wonders on the road and is uncontrollable. also, it feels as though something is loose under the front end. i have taken this vehicle to the dealer on numerous occasions, and i've been told by the mechanic that he feels exactly that which i am describing but there is nothing wrong and that other vehicles were driven and that they too did the same thing. this is a very dangerous obstacle to have control of a motor vehicle. *la
STRUCTURE
10/07/20031110/07/2003
 I bought the truck on a cloudy day. when the sun hit it, it had swirl marks burnt into it from where it was buffed at the factory. when turned in they buffed it again. now that it rained it still shows all. another problem is the transmission. it has severe lag and sometimes won't shift at all. *jb
SUSPENSION
05/01/200508/03/2003
 2003 mitsubishi montero sport experiencing problems with the steering as well as the vehicle bottoming out while driving.*mr while driving the vehicle would wander all over the road and bounces when driven over small bumps in the road. the steering was very loose with 1/8 to 1/4 inches of play. there was also a thumping noise under the driver's left foot. the dealer checked the alignment and stated that everything. the problem continued and worsened over time. the vehicle was taken to a profession tire shop that determined that eh vehicle suspension was the cause of the problem. *nm
09/09/20044
 While applying the brake or at a complete stop the vehicle would accelerate suddenly. consumer was able to maintain control of the vehicle, and drove it to the dealer for inspection. mechanic informed consumer that the problem could not be duplicated. *ak the vehicle also had vibration problems. *nm
SUSPENSION - REAR - AXLE - NON-POWERED AXLE ASSEMBLY
09/25/20041
 While driving at any speed vehicle swerved in different directions. consumer was able to maintain control of the vehicle, and drove it to the dealer for inspection. mechanic determined that the rear axles broke and needed to be replaced. *ak
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
09/09/20044
 While applying the brake or at a complete stop the vehicle would accelerate suddenly. consumer was able to maintain control of the vehicle, and drove it to the dealer for inspection. mechanic informed consumer that the problem could not be duplicated. *ak the vehicle also had vibration problems. *nm

Car dealers selling


StateCityZipNamePhone
ALENTERPRISE36330ENTERPRISE AL, MITSUBISHI
ALHUNTSVILLEBILL HEARD CHEVROLET
CTDANBURY06810COLONIAL MITSUBISHI203-748-8700
FLOCALA34474OCALA MITSUBISHI352 622 4111
GALA GRANGEPARKWAY MITSUBISHI
MSGULFPORT39505JIM YELEVERTON MITSUBISHI
MSGULFPORT39501JIM YELVERTON2288672222
OKBROKEN ARROW74012LYNN HICKEY AUTOWORLD918-258-6463