2000 Mitsubishi Montero Sport — 3.0L

The 2000 Mitsubishi Montero Sport experienced a sharp increase in federal complaints to 98, more than doubling the 40 complaints recorded for the 1999 model year, while recalls dropped back to 1. Across the broader generation, the data reveals a troubling trend of escalating issues that culminate in a dramatic peak in 2001, which saw 245 complaints and 6 recalls before numbers declined in subsequent years. The 2000 model year sits directly on this upward slope of the arc, functioning as the immediate precursor to the generation's worst model year rather than an isolated anomaly. For the 2000 model specifically, Structure (14), Power Train (12), Suspension (10), and Service Brakes, Hydraulic (9) represent the primary complaint areas, alongside 18 crash complaints and 1 fire complaint, though the data does not specify root causes for these failures. Given its position at the leading edge of the generation's peak failure period and its own significant spike in reported issues, the 2000 model year is a risky purchase and is best avoided in favor of later, post-2001 models.