1991 Mitsubishi Montero — 3.0L

The 1991 Mitsubishi Montero sits at the quieter end of this generation's federal record, with 18 complaints, 2 recalls, and 1 investigation — a modest improvement over the 1990 launch year's 24 complaints and 2 investigations, and notably calmer than what followed. Complaint volumes dip to 12 in 1992 before climbing steadily through the mid-1990s, peaking at 99 in 1995 and 98 in 1997, and ultimately spiking to 174 by 2002, while TSBs balloon from single digits in the early years to 110 by 2002 — suggesting that issues accumulated and were addressed progressively over the generation's life. The 1991 model's top complaint areas — Engine & Engine Cooling (4), Steering (2), Tires (2), and Vehicle Speed Control (2) — are modest in volume, though the 2 fire complaints warrant attention; the data does not specify root causes for any of these. Crucially, the 1991 falls before the generation's trouble arc intensifies around 1994, meaning it benefits from early-production simplicity without yet bearing the escalating complaint and recall burden seen in later years. For a used buyer, 1991 represents one of the more defensible model years in this generation — complaint volume is among the lowest on record, recalls are manageable, and it predates the major problem clusters that define the generation's later years.