HEAD GASKET IS LEAKING AT 20,000 MILES. CONSUMER HAD GASKET REPLACED, AND IT IS LEAKING AGAIN AT 47000 MILES. VEHICLE IS CONSTANTLY LOSING OIL. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT THE ORIGINAL HEAD GASKET FAILED AT 40000 MILES, NOW THE REPLACEMENT IS FAILING AT 65000 MILES. *SLC
1994 Mitsubishi Mirage
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 Mirage 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: 4 of 60 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.
- Air Bags. Review the 30 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seat Belts. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. 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.
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
6 reportsENGINE DIED SUDDENLY W/OUT WARNING ON 04/28/97 (WITHIN EMISSIONS WARRANTY PERIOD), 05/07/98, 04/09/99, 04/19/99, 06/01/99 AND 07/15/99. THREE MITSUBISHI DEALERS HANDLED CAR, MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED EACH TIME, A WRITTEN DEMAND WAS MADE ON 06/29/00 BY CAR OWNERS TO MANUFACTURER TO FIX PROBLEM OR BUY THE CAR BACK UNDER CALIFORNI…
Read full complaint
ENGINE DIED SUDDENLY W/OUT WARNING ON 04/28/97 (WITHIN EMISSIONS WARRANTY PERIOD), 05/07/98, 04/09/99, 04/19/99, 06/01/99 AND 07/15/99. THREE MITSUBISHI DEALERS HANDLED CAR, MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED EACH TIME, A WRITTEN DEMAND WAS MADE ON 06/29/00 BY CAR OWNERS TO MANUFACTURER TO FIX PROBLEM OR BUY THE CAR BACK UNDER CALIFORNIA LEMON LAWS. MANUFACTURER AND ITS DEALERS REFUSE TO FIX PROBLEM OR BUY BACK THE CAR. CAR IS VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AS ENGINE CAN DIE AT ANY TIME ON THE ROAD AND THUS CAN BE A ROAD HAZARD TO OTHER VEHICLES. EACH TIME THE ENGINE DIED, EACH DEALER REPLACED A 20 AMP EFI FUSE WHICH HAD BLOWN AND SAID THAT CAR IS SAFE TO DRIVE - EACH TIME AFTER THAT THE CAR ENGINE DIED SUDDENLY. THE FUSE HAS BEEN CHANGED BY MITSU DEALERS 6 TIMES SO FAR. THERE MUST BE OTHER CARS LIKE THIS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE INVESTIGATE. MANUFACTURER MUST BUY BACK THE CAR - VERY DANGEROUS - DEALERS DO NOT WANT TO FULLY DIAGNOSE AND REPAIR AS IT IS VERY EXPENSIVE TO TEST ALL CIRCUITS AND REPLACE ECU/EL. HARNES/SENSORS,ETC. - THAT'S WHY MANUFACTURER REFUSES TO HONOR ITS EMISSIONS WARRANTY (FIRST INCIDENCE WAS COVERED UNDER THE EMISSIONS WARRANTY). WESTLAKE MOTORS HAS ALSO ENGAGED IN MISREPRESENTING THE PROBLEM ON SERVICE REPORTS AND WAS NOTIFIED BY THEIR SERVICE MANAGER THAT THIS CAR CAN NO LONGER BE BROUGHT TO THEIR DEALERSHIP. NO ONE WANTS TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM AND WE ARE STUCK WITH A LEMON CAR THAT CAN BE A SIGNIFICANT HAZARD TO DRIVER/PASSENGERS AND OTHER CARS ON THE ROAD. PLEASE HELP!!!
WHEN DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY VEHICLE STALLED OR CUT OFF. CONSUMER HAD TO PUT OIL IN AND IT WOULD START BACK UP. ALSO, FRONT SEAT BELT IS TOO LOOSE, IT TOUCHES THE GROUND WHEN GETTING OUT OF VEHICLE.*AK BRAKE PADS FAILED. *YH
WHEN DEALER SOLD CONSUMERTHE VEHICLE EVERYTHING LOOKED FINE. AFTERWARDS, ENGINE ROD CAME OFF, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO KNOCK. *AK
WHEN DEALER SOLD HIM THE CAR EVERYTHING LOOKED FINE. THE ENGINE ROD CAME OFF, CAUSING CAR TO KNOCK. *AK
WHILE DRIVING THE CAR STARTED SMOKING AND THE ENGINE CUT OFF. ON THE HWY. DLR SAYS ITS NOT THE ORIGINAL ENGINE. *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
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
3EA99007 · Inadvertent Air Bag Deployment
Opened Mar 16, 1999 · Closed May 30, 2000
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags
ALLEGE THAT THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG MAY DEPLOY FROM AN UNDERCARRIAGE OR TIRE/WHEEL IMPACT WITH A CURB, BUMP, DIP POTHOLE, ETC.
PE98033 · Oversensitive Air Bag Deployments
Opened May 27, 1998 · Closed Mar 16, 1999
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags
COMPLAINTS ALLEGE THAT THE DRIVER-SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT ANY VEHICLE IMPACT OR FROM MINOR UNDERCARRIAGE IMPACT
EA96015 · Automatic Shoulder Belt Failure
Opened Jun 28, 1996 · Closed Jun 12, 1997
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts
THE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT ALLEGEDLY MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILS
Additional source detail variants (2)
Seat Belts
THE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT ALLEGEDLY MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILS
Seat Belts
THE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT ALLEGEDLY MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILS
Illustration