U.S. public vehicle records

2003 Mitsubishi MONTERO: complaints, problems and recalls

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

39 owner complaints analyzed

2 distinct recall campaigns

81,500 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2003 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 32 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Service Brakes is the most frequently named component, appearing in 5 of 39 complaints (12.8%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	12	30.8%
Steering behavior	4	10.3%
Fuel system concerns	3	7.7%
Transmission and shifting	2	5.1%
Engine operation	2	5.1%
Electrical and battery issues	2	5.1%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Service Brakes

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Air Bags

Electrical System

Power Train

Engine And Engine Cooling

Fuel System, Gasoline

Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage

Service Brakes: 5; Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 5; Air Bags: 3; Electrical System: 3; Power Train: 3; Engine And Engine Cooling: 2; Fuel System, Gasoline: 2; Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage: 2

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 8; 25,000 to 49,999: 3; 50,000 to 74,999: 4; 75,000 to 99,999: 4; 100,000 to 149,999: 6; 150,000 and above: 7

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (8). 7 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2003: 3; 2004: 8; 2005: 3; 2006: 5; 2007: 2; 2008: 2; 2009: 1; 2010: 2; 2011: 2; 2012: 1; 2013: 3; 2014: 4; 2015: 2; 2016: 1

Pattern summary

Service Brakes leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 12 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 4 complaint narratives. Fuel system concerns appears in 3 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Examples from the source records

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10037616 · 2003-08-26 (August 26, 2003)

AN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE WAS CAUSING ALL ELECTRICAL OPERATED COMPONENTS TO MALFUNCTION OR INOPERATIVE. FOR EXAMPLE, AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS/INTERIOR LIGHTS/RADIO AND ETC. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE HAD NOT BEEN DETERMINED ALTHOUGH VEHICLE HAD BEEN SERVICED SEVERAL TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 50,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10037616 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10044205 · 2003-11-24 (November 24, 2003)

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT THE VEHICLE ALWAYS SWAYED TO THE RIGHT. THE DEALER REPLACED MANY PARTS BUT THE PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURRING. *AK THE VEHICLE ALSO MADE NOISE WHILE DRIVING OVER BUMPS AND WHILE MAKING TURNS. WHILE DRIVING THE FRONT PASSENGER AXLE AND WHEEL HUB BROKE. THE 4X4 HI LIGHT WAS FLASHING. THE DEALER REPLACED THE SHIFTER SWITCH. *NLM

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10044205 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10048668 · 2004-01-12 (January 12, 2004)

WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE SIDE WALL. THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. *NLM WHEN THE TIRE WAS TAKEN TO FIRESTONE THEY DETERMINED THAT THE TIRE HAD A FLAT BUT THE CONSUMER STATED IT WAS NOT A FLAT TIRE BECAUSE IT EXPLODED. *CB *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 4,379 miles reported. Look up ODI 10048668 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10050896 · 2003-12-21 (December 21, 2003)

MY VEHICLE IS LEAKING RAW FUEL IN MY DRIVEWAY.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 12,025 miles reported. Look up ODI 10050896 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10057948 · 2004-02-11 (February 11, 2004)

WHILE DRIVING AND COMING TO COMPLETE STOP AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DOESN'T SHIFT PROPERLY FROM THE FIRST TO THE SECOND GEAR. DEALER INSPECTED VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 80,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10057948 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10075816 · 2004-07-15 (July 15, 2004)

THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE SLOWING DOWN FOR A STOP LIGHT. ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE IS IN DRIVE IT SOMETIMES ROLLS BACKWARDS AS IF IT IS IN NEUTRAL. *AK *NM

Owner-reported narrative. 37,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10075816 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10080910 · 2004-07-12 (July 12, 2004)

HESITATION AND STALLING BETWEEN 0-45 MPH AT SLIGHTLY ABOVE 3/4 FULL TANK OF GAS. VEHICLE LEAKS SUBSTANTIAL QUANTITY OF FUEL WHEN PARKED ON INCLINE AT SLIGHTLY ABOVE 3/4 TANK OF GAS. IN ADDITION, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT FILLING PROPERLY AT THE GAS PUMP (PUMP CONTINUALLY SHUT OFF AS IF TANK WERE FULL EVEN THOUGH IT WAS NOT). THESE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED WITH OUR 2002 MONTERO WHICH WAS RETURNED TO MITSUBISHI THROUGH THE LEMON LAW. THESE PROBLEMS BEGAN AT 26,000 MILES, PROBLEMS OCCURRED WITH OTHER VEHICLE STARTING AT 9,000 MILES. IN THE 2003, THE…

Owner-reported narrative. 26,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10080910 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10081883 · 2004-07-13 (July 13, 2004)

WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND PULLED OVER. CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE REAR RIGHT WINDOW BROKE. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINEDTHAT HEAT CAUSED THE WINDOW TO BREAK. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10081883 at NHTSA ↗

Recall history

2 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.

04V319000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage

Reported: 2004-07-06 (July 6, 2004)

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, WHEN THE FUEL TANK IS FULL AND THE VEHICLE IS PARKED FACING FORWARD ON AN UPWARD SLOPE, THE FUEL TANK LEVELING VALVE MAY NOT MAINTAIN PROPER SEALING IN THE EVENT THE FUEL EXPANDS FROM A RISE IN THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE.

Consequence: IF THE FUEL LEVELING VALVE DOES NOT SEAL PROPERLY, FUEL MAY LEAK ONTO THE GROUND. FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE MAY RESULT IN A FIRE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE LEVELING VALVE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 30, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT MITSUBISHI AT 1-800-222-0037 OR MITSUBISHI CARIBBEAN AT 1-787-251-8715.

NHTSA campaign record ↗

04V428000 · Equipment:Other:Labels

Reported: 2004-09-01 (September 1, 2004)

CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 208, 'OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION.' THE BILINGUAL ENGLISH/SPANISH REMOVABLE AIR BAG WARNING LABELS AFFIXED TO THE DASH AND TO THE SUNVISOR DO NOT MEET THE SIZE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STANDARD.

Consequence: THIS DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STANDARD.

Remedy: MITSUBISHI CARIBBEAN WILL MAIL A CUSTOMER NOTIFICATION LETTER CONTAINING A WRITTEN DESCRIPTION AND A GRAPHIC OF THE BI-LINGUAL DASHBOARD AIR BAG WARNING LABEL. IN ADDITION, ALL CURRENT 2000-2004 NATIVA OWNERS WILL ALSO RECEIVE REPLACEMENT AIR BAG ALERT LABELS FOR THE SUN VISORS. THIS RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING MARCH OR APRIL 2005. THE NOTIFICATION TO THE NATIVA OWNERS IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING APRIL OR MAY 2005. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT MITSUBISHI CARIBBEAN AT 1-787-251-8715.

NHTSA campaign record ↗