Head-to-head reliability

Mitsubishi Montero Sport vs FORD F 150

How the Mitsubishi Montero Sport and FORD F 150 compare on NHTSA complaints, recalls and crash reports — and which is the lower-risk used buy.

Mitsubishi Montero Sport492 complaints · 3 recalls Fewer issues per year
FORD F 15011,157 complaints · 144 recalls

Based on NHTSA owner-complaint & recall records

Which should you buy?

Mitsubishi Montero Sport averages fewer NHTSA complaints per year. Mitsubishi Montero Sport has 492 complaints and 3 recalls on record; FORD F 150 has 11,157 complaints and 144 recalls. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.

The numbers

Side-by-side NHTSA record

Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.

CategoryMitsubishi Montero SportFORD F 150
Total complaintsAll model years combined492 Better11,157
Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns3 Better144
Crash reportsCrash-related complaints72 Better324
Complaints per yearAveraged across model years98.4 Better1115.7
Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints63 Better287
Reported deathsTied to owner complaints31 Better

Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall records.

What actually goes wrong

The problems owners report

The most-complained-about systems on each vehicle — what fails, and what owners say in their own words.

Mitsubishi Montero Sport

  1. 01SERVICE BRAKES139
  2. 02HYDRAULIC108
  3. 03POWER TRAIN58
  4. 04ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING57
  5. 05AIR BAGS56
In owners' words — SERVICE BRAKES

I JUST PICKED UP MY SON'S VEHICLE FROM THE SERVICE GARAGE WHERE I HAD JUST HAD NEW BRAKES AND ROTORS INSTALLED FOR HIM. I WAS ON THE WAY TO MEET MY HUSBAND AT THE GROCERY STORE BUT NEEDED TO DROP OFF SOME LETTERS AT THE OUTDOOR MAIL BOX AT THE POST OFFICE WHI…

IN 2007 I HAD THE BRAKES TO MY 2003 MITSUBUSHI MONTERO LIMITED REPLACED BECAUSE I FELT THEY MY TRUCK WOULD NOT STOP AS DESIRED. AFTER HAVING THE BRAKES REPLACED IT APPEARS THAT THE PROBLEM BECAME WORSE. I TOOK MY VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY ASSURED ME…

FORD F 150

  1. 01POWER TRAIN3,503
  2. 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2,058
  3. 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER1,383
  4. 04EXTERIOR LIGHTING1,150
  5. 05ENGINE829
In owners' words — POWER TRAIN

I started noticing hard and delayed shifts from 7th into 8th gear. My RPM's were not increasing when this happened, and then on a very crowded major road I lost all power, vehicle shut off and drifted, then started up and jerked again very hard. This failure…

I am filing a safety complaint regarding the transmission in my 2019 Ford F-150 equipped with the 5.0L V8 and 10-speed automatic transmission. My vehicle currently has approximately 88,000 miles. The transmission began experiencing abnormal shifting, includin…

Official recalls

Safety recalls on record

Federal recall campaigns — the defect, the risk, and the fix. Confirm any open recall was completed before you buy.

Mitsubishi Montero Sport — 3 recalls

Equipment — Other — Labels
#04V095000

The defect: ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE VEHICLE CAPACITY WEIGHTS AS STATED ON THE TIRE AND LOADING INFORMATION LABEL ARE IN ERROR.

The risk: THIS INFORMATION COULD POTENTIALLY RESULT IN CONSUMERS LOADING THEIR VEHICLES BEYOND THE GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT RATING (GVWR).

The fix: OWNERS WILL BE SENT REPLACEMENT LABELS WITH INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO INSTALL THEM. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 14, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT MITSUBISHI AT 1-800-222-0037.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic — Foundation Components — Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings
#01V027000May 2001

The defect: VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 3.5L ENGINES. THESE VEHICLES DO NOT COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 106, "BRAKE HOSES." THESE VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH NONCOMPLIANT BRAKE VACUUM HOSES.

The risk: THESE HOSES COULD BURST CAUSING FLUID LEAKAGE, INCREASING THE BRAKING CAPABILITY OF THE VEHICLE AND COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

The fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE VACUUM HOSE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN FEBRUARY 15, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONT…

Service Brakes, Hydraulic — Foundation Components — Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings
#01V027000May 2001

The defect: VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 3.5L ENGINES. THESE VEHICLES DO NOT COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 106, "BRAKE HOSES." THESE VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH NONCOMPLIANT BRAKE VACUUM HOSES.

The risk: THESE HOSES COULD BURST CAUSING FLUID LEAKAGE, INCREASING THE BRAKING CAPABILITY OF THE VEHICLE AND COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

The fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE VACUUM HOSE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN FEBRUARY 15, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONT…

FORD F 150 — 144 recalls

Exterior Lighting — Headlights
#20V097000

The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 trucks equipped with high series LED headlamps with Autolamp (On/Off) functionality. The Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) may remain activated instead of dimming to parking lamps when the Master Lighting Switch (MLS) is manually rotated from…

The risk: DRL that cannot dim may reduce the visibility of other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the body control module, free of charge. The recall began March 10, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20C03.

Electrical System — 12v/24v/48v Battery — Cables
#19V805000Dec 2019

The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019-2020 F-150 vehicles. The fastener securing the Power Distribution Box (PDB) 12V cable and Battery Monitoring System (BMS) eyelets to the positive battery terminal may loosen and affect the vehicle's systems such as instrument panel displays and br…

The risk: Inoperative vehicle systems or an engine stall can increase the risk of a crash. Reduced braking and steering efforts increases the risk of a crash. This condition could also create a resistive short, increasing the risk of a fire.

The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the positive battery cable/BMS/PDB joint for excess sealant adhesive and remove any excessive adhesive, reassemble the joint, and retorque the fastener, as necessary, free of charge. The re…

Engine
#18V894000

The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Ford F-150 and 2017-2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty pick-up trucks equipped with an engine block heater. Water and contaminants may get into the block heater cable's splice connector causin…

The risk: When the heater is plugged in, prolonged corrosion could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring which can increase the risk of a fire.

The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will disable the block heater cable, free of charge. Once parts are available, Dealers will replace the engine block heater cable, free of charge. The recall began June 3, 2019. Owners may contact Ford…

Seats — Front Assembly — Recliner
#19V633000

The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 and 2019-2020 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty pickup trucks, and 2018-2019 Ford Explorer, 2019-2020 Expedition, and 2020 Escape vehicles equipped with driver and/or passenger's manual front seat back recliner mechanisms. Also…

The risk: A seat back with an improperly assembled recliner mechanism may have reduced strength and may not adequately restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

The fix: Ford will notify owners, and Ford and Lincoln dealers will inspect the seat structure and replace them, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 21, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's num…

Check the actual car

Comparing models is smart. Checking the VIN is essential.

Brand averages tell you the trend. A VIN check tells you what's wrong with the specific Mitsubishi Montero Sport or FORD F 150 in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.

Go deeper

Full reliability reports

Mitsubishi Montero Sport vs FORD F 150 — comparison facts
Comparison
Mitsubishi Montero Sport vs FORD F 150
Mitsubishi Montero Sport total complaints
492
FORD F 150 total complaints
11,157
Mitsubishi Montero Sport total recalls
3
FORD F 150 total recalls
144
Mitsubishi Montero Sport avg complaints/year
98.4
FORD F 150 avg complaints/year
1115.7
More reliable overall
Mitsubishi Montero Sport
Mitsubishi Montero Sport top complaint area
SERVICE BRAKES
FORD F 150 top complaint area
POWER TRAIN