IllustrationTRANSMISSION GOES OUT IN MIDDLE OF HIGHWAY HAD TO PUSH CAR TO SAFETY AND WAS ALMOST RUN OVER NO WARNING THIS WAS GONNA DO THIS.
1992 Mitsubishi Expo
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Expo years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 3 of 41 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Seat Belts. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Structure. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
1 crash reports0 fire reports2 injury reports
What owners actually said
41 reportsTL*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…
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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.
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
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.
CONSUMER STATES THE PASSENGER SIDE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT DISENGAGES WHILE DRIVING. ALSO THE SAME BELT WILL INTERMITTENTLY NOT ENGAGE WHEN VEHICLE IS STARTED. TS
FRONT DRIVER SIDE PASSIVE RESTRAINT SEATBELT WILL NOT WORK. THE MOTOR IS OUT AND THE SHOULDER BELT DOES NOT RETRACT PROPERLY. THE CAR HAS ALREADY BEEN SERVICED FOR THE "SEAT BELT LATCH SWITCH RECALL" WHICH WAS ISSUED IN 1998 (SERVICED FEB. 1999). AFTER RECALL FIX IS WHEN THIS SYSTEM COMPLETELY FAILED.*AK
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
WHEN GOING OVER A BUMP SEAT BELT RELEASES AND CAME FORWARD. SOMETIMES WHEN FASTENING SEATBELT IT DOES NOT RETRACT ON DRIVER'S SIDE. *AK
PER RECALL NOTICE SR-97-002, VEHICLE PRESENTED TO MANUFACTURER WHO ADVISED NECESSARY PART(S) UNAVAILABLE; MOTORIZED SHOULDER BELT CONTINUED TO MALFUNCTION; PART NEVER RECEIVED; WORK NEVER DONE; DRIVER SIDE SHOULDER BELT NOW ALSO MALFUNCTIONING. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
Official recalls
298V168000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission
Jul 22, 1998
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: ALL WHEEL DRIVE PASSENGER VEHICLES. LOCKUP OF THE TRANSFER CASE CAN OCCUR DUE TO INSUFFICIENT LUBRICATION.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION CAN CAUSE A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE VEHICLES FOR ADEQUACY OF THE TRANSFER CASE OIL VOLUME, TRANSFER CASE OIL LEAKAGE, AND OPERATIONAL DEGRADATION OF THE TRANSFER CASE MECHANISM. IF OIL VOLUME IS INSUFFICIENT, THE APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF OIL WILL BE ADDED. IF THERE IS TRANSFER CASE OIL LEAKAGE, AFFECTED COMPONENTS WILL BE REPLACED. IF THE TRANSFER CASE SHOWS OPERATIONAL DEGRADATION, THE TRANSFER CASE WILL BE REPLACED.
97V063001 · Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch
Apr 18, 1997
EXCESS LUBRICATION CAN CAUSE THE RUBBER DOOR LATCH SWITCH COVER TO DEFORM, AND THE DOOR LATCH SWITCH TO MALFUNCTION, SO THAT THE SHOULDER BELT ANCHORAGE WOULD REMAIN AT THE A-PILLAR WHEN THE DOOR WAS CLOSED.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE SEAT OCCUPANT MAY NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE DOOR LATCH SWITCH.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1EA98002 · Transfer Case Lockup
Opened Jan 30, 1998 · Closed Apr 30, 1998
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Wheels
No summary supplied.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Wheels
Wheels