Need advise on 1998 Montero with 180K

[newworld2004]

I am planning to see 1998 Montero it has 180K millage on it, according to seller that is his father's truck and since 04 he owned it. asking price is $1750. Timing belt replaced 4 years ago , but not water pump. I don't know how much life left in the truck with 180K or should I wait for something with lower millage ?

no rust or leaks according to seller, this is north east truck.

let me know what you guys thinking.

thx

 

[Eric M]

Make sure you go over it with the finest toothed comb you have. Northeast truck and rust free sounds highly unlikely to me.

 

[newworld2004]

Make sure you go over it with the finest toothed comb you have. Northeast truck and rust free sounds highly unlikely to me.

I am NOT mechanically-inclined , so not sure what to check for, I can do simple stuff like check for smoke from tail pipe, etc,.. noting major.

 

[limp_noodle]

If that's the case I highly suggest you either hire a mechanic to come view it with you, bring it to an independent shop and have them go over it, or find someone from this forum who knows the car and bring him with you.

The price seems ok, but you don't want to be sick a truck that'll cost an arm and a leg.

 

[newworld2004]

If that's the case I highly suggest you either hire a mechanic to come view it with you, bring it to an independent shop and have them go over it, or find someone from this forum who knows the car and bring him with you.

The price seems ok, but you don't want to be sick a truck that'll cost an arm and a leg.

that is what I am afraid of , spending on expensive repairs.

 

[Salonika]

You are buying a high mileage 1998. There will be work involved, count on it. If you aren't into DIY car repair, don't buy it. If you need to bring it to a garage every time something acts up, yes, it will cost you a fortune. They are solid trucks but they do require maintenance.

 

[BEG]

I bought my 98 with even higher miles but I was prepared to do the base line maintenance required and it's been reliable since. However, if I had needed a daily driver that I could just hop in and go, that would not have been a wise purchase.

Honestly, any 2.5 is going to be at least 15 years old and the cost of initial repairs and maintenance has to be factored into your budget, regardless of mileage. I DIY everything and I budget at least an extra $1k over the purchase price.

 

[huachuca]

Make and mileage aside, anything you buy in this price range will be a crap shoot. While an inspection by a knowledgeable mechanic/shop would be great, a thorough check is going to run you a significant percentage of this vehicle's value.

Things anyone can determine - Starts easily, heater blows hot and AC cold, windows go up and down and glass if free of cracks and chips, wipers work, lights and signals are good, trans doesn't slip and shifts smoothly, no 'clunks' in drive train, 4WD works, functional gauges with no abnormal readings, motor and transmission show no fresh fluid leaks (also check dip stick levels and for burnt odor in tranny fluid), exhaust is solid, frame and body panels are rust free, interior and exterior are acceptable, brakes are good, steering is free of shimmy at all speeds, tires (and spare) are decent.

I'm not familiar with VA inspection laws but if this were a NC vehicle and I was satisfied with it sufficiently meeting most/all the above points, I'd take it to an inspection station, pony up the fee and confirm it would pass our emissions and safety criteria.

If this will be your DD and you don't have access to a second vehicle or at least 2K of discretionary funds, I'd pass. Not because its a 98 Montero with 180K but because any vehicle with an unknown history of that age and mileage will be a gamble. If you have adequate backup with vehicles and/or money, this could be a decent deal. Having said that, I have a bare bones 98 (Puerto Rico import w/3.0) with 190K that I wouldn't consider selling for twice that asking price.

 

[earljuic3]

As stated above...I wouldn't by a Mitsubishi (or any vehicle) with this many miles if you aren't planning to do at least a good portion of your own work. My 2002 has needed thousands of dollars in maintenance work and repairs (would probably creep on 10k if I hadn't done 90% of the work myself). I am located in Southeast VA if there is anything I can do to help please don't hesitate to reach out.

 

[brad2274]

Currently my 95 ls with 174k runs like a champ and im sure its got another 80k left in it, i doubt it will leave me stranded. but when youre up at that mileage the drivetrain could run fine and be reliable but that leaves the suspension to be a mystery. mine turned out to have basically all worn components(most boots and bushings either torn or cracked) and shocks are factory, axles trashed, so i purchased most of the replacements for about $350. being i paid 1250 for it, its fine and dandy to me and i dont mind the work, but at a shop it wouldnt be cheap.

So im sure that 98 would be a decent deal and a good runner if it isnt all trashed underneath and motor acting up, but if you want everything up to snuff and ensure its reliability, theres no question itll need some decent amount of work put in

 

[JohnnyBfromPeoria]

Four years on a timing belt and no water pump replacement? Right off the bat, water pump, timing belt, tensioner, tensioner pulley, idler pulley, cam seals and front main seal. If you're opening up the front of the engine, might as well replace the valve cover gaskets, valve stem seals, valve lash adjusters, spark plugs and spark plug wires. It's at "that" mileage. Throw in a new crank pulley bolt and washer. I also replaced my harmonic balancer and the gear on the crank that drives the timing belt, but that's because of previous issues with having the wrong crank bolt in and having it break on me.

Then, sure as Shiite, it'll need an idler arm and probably a Pitman arm. But if you're going to tear apart the steering linkage, hey, why not replace the tie rod ends? (there are 4) Going a bit deeper, I'd replace the front bushing in each lower a-arm, the ball joints (all four) and the upper a-arm end bushings as well (you can buy pre-assembled a-arms, both upper and lower to save some work here; they include the bushings and ball joints). And since you're stripping off the a-arms, reboot the half shafts. You'll be cleaning and repacking the wheel bearings, too.

Sounds intimidating at first. These things all wear out. Replace them and you're good for the usual wear items for years, at least 60,000 miles until the timing belt needs to be redone again.

Look for rust in the tops of the wheel wells above the rear tires.

Good luck.

John B.

 

[limp_noodle]

.

Then, sure as Shiite, it'll need an idler arm and probably a Pitman arm. But if you're going to tear apart the steering linkage, hey, why not replace the tie rod ends? (there are 4) Going a bit deeper, I'd replace the front bushing in each lower a-arm, the ball joints (all four) and the upper a-arm end bushings as well (you can buy pre-assembled a-arms, both upper and lower to save some work here; they include the bushings and ball joints). And since you're stripping off the a-arms, reboot the half shafts. You'll be cleaning and repacking the wheel bearings, too.

Add the front brake pads and rotors to that list too since those have to be removed to get to those other parts.

Another typical place that has rust that I've noticed is the rocker panel. Get under the car and check the frame for rust too

 

[nwoods]

I haven't read all the responses, but I'll offer this opinion, most cars feel tired at 100,000. Montero's are still going strong at 200,000 miles They have an amazing amount of life left in them at that mileage. And they are pretty easy to work on

 

[newworld2004]

I haven't read all the responses, but I'll offer this opinion, most cars feel tired at 100,000. Montero's are still going strong at 200,000 miles They have an amazing amount of life left in them at that mileage. And they are pretty easy to work on

Thank you , for all those useful advices I really appreciated.

 

[4D55 Performance]

As stated above...I wouldn't by a Mitsubishi (or any vehicle) with this many miles if you aren't planning to do at least a good portion of your own work. My 2002 has needed thousands of dollars in maintenance work and repairs (would probably creep on 10k if I hadn't done 90% of the work myself). I am located in Southeast VA if there is anything I can do to help please don't hesitate to reach out.

180K miles is nothing on a Gen 2.5. I would expect this vehicle to good for 400k miles if it was taken care of properly. These are not pieces of junk like the Dodge Durango.