IllustrationTHE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT RACHET FAILED WHICH RESULTS IN THE BELT BEING LOCKED IN THE RETRACTED POSITION. *NLM
1997 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: 6 of 74 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.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
13 crash reports1 fire reports9 injury reports
What owners actually said
74 reportsAFTER PARKING VEHICLE, CONSUMER STATES' THERE WAS BURNING AND SMOKING COMING FROM THE BRAKES. CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. PLEASE DESCRIBE FURTHER. TS
NO SUMMARY. DT
WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. THE PULLEY BELT CAME OFF AND PARTS OF THE ENGINE FELL OFF. THE DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM.
WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUTSDOWN. AT TIMES VEHICLE WILL NOT START. ALSO, PROBLEM OCCURS, NO LIGHTS ILLUMINATES ON DASH. CAUSE UNKNOWN PLEASE GIVE FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
EVERY TIME IT RAINS, I MUST USE WINDSHIELD WIPERS, BUT THEY FAIL TO WORK AT ALL SOMETIMES--ABOUT 50% OF THE ATTEMPTS, AND DO NOT WORK WELL ENOUGH THE OTHER 50% OF THE TIME. I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT I CAN STOP THE CAR, LEAVING THE CAR ON, AND 'EXERCISE' THE WIPERS TO GET THEM TO WORK BETTER. I TOOK THE CAR IN TO THE DEALERSHIP, …
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EVERY TIME IT RAINS, I MUST USE WINDSHIELD WIPERS, BUT THEY FAIL TO WORK AT ALL SOMETIMES--ABOUT 50% OF THE ATTEMPTS, AND DO NOT WORK WELL ENOUGH THE OTHER 50% OF THE TIME. I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT I CAN STOP THE CAR, LEAVING THE CAR ON, AND 'EXERCISE' THE WIPERS TO GET THEM TO WORK BETTER. I TOOK THE CAR IN TO THE DEALERSHIP, BUT THEY WERE UNSUCCESSFUL WITH PINPOINTING THE PROBLEM. THE WIPERS HAPPENED TO HAVE BEGUN WORKING, AS IS THE COMMOM OCCURRENCE; SO THAT WAS GOOD ENOUGH FOR THEM. IT IS EXTREMELY FIGHTENING TO BE DRIVING ALONG THE INTERSTATE AND HAVE THE WIPERS STOP WORKING! THAT HAS HAPPENED MANY TIME--INCLUDING ON TRIPS. THE DEALERSHIP WAS WILLING TO TRY A $90.00 SWITCH AND IF THAT DID NOT WORK , THEY WOULD HAVE REPLACED THE MOTOR FOR OVER $300.00 MORE. THEY REFUSED TO GUARANTEE LOCATING AND FIXING THE PROBLEM FOR THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY--PLUS LABOR, OF COURSE. SO, THE PROBLEM JUST REMAINS. I HAVE ESTIMATED THE DATE THAT THE PROBLEM FIRST BEGAN BECAUSE I HAD BEEN DEALING WITH IT SINCE THE BEGINNING OF HAVING THIS CAR. THAT DATE IS AN ESTIMATED TIME OF WHEN I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. AS WELL, THE NUMBER OF OCCURRENCES IS AN ESTIMATE. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY TIMES IT HAS OCCURRED. IT OCCURS EVERY TIME I USE THE WIPER SYSTEM. I ASKED THE DEALERSHIP IF OTHERS HAD REPORTED PROBLEMS WITH WIPER SYSTEMS OF MITSUBISHI MIRAGES; I RECEIVED NO ANSWER. I WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE HELP IN FINDING SOMEONE WHO CAN REPAIR THIS PROBLEM. I WONDER IF THE DEALERSHIP IS REQUIRED TO REPAIR A PROBLEM SUCH AS THIS. WOULD A WIPER SYSTEM FAILURE PROBLEM BE CONSIDERED A SERIOUS PROBLEM? I HOPE SO SINCE BEING ABLE TO SEE IS VITAL TO THE DRIVING SITUATION. I KNOW THAT WHENEVER THE WIPERS STOP, I HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO PULL OFF THE ROAD WITHOUT CAUSING AN ACCIDENT IN THE PROCESS OF IT AND DESPITE THE FACT THAT I CAN NO LONGER SEE THE ROAD AT ALL. IF YOUR DEPARTMENT CAN HELP ME, PLEASE CALL OR EMAIL ME. THANK YOU FOR HEARING MY ISSUE.*AK
WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH VEHICLE HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE HEAD-ON. UPON IMPACT, NEITHER AIRBAG DEPLOYED. NO INJURIES. DAMAGE TO VEHICLE $ 4500.00. *AK *YH
AFTER RECEIVING THE RECALL NOTICE ONE DAY BEFORE THE FAILURE, THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THE PARTS WOULD REQUIRE A 9 DAY WAIT. THE VEHICLE ENGINE NOW OPERATES WORSE THAN IT EVER HAS BEFORE AND HAS COST OVER 3000 DOLLARS IN ADDITIONAL REPAIRS BROUGHT ON BY THE FAILURE. DEALER WAS VERY BELLIGERENT AND UNCOOPERATIVE IN THE RECALL.…
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AFTER RECEIVING THE RECALL NOTICE ONE DAY BEFORE THE FAILURE, THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THE PARTS WOULD REQUIRE A 9 DAY WAIT. THE VEHICLE ENGINE NOW OPERATES WORSE THAN IT EVER HAS BEFORE AND HAS COST OVER 3000 DOLLARS IN ADDITIONAL REPAIRS BROUGHT ON BY THE FAILURE. DEALER WAS VERY BELLIGERENT AND UNCOOPERATIVE IN THE RECALL. I ACTUALLY HAD TO PUSH MY CAR TWO BLOCKS TO THE SERVICE CENTER FROM WHERE IT WAS PARKED(AFTER PART FAILURE).*AK
CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR A RECALL OOV31101000/ PULLEY/ CRANKSHAFT REPAIRS TO BE DONE. CONSUMER HAS TAKEN VEHICLE IN THREE TIMES FOR THE RECALL REPAIRS, BUT PROBLEM STILL OCCURS.*AK
RECALL 00-V-311-001 CONCERNING CRANKSHAF/PULLEY BOLT. CONSUMER TAKEN VEHICLE INTO DEALER TWICE ALREADY FOR THIS RECALL TO BE TAKEN CARE OFF. BUT, EACH TIME T SAID THAT THE TOOLS WERE NOT IN.*AK
Official recalls
100V311001 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine
Oct 2, 2000
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES: MIRAGE MODEL VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 1.5L ENGINES; MONTERO SPORT MODELS EQUIPPED WITH 3.0L ENGINES; AND MONTERO MODELS EQUIPPED WITH 3.0L ENGINES. THE BOLT SECURING THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY CAN BECOME LOOSE AND THE PULLEY COULD FALL OFF THE VEHICLE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE CONDITION CAN RESULT IN A LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: ON THE MIRAGE VEHICLES, THE DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW, IMPROVED CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BOLT ON THE OLDER ENGINES. ON NEW ENGINES WHICH ALREADY HAVE THE IMPROVED BOLT, THE DEALER WILL TIGHTEN THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BOLT TO THE CORRECT TORQUE SPECIFICATION. ON THE MONTERO MODELS, DEALERS WILL TIGHTEN THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BOLT TO THE CORRECT TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS. IF THE BOLT IS DAMAGED, IT WILL BE REPLACED.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.