1998 Mitsubishi Montero — 3.5L

The 1998 Mitsubishi Montero sits near the peak of a volatile complaint arc for this generation, recording 80 complaints alongside 4 recalls and 1 investigation, which closely mirrors the elevated figures of the 1997 model year (98 complaints, 4 recalls). While this represents a slight decrease from 1997, it remains significantly higher than the subsequent 1999 model year (40 complaints, 2 recalls) and the early generation years, indicating that unresolved issues persisted into 1998. For the target year specifically, suspension concerns dominate the federal record with 16 complaints, followed by engine/cooling and hydraulic brakes with 8 each, and structure issues at 6, though the data does not specify root causes for these failures. Additionally, the 1998 model logged 10 crash complaints and zero fire complaints. Given its position at the tail end of a high-complaint plateau before a notable improvement in 1999, the 1998 Montero is not the most favorable year to purchase; a prospective buyer would be better served seeking a 1999 model with half the complaint volume and fewer recalls.