U.S. public vehicle records

Mitsubishi MIRAGE problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

523 owner complaints analyzed

11 distinct recall campaigns

40,494 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1986 to 2024 model years. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 160 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Air Bags is the most frequently named component, appearing in 55 of 523 complaints (10.5%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	82	15.7%
Transmission and shifting	32	6.1%
Engine operation	27	5.2%
Steering behavior	24	4.6%
Electrical and battery issues	12	2.3%
Fuel system concerns	6	1.1%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Air Bags

Air Bags:Frontal

Seat Belts

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

Service Brakes

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

Vehicle Speed Control

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Air Bags	55
Air Bags:Frontal	49
Seat Belts	46
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	30
Service Brakes	26
Power Train:Automatic Transmission	25
Vehicle Speed Control	25
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline	24

Air Bags: 55; Air Bags:Frontal: 49; Seat Belts: 46; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 30; Service Brakes: 26; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 25; Vehicle Speed Control: 25; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline: 24

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 58; 25,000 to 49,999: 38; 50,000 to 74,999: 27; 75,000 to 99,999: 12; 100,000 to 149,999: 17; 150,000 and above: 8

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (58). 363 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

1995

1996

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026

1995: 54; 1996: 41; 2000: 77; 2001: 67; 2002: 44; 2003: 35; 2004: 24; 2005: 22; 2006: 7; 2007: 8; 2008: 5; 2009: 2; 2012: 3; 2013: 3; 2014: 7; 2015: 22; 2016: 23; 2017: 11; 2018: 19; 2019: 17; 2020: 5; 2021: 6; 2022: 5; 2023: 5; 2024: 3; 2025: 6; 2026: 2

Pattern summary

Air Bags leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 82 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 32 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 27 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10055627 · 2004-01-22 (January 22, 2004)

CONSUMER EXPERIENCED 4 BRAKE FAILURES WHILE DRIVING. AS A RESULT, ON TIME THE VEHICLE WENT INTO A DITCH. BRAKE PAD SEPARATED FROM THE CALIPER AND FELL OFF. THIS WAS DUE TO THE CASTING FOR THE BRAKE PAD HARDLY GOING INTO THE FLAT. ANOTHER TIME THE PROBLEM WAS WORSE WHEN THE PADS WERE NEW.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 6,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10055627 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10068607 · 2004-06-04 (June 4, 2004)

WHILE DRIVING, THE CONSUMER SMELLED PLASTIC/RUBBER BURNING AND SUDDENLY VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONSUMER PULLED OVER AND CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. *AK THE CONSUMER NOTICED A LEAKAGE. THE CONSUMERS DAUGHTER WAS USING THE VEHICLE WHEN THE IT CAUGHT FIRE. THE DEALER STATED THAT IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. THE BRAKE LIGHT WOULD COME ON INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER SUGGESTED THAT THE COMBO SWITCH ASSEMBLY NEE…

Owner-reported narrative. 620,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10068607 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 480013 · 1995-01-26 (January 26, 1995)

VEHICLE STALLED AFTER TRANSMISSION FAILED. *SKD

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 480013 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 962872 · 1995-03-31 (March 31, 1995)

MANUAL TRANSMISSION SHIFTER NOISY BETWEEN 50-60 MPH DUE TO LOOSE SHIFTER CABLE. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 962872 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 731942 · 2000-09-19 (September 19, 2000)

REPORTED ENGINE STALLING SINCE 1992. MECHANIC FOUND PLAY IN CRANKSHAFT SPROKET. REPAIR AUTHORIZATION WAS DENIED BY WARRANTY. I HAVE HAD EXTENSIVE MAINTENANCE DONE SINCE THEN RESULTING IN THE ABOVE MENTIONED,DUE TO STALLING OR ENGINE SHUTTING OFF. THE LATEST REPAIR WAS THE ENGINE COIL REPLACEMENT.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 731942 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10552763 · 2013-11-18 (November 18, 2013)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1990 MITSUBISHI MIRAGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED SPORADICALLY AT INITIAL START-UP OR WHEN DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED FOR THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 82,000. ## VIN PASSED ## MITSUBISHI MIRAGE 1990 ##

Owner-reported narrative. 20,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10552763 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10078879 · 2004-06-27 (June 27, 2004)

(1)THE IGNITION SWITCH MALFUNCTIONED (2)A SPRING FROM THE SWITCH FROZE THE STEERING SO THAT ONLY 5 DEGREE OF STEERING IN EITHER DIRECTION WAS POSSIBLE ALMOST LEADING TO A CRASH (3)THE IGNITION SWITCH HAS TO BE REPLACED AND A NEW TUMBLER IS NEEDED. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 120,600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10078879 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 504425 · 1996-05-13 (May 13, 1996)

COATING ON STEERING WHEEL IS SLIPPERY, CAUSING WHEEL TO SLIP OUT OF HANDS WHEN TURNING CORNERS. *SD

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 504425 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 968526 · 1995-07-11 (July 11, 1995)

THE WIRING HARNESS BEHIND THE HEAD LIGHT CAUSE A FIRE. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 968526 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 504314 · 1996-05-08 (May 8, 1996)

FUEL PUMP FAILED, MAKING STARTING THE VEHICLE IMPOSSIBLE. *DH

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 504314 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10017102 · 2003-05-06 (May 6, 2003)

MY 16 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING HER CAR LATE ON FRIDAY NIGHT AND IT STALLED OUT IN A RURAL AREA. WE HAD IT TOWED TO OUR MECHANICAL AND THINKING IT WAS THE FUEL PUMP. HE INFORMED ME THAT THE CAM SHAFT HAD SPLIT. HE SAID THAT THIS IS VERY UNUSUAL. UPON FURTHER RESEARCH I HAVE LEARNED THAT MITSUBISHI HAS BEEN AWARE OF THE FACT THAT WITH THE MIRAGE THERE CAN BE A PROBLEM WITH STALLING DUE TO AN ENGINE SHAFT DEFECT. WHEN I CALLED MITSUBISHI ALL THEY SAID WAS THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THAT AND BECAUSE THE CAR IS A 1993 WITH 103,000 MILES THER…

Owner-reported narrative. 103,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10017102 at NHTSA ↗

Compare model years

Recalls by model year

All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.

From yearThrough year

Recall campaigns

Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.