Hello
I am a new member interested in a Montero, dont know much about these suv's other than the general details that all most every off road enthusiast knows. I looked around but i cant find general info or history on Monteros, how reliable they are, wich models to avoid and wich to look for, what are the commonf flaws and just details on the model, i see there are limited and sport edition one has a more squared desgin while the other has more curves but i dont know the difference or why they made two different models at the same time. I have read that lately Mitsubishi has gone down on reliability and i want to avoid certain models if necessary. Currently i drive a Nissan Xterra wich is awesome but i may consider selling it and monteros are dirt cheap where i live but i just dont know where to start. I use my xterra mostly for traveling off road, camping and exploring but nothing drastic like rock crawling. Any info other than wikipedia is greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

I'm kind of new to the Montero family (Aprx 6 mos) 2003 Montero sport XLS 3.5 liter, Auto, 154,xxx, no dent, good paint,"Stole" it for $800. Shortly after I bought it, the Check Engine Light came on. #5 cyl intermitent miss. Turns out every 3,0, 3.5 and I believe also 3.8 liter V-6 Mitsubishi ever made, has cheap o-rings on the cam bore plugs,, that dry up and leak at about 60,000 miles. Not a big deal if you have any mechanical skills what so ever, but if you dont, you're looking at $350-500 tune ups. the miss is caused by oil getting into the spark plug tube, So, every time you change the plugs, you have to replace also the Spark plug tube gaskets, which are under the valve covers, so you have to replce those gaskets,Furthermore, to even get the wires off of the spark plugs, you have to remove the intake manifold/plennum and throttle body (more gaskets to replace) But with a little bargain hunting I got everthing I needed for jist over $100. However, due to unforeseen circumstances my car was down for almost 6 weeks (but thats not normal) Depending on your skills it's about a 3/4 to 1 and 1/2 day job. Well worth it though, It now runs as smooth as a brond new car, which absolutely amazes me for a 17 year old car. The only other thing I have had to buy is tires. I bumped up to 265/75-16 (Stock is 255/70-16) they are about 0.4" wider and 1.5" taller. Fills the wheel wells with no rubbing whatsoever, looks better, rides better. Cost me more than the car itself though. So to summerize, they can be a pain in the neck, but I believe the satisfaction is well worth it. If you take care of them they are very durable, and will take care of you. Hope this was helpful, good luck with whatever you choose
Derek