2003 Mitsubishi Montero Sport consumer reviews

I've owned my 1998 Montero Sport off road package for 22 years now. Bought it 4 years old with 60 miles in Jan. 2002. I owned a 1997 GS-T Exliose before this that was crazy reliable. I moved to WY where a 4WD is mandatory. I went with this vehicle and its been the best car I've ever owned. I was 27 when I bought it.. I'm 49 now. Hasn't left me stranded in 22 years. I put $1800 into it this year for minor repairs such a door lock actuator and new braking and coolant systems. Did all the work myself. Easy vehicle to do the work. If I'm looking for reliability I take this before my BMW. Even at over 200k miles now. I'll NEVER sell this vehicle. It's bulletproof and ridiculously maintenaned. Still looks like new. 👍

Please note that this is my first Mitsubishi I've ever owned and was not a fan before buying this one. This vehicle proved everything I've heard about them wrong. We purchased ours back in February of 2022 for $5100. It had 108,000mi at purchase. We have systematically gone through it with our local Mitsubishi dealer over the time we've had it. It didn't need much right away and we've driven it all over FL. The only items we have replaced on it were normal maintenance items such as suspension, timing belt, tensioner, cam seals alternator, pullies and such. It pretty much drives like it would have when bought new now and we loved it so much we just had it re-painted the original color Red pearl. Worth every penny we put into it and this was the last body on frame that Mitsubishi did before going unibody like everyone else. We won't be selling or trading this one. As long as you maintain these properly they will last 50+ years easy as long as the parts are still made for them. One thing to note for anyone interested in these. The transmissions are specifically designed to use only Mitsubishi Diamond SP III transmission fluid. No it's not the same as others, I don't care what other people say. When we bought ours we would often get a Transmission output sensor trouble code on long trips. Come to find out the previous owner did not use correct trans fluid. after getting the fluid swapped at the dealer the problem went away and began shifting much better. if anyone knocks these for being bad vehicles it's more than likely because it was poorly maintained or previous owner didn't take good care of it.

If you are blessed or lucky enough to buy a Mitsubishi Montero Sport, DO IT! This SUV is a BEAST! Rust will be the only thing that takes this vehicle out before mechanical, operational & that would take 50+ years! I had one for a rental for a month & fell in love with it. So stylish, a true SUV & rode amazingly. So when I needed a new car, I went in search of one. I bought a 2000 Mitsubishi Montero Sport in 2003 from a used dealership that had one previous owner for 3 years. I called the previous owner & asked if she had any problems/issues with first & she said they regretted selling it bc it was such a great ride & had seller's remorse. Fast forward to 2023, almost 2024 & my baby is still going strong. The original battery on this car lasted a full 14 years before it needed replaced!! Unheard of! 99.7% of this car was made in Japan. I've never garaged it & almost 24 years later, I'm just seeing a few minor rust on frame, that is easily mitigated. This vehicle is like a child to me at this point & it will feel like a death the day she eventually dies, but I have hope she'll last me another 20 years based on her history so far. My family owns Fords, Rams & Chevy & they are endlessly having mechanical issues & maintenance issues that are just so abnormal to me especially being new vehicles compared to my Mitsubishi Montero Sport. My Dad buys a new Ford every 5 years & he's already has it in the shop within 3 after buying new! It's insane. My mom's Ram truck has something major go out every 5-7 years & she barely drives it. I don't think my Montero saw a repair shop for the first 15 years of owning it & that was for nothing serious, just normal brakes/etc replacement. These SUV's were built solid & with amazing engineering. As my mechanic says who changes the oil, rust after decades is what takes these Mitsubishi's out, it's never mechanical unless you just bought a dud or lemon or had a terrible owner who severely mistreated it. Still, I cannot imagine anyone not liking this vehicle. If you want insane reliability, this is your vehicle. If you dislike being inconvenienced, having surprise repair bills, this is your vehicle. People see my ungaraged Montero Sport I've owned for 20 years now & cannot believe it's almost 24 years old. Even the paint job is phenomenol & looks brand new. I wish I could upload a pic of my vehicle, you'd never know it was almost 24 years old. It looks brand new still! I wish they still made them, b/c I'd buy another in a heart beat just to have another one. I could go on & on about this ride, everything internal is still going strong inside too, like lights, power, etc. Nothing has went out. I feel sorry for people who will never experience owning such a reliable & phenomenal vehicle that is so dependable & durable. Americans have sadly gotten used to constant car repair bills & cars not lasting & thinking it's normal. It's not!

This is my second one. The first one was a '98 and this is a '04 Montero Sport. A step back in terms of interior and fuel economy but otherwise a great work horse for all needs. Even the exterior is kind of timeless. Currently have 220 kmiles on it, does 17-20 mpg and still serves me well. Stable on and off road. No 2wd setting but AWD, 4WD high and low. Sort of basic spartan interior but that's the vehicle it is. There are very few real SUVs left on the market so this is a good one to have and hold on to.

Was roomy, drove well, handled well in snow... but had endless issues with the engine that culminated in the engine going toast on a remote interstate and stranding me. This car needed constant maintenance and was generally a nightmare in terms of reliability.

I drive this car to work every day. I also take this car off -roading in the middle of nowhere. The gas mileage isn't great compared to a newer car but this vehicle will get you to and from wherever you need to go. The montero is a bare bones vehicle, it has everything you need and nothing that you don't. I love this car and if you disagree I will fight you.

Just reached 250k runs and drives amazing it’s super fast too this thing flys Never had to replace a thing on this car let’s see if I can reach 500k in the next few years

The ride is smooth and can drive for long period of times, drove it on freeway a lot. Only problem I have with it is it still needs mechanical issues. Don't want to put more money in it.

Bought ours new, ran it to over 239,000 miles with no issues at all. Gave to the kids they ran it another couple years. The sport was the best look and great on price for the initial buy

I am almost 30 years old, and since I first got My license when I was 16, I have owned an 05 Honda Accord loaded, an 08 BMW 328xi, a 2011 camaro ss, a 2015 Ford F-150 lariat, and a 2014 Ford F-350 xlt, and now me and my wife are having babies and I decided to buy something more conservative, I bought an 03 Mitsubishi Montero sport with 110,000 miles and I am now at 240,000 miles, and in that amount of time I have had ZERO problems with the vehicle whatsoever. The only money I have had to put into it was regular oil changes and maintenance. If you take care of this vehicle it will last you forever. My dad has a friend who has a 99 Montero with almost 400k miles still running like a champ. Out of all the vehicles I have owned mentioned above this 03 Montero sport is by far the most reliable I’ve owned... I will be keeping this car forever as long as I can, will most likely be my sons first vehicle.!! Truly the best car I’ve ever owned.