1999 Mitsubishi Montero review from North America
"Routine maintenance is very expensive and impossible to do yourself."
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Front and rear brakes at 30,000
4WD light switches at 32,000
Cam plug seals at 37,000
Radiator hoses at 38,000
Radiator at 40,000
Outrageously expensive 60,000 mile maintenance service, vehicle design discourages do it yourself maintenance.
General comments?
Minor problems, but expensive to fix if out of warranty.
Basic maintenance difficult, skid plate has to be removed to do an oil change, intake manifold must be removed to change spark plugs or wires, vehicle requires timing belt at 60,000 miles along with spark plugs, over $1000 at dealer. Water pump is driven by timing belt and expensive to change also.
Compared to my previous Saturn: the 60,000 mile service and oil changes I could easily perform, it had a timing chain which didn't require replacement in 108,000 miles, and an easy to change water pump. I just went back to a 2002 Saturn SL2 because it was a better vehicle than the Montero with a much lower operating cost.
Recommended reviews
| It is pretty good and only has a few things that need to be improved |
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| P.O.S. |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Year of manufacture | 1999 |
| First year of ownership | 2000 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2002 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.0 V6 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 3 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 6 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 7 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 4 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 2 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 15000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 64000 miles |
| Previous car | Saturn SC |
| Date of Entry | 2nd February, 2003 |