RoadVitals

1996 Mitsubishi Mirage

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
28
Latest Jan 15, 2004
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
1
Latest Jul 17, 2006
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
12
7 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 28 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1996 Mitsubishi Mirage, most frequently naming the airbags, interior & seats and transmission categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 26 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Airbags1235.3%
  • Interior & seats38.8%
  • Transmission38.8%
  • Brakes38.8%
  • Engine38.8%
  • Other / unspecified25.9%
  • Seat belts25.9%
  • Suspension25.9%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
06E065000

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Jul 17, 2006
3,593 units potentially affected
The defect: CERTAIN AJ MOTORSPORT COMBINATION LAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. COMBINATION LAMPS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.
The risk: LACK OF AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS IN THE LAMPS WILL DECREASE LIGHTING VISIBILITY TO OTHER DRIVERS AND MAY POSSIBLY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
The remedy: AJ MOTORSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 31, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT AJ MOTORSPORT AT 626-618-2026.
AJ MOTORSPORTView on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

View all 28
AirbagsEngineOther / unspecified+2 more
Filed Jan 15, 2004

I'VE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR FROM DAY ONE. IT HAS ALWAYS USED OIL, HAVING TO ADD MORE OIL ALL THE TIME EVEN THOUGH I DUE AN OIL CHANGE ON REGULAR BASIS. THIS HAS CAUSED ME TO RUN LOW ON OIL, AND THE OIL DOES NOT COME ON UNTIL AS THE MECHANICS SAY "ITS BONE DRY". THE AIR CONDITION BELT SQUEAKED FROM DAY ONE, THEN JUST QUIT WORKING. THE WATER PUMP HAS NOW WENT OUT TWICE!!! THE FIRST TIME THE THERMOSTAT ALSO WAS NOT WORKING, WHICH CAUSED ME TO HAVE A MAJOR MECHANICAL BILL...NO WARNING WHILE OUT OF STATE!!! THE WINDSHIELD HAS ALWAYS FOGGED UP NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO TO ELIMINATE IT, WHICH HAS CAUSED ME NEAR COLLISIONS NUMEROUS TIMES. THE WINDOWS SOON BECAME OFF TRACK FOR NO APPARENT REASON AND NOW LEAK WATER. BALL JOINTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. THIS CAR BASICALLY WAS A LEMON. I PURCHASED THIS CAR BRAND NEW, MY FIRST NEW CAR AND MY LAST FROM MITSUBISHI.

NHTSA ID
10071159
Incident
Oct 15, 1999
Airbags
Filed Jan 17, 2002
Crash reported1 injury reported

THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY DURING AN ACCIDENT. YH

NHTSA ID
564003
Incident
Nov 3, 2001
Airbags
Filed Nov 5, 2001
Crash reported1 injury reported

CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONT END COLLISON IN WHICH THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. AS A RESULT THE DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES TO NECK AND BACK. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE NOT BEEN CONTACTED. *AK *NLM

NHTSA ID
898770
Incident
Nov 3, 2001
Mileage
83 mi
Brakes
Filed Mar 9, 2001

WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED THEY WENT TO FLOOR. BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER REPAIRED. *AK

NHTSA ID
882556
Incident
Aug 8, 2000
Electrical
Filed Oct 12, 2000

1996, MITSUBISHI LANCER; WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLS UNEXPECTEDLY WHICH MAY CAUSE A CRASH. MITSUBISHI CANNOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE. *AK

NHTSA ID
872818
Incident
Jan 1, 1996
Interior & seats
Filed Aug 24, 2000

DRIVER'S SEAT HAS COME APART FROM THE REST OF VEHICLE POSSIBLY DUE TO A BOLT OR METAL STRESS. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID
868541
Transmission
Filed Mar 31, 2000

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID
720850
Incident
Mar 25, 2000
Airbags
Filed Jul 27, 1999

THE SRS AIR BAG LIGHT HAS ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH CONSOLE INFORMATION CENTER AND HAS NOT GONE BACK OFF, IT HAS BEEN ON FOR AT LEAST 2 WEEKS. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

NHTSA ID
843525
Incident
Jul 7, 1999

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

TSB-22-54-003

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

This Technical Service Bulletin was sent to dealers to explain the difference between normal dew condensation, which is a natural phenomenon, and water penetration caused by improper sealing or a defective/broken part.

TIN-20-55B-001

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING; EQUIPMENT; EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY

Technical Information Notice to dealerships. Due to the increased occurrence of Mirage/Mirage G4 vehicles exhibiting faulty air conditioning systems caused by low/high refrigerant levels; MMNA would like to remind all Dealer Service Personnel of the correct procedures when submitting warranty claims of this distinction.

TT253

EQUIPMENT

This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.

TSB-19-00-008

EQUIPMENT

This is a Technical Service Bulletin sent to dealers. This bulletin supersedes TSB-18-00-003, issued April, 2018, to add updated information for Carrying Capacity Reduced Label.

TT237

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.

TT218

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING; EXTERIOR LIGHTING; POWER TRAIN; VISIBILITY; WHEELS

This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Mitsubishi Mirage by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2024300—
2023000—
2022200—
2021100—
2020100—
2019500—
2018101053.6
2017152053.2
2016110—
2015392056.7
2014443059.3
2013000—
2002540—
2001315059.0
2000355057.6
1999576057.3
1998435060.6
1997744055.4
1996Viewing281054.0
1995701055.3
1994601363.6
1993733254.5
1992151239.8
1991381355.0
1990331351.6
1989613—
1988813—
1987313—
1986113—
1985002—
1984001—

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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.