1992 Mitsubishi Expo Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1992 Mitsubishi Expo, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Seat belts2250.0%
- Body & structure613.6%
- Transmission511.4%
- Interior & seats49.1%
- Engine24.5%
- Brakes24.5%
- Fuel system12.3%
- Powertrain (other)12.3%
- Driver assistance12.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 97V063001 CONCERNING SEAT BELT FAILURE. WHEN VEHICLE WAS STARTED AUTOMATIC SEAT BELTS DID NOT ENGAGE. THE SEAT BELT DID NOT SLIDE ON THE RAIL PROPERLY. THIS VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER THE RECALL ONCE, BUT THE PROBLEM RECURRED.*AK *LA
CONSUMER STATES THE PASSENGER SIDE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT DISENGAGES WHILE DRIVING. ALSO THE SAME BELT WILL INTERMITTENTLY NOT ENGAGE WHEN VEHICLE IS STARTED. TS
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
REPORTING AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH SLIDING DOOR KEEPS COMING OFF. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND REPAIRED DOOR ON TWO OCCASIONS, AND PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. ASKING NHTSA HELP ON THIS MATTER. *AK
RECALL 97V063001, THE DOOR SWITCH LATCH WHICH CAUSES THE SHOULDER BELT TO BE INOPERTIVE. CONTACTED THE DEALER IN DEC, 98, STILL TO DATE, NO PARTS ARE AVAILABLE.CANNOT REPAIR THE RECALL. DEALER LOCATION DOBBS MITSUBISHI, 6400 WINDCHESTER ROAD MEMPHIS, TN, 9017954500. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THE TRANSMISSION HAS HAD TO BE REPLACED SINCE 1992 WHEN THE AUTOMOBILE WAS PURCHASED. IN BOTH CASES WE WERE TOLD THE TRANSMISSION WAS DAMAGED DUE TO INSUFFICIENT LUBRICATION. NEITHER WERE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND DUE TO THIS BEING A REAR WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLE WE WERE NOT INFORMED OF THE RECALL.
THERE IS A CURRENT RECALL #98V168002 DESCRIBING THE VERY SIMILAR SYMPTOMS, NAMELY LOCKUP DUE TO INSUFFICIENT LUBRICATION CAUSED BY EXCESSIVE PARTS WEAR. ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURER, THE RECALL DOES NOT COVER MY VIN EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE YEAR AND THE MODELS ARE IDENTICAL. ALSO THE NUMBER OF THE UNITS POTENTIALLY AFFECTED EXCEEDS 9500. IT IS MY OPINION THAT DUE TO THE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS NATURE OF THE DEFECT, POTENTIAL LOCKUP AT FREEWAY SPEEDS, THE RECALL HAS TO BE EXPANDED. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
DRIVER'S SEAT SHOULDER BELT IS STUCK IN FORWARD POSITION, THERE IS A RECALL BUT THIS VEHICLE IS NOT AFFECTED.*AK RECALL CAMPAIGN 97V063000, DEALER REFUSED TO REPLACE RECALL COMPONENT. *TT
RECALL # 97V063001; DEALER REFUSES TO HONOR RECALL NOTICE BECAUSE THE PART NUMBER ON THE DOOR LATCH SWITCH DOES NOT INDICATE THAT IT HAS BEEN RECALLED. *AK *SLC
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1992 MITSUBISHI EXPO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE COMPUTER THAT REGULATES THE IGNITION AND FUEL HANDLING IS DEFECTIVE. HE SMELLED BURNING PLASTIC AS HE WAS DRIVING AND REALIZED THAT THE COMPUTER HAD BURNED. HE STATED THAT A SQUARE INCH OF THE SYSTEM HAS BURNED OFF AND THE COMPOSITOR IN THE COMPUTER LEAKS OUT ONTO OTHER UNITS. THIS FAILURE COULD CAUSE A CIRCUIT TO BURN AND LEAD TO ENGINE STALLING. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY COULD DO, BUT WERE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE COULD LEAD TO SEVERE INJURIES AND/OR DEATH. HE HAS NOT DRIVEN THE VEHICLE SINCE THE FAILURE BECAUSE THE PARTS ARE VERY EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 160.
ENGINE BURNS 1-2 QT OF OIL EVERY 2-3 GAS FILLUPS & TRANSMISSION BANGS INTO GEAR WHEN AT FULL STOP SHIFTING FROM DRIVE-NEUTRAL-REVERSE, ALSO EXPERIENCED AUTOMATIC ENGINE DELAY TO SHIFT INTO NEXT GEAR ON HIGHWAY WHILE EXCELERATING & MAINTAINING SPEED. PROBLEM FIRST TOLD TO DEALERSHIP SERVICE WHILE UNDER WARRANTY, WAS TOLD THERE WASN'T ANYTHING WRONG, NEXT YEAR (8/1998) CAR OUT OF WARRANTY, COMPLAINED OF SAME GEAR SHIFTING PROBLEM W/ NEW PROBLEM OF BURNING OIL IN ENGINE & NO OIL LEAK FROM CAR, DEARLERHSIP SERVICE SAID CAR NEEDED NEW TRANSMISSION & COMPLETE VALVE JOB. CAR HAD ONLY 55,000 MILES. WE HAD TO PAY FOR LABOR ON TRANSMISSION & PARTS & LABOR ON VALVE JOB (OVER $2000 REPAIR). CAR UNDER DEALER SERVICE WARRANTY IS BURNING 2 QTS OIL EVERY 3RD GAS FIL-UP & SHIFTING GEAR PROBLEM STARTING TO RETURN. NEED ADVICE WHAT TO DO.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
ROTORS AND REPLACEMENTS ARE DEFECTIVE...ROTORS WARP WITHIN 3 MONTHS OF REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT. *AK
VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN A DRIVEWAY ON A VERY SLIGHT INCLINE, WITH EMERGENCY BRAKE ON, AND VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARD ON TO DRIVER. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
VEHICLE EXPERIENCING PROBLEM WITH FUEL LEAKAGES FROM SEAM OF TANK. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND REPAIRS MADE AT NO COST. PROBLEM REOCCURRED AGAIN WITH ONLY 27000 MILES AND DEALER REFUSED TO REPAIR BECAUSE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF ITS WARRANTY. *AK *SLC
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
TRANSMISSION GOES OUT IN MIDDLE OF HIGHWAY HAD TO PUSH CAR TO SAFETY AND WAS ALMOST RUN OVER NO WARNING THIS WAS GONNA DO THIS.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHEN TRAVELING AT ANY SPEED THE VEHICLE JUMPS OUT OF GEAR, FROM DRIVE INTO NEUTRAL. WHEN PROBLEM OCCURS, THE ENGINE RACES AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATES. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .