1993 Mitsubishi Mirage 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 1993 Mitsubishi Mirage, 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 belts5665.9%
- Engine78.2%
- Interior & seats55.9%
- Transmission33.5%
- Electrical33.5%
- Body & structure22.4%
- Brakes22.4%
- Other / unspecified22.4%
- Fuel system11.2%
- Steering11.2%
- Tires & wheels11.2%
- Driver assistance11.2%
- Visibility11.2%
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
1993 MITSUBISHI MIRAGE, NHTSA RECALL 97V073001 MITSUBISHI RELUCTANTLY PERFORMED RECALL. MOTORIZED SHOULDER BELT STILL WOULD NOT WORK. WAS TOLD TO MANUALLY LATCH AND UNLATCH SHOULDER BELT TO ANCHOR (EMERGENCY PROCEDURE). SHOULDER BELT BECAME FRAYED BECAUSE OF RUBBING ON A GUIDE WHILE MANUALLY USING THE SHOULDER BELT. DEALER SAID VEHICLE IS "UNSAFE". REQUESTED REPLACEMENT OF SHOULDER BELT AND OFFERED TO PAY LABOR. MITSUBISHI REFUSED. APPROXIMATE COST OF REPAIR IS $300- $400. DEALER PAPERWORK AND MITSUBISHI CORRESPONDENCE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.
MOVING SEATBELT WOULD STICK IN CORNER AT BACK OF DOOR WOULD NOT MOVE COMPLETLY TO BACK OF DOOR. COULD OPEN DOOR AND CLOSE AND SEAT BELT WOULD WORK PROPERLY, NOW SEAT BELT IS STUCK IN THE CORNER OF DOOR AND THERE IS A GRAY CABLE STICKING OUT AND BELT WONT MOVE AT ALL FORWARD OR BACKWARD
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
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 THERE IS NOTHING THEY WOULD DO. I STRONGLY FEEL THIS IS A WARRANTY ISSUE NO MATTER HOW OLD THE CAR IS OR HOW MANY MILES IT HAS. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE OR NORMAL AND ROUTINE CARE COULD HAVE PREVENTED. IT IS A SERIOUS MATERIAL DEFECT. *NLM
THE FIRST HEAD GASKET WAS REPLACED ON 3-8-1999 @30,886 MILES. THE SECOND HEAD GASKET WAS REPLACED ON 1-24-2002 @ 55,691 MILES. THEY WOULD NOT HELP COVER THE COST BECAUSE IT WAS LONGER THAN ONE YEAR EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS ONLY 24,000 MILES ON THE HEAD GASKET. I HAVE KEPT ALL RECEIPTS ON MY VEHICLE AND HAVE KEPT UP WITH ALL THE REQUIRED MAINTENANCE. THERE MUST BE SOME DEFECT INVOLVED.*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
WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH HOOD FLEW OPEN AND SHATTERED WINDSHIELD, LATCH BROKE. *AK
RECALL REPAIR ON THE GUIDE RAIL AND PIN, RECALL REPAIR FAILED CAUSING LOCK UP AND FAILURE OF THE SEAT BELT. MJS (98V-317)
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
AUTO-TRANSMISSION PERFORMS ERRATICALALLY, CHANGING GEARS ROUGHLY; GEARS MAY ALSO DROP INTO NEUTRAL THEN INTO REVERSE WITHOUT KNOWN CAUSE. TT
WATER PUMP LEAKED. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
CAR WOULDN'T START. BROKEN FOR 1 1/2 YEARS. DEALER SAID IT IS A SHORT IN THE ECM THROTTLE CONTROL. ALSO SAID ORIGINALLY THAT IT WAS FUEL PUMP. SUPPOSED TO PREFORM RECALL ON SEATBELTS, BUT IT HAD NOT BEEN PREFORMED AFTER 2 WEEKS IN THE SHOP. CAR IS NOW WORKING, BUT ONLY AFTER ECM WAS COMPLETELY REPLACED. SEATBELT STILL NOT WORKING.*AK
PROBLEM WILL START WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. VEHICLE JUST STALLS OUT. DEALERSHIP STATED THAT VEHICLE ISN'T ON RECALL.*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT STOPPED WORKING, CABLE HUNG LOOSE ON PIECE OF GREY WIRE. WHEN ENTERING THE DOOR THERE WAS A CLINKING NOISE. *AK
HOOD WILL NOT OPEN. OPEN MECHANISM DOES NOT WORK AT ALL. *AK
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
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
BRAKE FAILURE, DUE FAULTY MASTER CYLINDER, LOCKUP OF BRAKES. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
I HAVE HAD LEFT FRONT DRIVER SIDE SEATBELT RETRACTOR FAIL 3 TIMES ONCE IN 1998,2000 &2003. THE CAR HAS THE AUTOMATIC SEATBELTS SO WHEN YOU CLOSE THE DOOR THE SEATBELT IS SUPPOSE TO RETRACT BACK BEHIND THE SEAT OR ALONG THE DOOR JAM IN EACH OF MY INCIDENCES I CLOSED THE DOOR AND THE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR CABLE COMES OUT OF THE RAIL THAT RUNS ALONG THE TOP OF THE DOOR JAM AND GETS STUCK HALF WAY TO OR NOT AT ALL. IT IS A RECALL I BELIEVE AND I HAD IT REPLACED FOR THE RECALL 2 TIMES AND NOW IM GOING TO A 3RD TIME. IT IS VERY FRIGHTENING TO ME BECAUSE IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE I CANNOT DRIVE MY CAR WITHOUT A SEATBELT IT NOT ONLY UNSAFE ITS AGAINST THE LAW. I HOPE TO SHED SOME LIGHT ON THIS ISSUE AND ASK THAT IT BE LOOKED AT MORE CLOSELY. *AK
THERE ALREADY BEEN A RECALL ON THE SYSTEM IN QUESTION GUIDE RAIL/DOOR LATCH SWITCH. I HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE LATCH SWITCH RECALL BUT NOT THE GUIDE RAIL BECAUSE MY CAR IS A FOUR DOOR AND NOT A TWO DOOR. THIS SEEMS PREPOSTERIOUS. THE LOCAL DEALER I WENT TO BILL SEIDEL'S MITSUBISHI EVEN DENIES THAT I AM QUALIFIED FOR THE SWITCH. IN MY OPINION THE SWITCH HAS CAUSED THE RAIL PROBLEM. THE DEALER SEEMS LIKE A CROOK. BECAUSE MY CAR HAS MORE MILAGE ON IT MEANS I COMMUTE LONGER DISTANCES NOT USE MY SEAT BELT MORE OFTEN.
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
CAR WOULDN'T START. BROKEN FOR 1 1/2 YEARS. DEALER SAID IT IS A SHORT IN THE ECM THROTTLE CONTROL. ALSO SAID ORIGINALLY THAT IT WAS FUEL PUMP. SUPPOSED TO PREFORM RECALL ON SEATBELTS, BUT IT HAD NOT BEEN PREFORMED AFTER 2 WEEKS IN THE SHOP. CAR IS NOW WORKING, BUT ONLY AFTER ECM WAS COMPLETELY REPLACED. SEATBELT STILL NOT WORKING.*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND THEN SHORTLY AFTER ENGINE STALLS . AFTER RESTING A COUPLE OF MINUTES ENGINE CAN BE RESTARTED, BUT PROCESS WILL OCCUR AGAIN. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
DRIVERS SEAT BELT WILL NOT LOCK DRIVER IN POSITION WHILE DRIVING.
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
AUTO-TRANSMISSION PERFORMS ERRATICALALLY, CHANGING GEARS ROUGHLY; GEARS MAY ALSO DROP INTO NEUTRAL THEN INTO REVERSE WITHOUT KNOWN CAUSE. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
WATER PUMP LEAKED. TT
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 .