Mitsubishi Mirage Reliability
940 NHTSA complaints (1986–2024). Complaint rate: 78.2 per 1,000 vehicles.
Which Years to Buy & Avoid
Years auto-clustered by complaint volume relative to this model's median.
Bottom line: Avoid the 1993–1995 Mitsubishi Mirage (72 crash-related complaints). The 2022 models had significantly fewer reported issues. Most common issue across all years: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL.
Avoid These Years
Average
Better Years
Too New
Need 3+ years on the road for reliable complaint data.
A model's reputation is just the start.
Even within the “good” years, individual cars can have hidden accidents, title issues, or odometer rollbacks. Check the actual VIN before you buy — full history report for $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
Complaints by Model Year
NHTSA complaint count per model year
Common Mitsubishi Mirage Problems
Most reported component complaints to NHTSA
| Component | Complaints | Crash % |
|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 97 | 86.6% |
| AIR BAGS | 68 | 73.5% |
| SEAT BELTS | 68 | 2.9% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 40 | 5.0% |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 36 | 2.8% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 36 | 2.8% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 31 | 29.0% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 29 | 6.9% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 26 | 23.1% |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 25 | 16.0% |
Year-by-Year Breakdown
NHTSA complaint count per model year — click any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
| Year | Generation | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987GOOD | — | 3 | 0 | 1 | View 1987View→ |
| 1988GOOD | — | 10 | 1 | 4 | View 1988View→ |
| 1989GOOD | — | 8 | 0 | — | View 1989View→ |
| 1990 | — | 37 | 1 | 2 | View 1990View→ |
| 1991 | — | 45 | 7 | 3 | View 1991View→ |
| 1992GOOD | — | 17 | 0 | — | View 1992View→ |
| 1993AVOID | — | 91 | 2 | — | View 1993View→ |
| 1994AVOID | — | 69 | 26 | 3 | View 1994View→ |
| 1995AVOID | — | 93 | 44 | 1 | View 1995View→ |
| 1996 | — | 40 | 14 | 1 | View 1996View→ |
| 1997AVOID | — | 105 | 18 | 1 | View 1997View→ |
| 1998 | — | 53 | 18 | 2 | View 1998View→ |
| 1999AVOID | — | 74 | 20 | — | View 1999View→ |
| 2000 | — | 55 | 18 | 1 | View 2000View→ |
| 2001 | — | 51 | 23 | 1 | View 2001View→ |
| 2002GOOD | — | 5 | 2 | — | View 2002View→ |
| 2014AVOID | — | 63 | 18 | 3 | View 2014View→ |
| 2015AVOID | — | 60 | 9 | — | View 2015View→ |
| 2016GOOD | — | 3 | 3 | — | View 2016View→ |
| 2017GOOD | — | 21 | 4 | — | View 2017View→ |
| 2018GOOD | — | 15 | 6 | — | View 2018View→ |
| 2019GOOD | — | 10 | 2 | — | View 2019View→ |
| 2020GOOD | — | 2 | 0 | — | View 2020View→ |
| 2022GOOD | — | 2 | 0 | — | View 2022View→ |
| 2024TOO NEW | — | 6 | 0 | — | View 2024View→ |
See also: Mitsubishi Mirageaccident & safety statistics from our vehicle history database.
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