Hey guys I am new to the forum and Mitsubishi world. My wife and I heard from a co-worker about the Montero so we went to a used lot to check one out, 01 Montero Limited with 156K for 8,995. A bit over priced but we thought the rig was amazing, the tan leather interior was showroom quality and made us feel like we were in a brand new car. The only problem was that the cab quickly filled with burning oil and the smell never left in the 20 minutes we were driving it. Salesman claimed that used cars seep oil and that it could just be burning it off. I call BS on it and the high price and we left.

We really like the Montero limited (not the sport) and when looking around for them they are hard to find. I have not seen one even driven since we looked at the one 2 weeks ago, they are nowhere to be found and probably why we have never heard of them.

Online we found them but they all have 150K+ miles on them. What is a high mileage Montero and what are some common problems to look for when buying?

Also why are they so rare? Are they a troublesome vehicle? I heard they are prone to roll overs but I wouldnt expect them to be any worse than the Ford explorer and lifted superduty I have now.

 

Hey man welcome to the forum. Montero's are awesome trucks. ltd's are rarely seen just like you said. The 3rd gen's were only manufactered from 2001-2006 here in America, but the rest of the world knows them as the Pajero and they continue to keep them rolling out of the factory.

They have their cons just like any other vehicle but they don't outway the pro's...in my opinion.

Theburning smell more than likey was oil burning off. They have a tendency to leak oil from the valve cover gaskets and rear cam seals, never is a deal breaker though as the rear c seals can be done in about 20 minutes, the valve cover gaskets...well thats about a 4 hour job.

Some other cons are 4wd flashing lights which are not rare and sometimes costly to track down the issue. Temp gauge gets ***** on some of them and makes you think your over heating. If you buy one up north "ohio, Michigan,new york etc.." plan to do alot of rust and seized bolt repair underneath. Timing belt, water pump etc.. needs to be done every 60k, other than that they stout little rigs! Like I said though the pros definitely out way the cons.

Not a whole lot of online support like toyota, jeep, rover.
Exepedition portal is a great forum, alot of mitsu guys over there, and not a days wait if you start a thread for someone to reply.

I would say that montrtos arent prone to rollover any more than anyother top heavy 5k pound truck.

Hope any of this helps.

 

I second Jhill15 on all points.
I've driven many different SUVs and pickup trucks and I must say that Montero has the best ride quality, good all around capability and great passenger comfort. I would spring for another one as soon as they bring it back to US.
I have an 01 Limited and while many of my friends have replaced at least 2 vehicles in the same time, mine just keeps rolling along. Mechanically they are very sound and with good maintenance it should last for a good long time.