What breaks most · 1990 to 2024 model years
Mitsubishi Mirage problems by year
Owners have filed 683 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Mitsubishi Mirage across model years 1990 to 2024. Three years stand out: 1997 for engine and cooling complaints, 1993 for seat belts complaints and 1995 for air bags complaints. The quietest years are 2016, 2020 and 2021.
- Years to check closely: 1997, 1993, 1995
- Fewest complaints: 2016, 2020, 2021
- Complaints on file
- 6831990 to 2024, all trims
- Worst year
- 199774 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 16914 fires · 144 injuries · 5 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 45kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 47Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | 1 | 1 | Seat belts (19) | |
| 38 | 5 | 1 | Seat belts (14) | |
| 15 | 0 | 1 | Seat belts (8) | |
| 73 | 2 | 3 | Seat belts (56) | |
| 60 | 21 | 1 | Air bags (30) | |
| 70 | 36 | 1 | Air bags (35) | |
| 28 | 11 | 1 | Air bags (12) | |
| 74 | 13 | 4 | Engine and cooling (18) | |
| 43 | 12 | 5 | Air bags (9) | |
| 57 | 14 | 6 | Brakes (hydraulic) (13) | |
| 35 | 9 | 5 | Electrical system (9) | |
| 31 | 9 | 5 | Speed control and throttle (7) | |
| 5 | 2 | 4 | Body and structure (1) | |
| 44 | 14 | 3 | Air bags (15) | |
| 39 | 9 | 2 | Brakes (13) | |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | Unknown or other (1) | |
| 15 | 4 | 2 | Air bags (6) | |
| 10 | 3 | 1 | Air bags (4) | |
| 5 | 2 | 0 | Unknown or other (2) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Brakes (hydraulic) (1) | |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | Air bags (1) | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | Brakes (hydraulic) (1) | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | Forward collision system (1) |
What fails on the 1997 Mitsubishi Mirage
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 24% |
18 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 1997 Mitsubishi Mirage |
| Air bags | 20% |
15 | 10 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 20% |
15 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 8% |
6 | 0 | Shop suspension parts for the 1997 Mitsubishi Mirage |
| Seat belts | 8% |
6 | 1 | Check recalls for seat belts on NHTSA.gov |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 8% |
6 | 1 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 1997 Mitsubishi Mirage |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 7% |
5 | 1 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 1997 Mitsubishi Mirage |
| Tires | 5% |
4 | 1 | — |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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I saw the recall id 00v311001 but i have already paid for the fix of my car because i didn't saw the recall what can i do about the money i paid to a mechanic i sped $700.00 dollars on the repairs i hope you can help me thanks.
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While consumer was driving camshaft failed two weeks prior to having vehicle in shop for a timing belt failure. Dealership was aware of problem. It took $1400.00.*ak ( see odi # 733265).
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While driving, vehicle lost oil, dealer replaced leaking cylinder head gasket. On another occasion, vehicle lost all power, suddenly shutting off. Dealer replaced distributor to correct condition. *ak *tt
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Mitsubishi Mirage years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 1997, 1993, 1995 carry the most filings on the Mitsubishi Mirage. The 1997 alone has 74 complaints, led by engine and cooling.
What is the most common Mitsubishi Mirage problem?
On the 1997 model year, the most-reported component is engine and cooling with 18 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Mitsubishi Mirage problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Mitsubishi Mirage complaints that include mileage is about 45,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.