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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 →
74Owner complaints

Model-year median: 15

1Recall campaigns

View recall details →

0Investigations

View investigation details →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
60
199470
199528
199674
199743
199857
199935
2000
Compare all Mirage years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Engine And Engine Cooling
18Air Bags
15Power Train
15Seat Belts
6Service Brakes, Hydraulic
6
All reported categories
Suspension
6Vehicle Speed Control
5Tires
4Visibility
3Electrical System
2Equipment
2Unknown Or Other
2Child Seat
1Fuel System, Gasoline
1Fuel System, Other
1Interior Lighting
1Seats
1Service Brakes, Air
1Structure
1Wheels
1

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 reports
Mileage unknown · Dec 6, 2000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

WHILE DRIVING COULD STEP ON BRAKE PEDAL AND ROTORS WILL MAKE NOISES LIKE GRINDING METAL TO METAL. ROTORS HAD BEEN REPLACED A COUPLE TIMES. DEALER SAID THAT COULD BE HAPPENING JUST LIKE WITH OTHER VEHICLES. *AK

NHTSA ODI #876078

Mileage unknown · Nov 3, 2000
Air BagsCrashInjury

WHILE AT A RED LIGHT ANOTHER CAR REAR ENDED CONSUMER'S VEHICLE. CONSUMER THEN HIT THE CAR IN FRONT, TOTALLING VEHICLE. NEITHER AIRBAG DEPLOYED.*AK

NHTSA ODI #874356

Mileage unknown · Oct 18, 2000
Engine And Engine Cooling

VEHICLE STALLS ON STARTUP AND AT HIGHWAY SPEED. ENGINE CUTS OUT AND THEN STARTS BACKUP

NHTSA ODI #734606

Mileage unknown · Sep 6, 2000
Tires

RIGHT FRONT FIRESTONE TIRE BLEWOUT. NLM

NHTSA ODI #554386

Mileage unknown · Sep 5, 2000
Engine And Engine Cooling

INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLS UNEXPECTEDLY WHICH MAY RESULT IN A CRASH. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #869512

Mileage unknown · Sep 5, 2000
Power Train

THE CAR IS HAVING A PROBLEM SHIFTING FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEAR. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND AFTER RUNNING TESTS THEY DETERMINED I WAS IN NEED OF A NEW TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION WAS JUST SERVICED IN JANUARY. I WAS NOT EXPERIENCING ANY OTHER PROBLEMS UNTIL ALL OF A SUDDEN IT STARTED SHIFTING REALLY HARD FROM 2ND TO 3RD. IT…

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THE CAR IS HAVING A PROBLEM SHIFTING FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEAR. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND AFTER RUNNING TESTS THEY DETERMINED I WAS IN NEED OF A NEW TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION WAS JUST SERVICED IN JANUARY. I WAS NOT EXPERIENCING ANY OTHER PROBLEMS UNTIL ALL OF A SUDDEN IT STARTED SHIFTING REALLY HARD FROM 2ND TO 3RD. IT SHAKES AND THEN BANGS INTO GEAR.

NHTSA ODI #730339

Mileage unknown · Sep 5, 2000
Power TrainService Brakes, Air

MY CAR IS ONLY THREE YEARS OLD AND HAS BEEN SERVICED AS SUGGESTED. ALL OF A SUDDEN MY TRANSMISSION GOES OUT. THE MANUFACTURER IS NOW TELLING ME THAT I WILL NEED A NEW ONE. THE CAR IS NOT THAT OLD AND IN MY OPINION I DO NOT FEEL THAT IT SHOULD ALREADY BE IN NEED OF AN OVERHAUL. MY BRAKES ARE ALSO BEGINNING TO FAIL. THE BRAKE…

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MY CAR IS ONLY THREE YEARS OLD AND HAS BEEN SERVICED AS SUGGESTED. ALL OF A SUDDEN MY TRANSMISSION GOES OUT. THE MANUFACTURER IS NOW TELLING ME THAT I WILL NEED A NEW ONE. THE CAR IS NOT THAT OLD AND IN MY OPINION I DO NOT FEEL THAT IT SHOULD ALREADY BE IN NEED OF AN OVERHAUL. MY BRAKES ARE ALSO BEGINNING TO FAIL. THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS HAVE ALREADY BEEN CHANGED TWICE AND NOW ARE BEGINNING TO GRIND AGAIN. AFTER HAVING IT CHECKED MY A MECHANIC, HE SAYS I DO NOT NEED NEW BRAKE PADS BUT THEY CONTINUE TO MAKE A GRINDING NOISE. NO ONE KNOWS WHAT IS CAUSING THIS NOISE. I HAVE CONTACTED MITSUBISHI'S CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE TO INQUIRE AND THEY HAVE BEEN OF NO HELP. THEY REFERRED ME TO YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.

NHTSA ODI #730337

Mileage unknown · Aug 27, 2000
Engine And Engine Cooling

VEHICLE EXPERIENCING ON GOING PROBLEM WITH ENGINE STALLING FROM COLD STARTED AND FROM A STOP POSTION; DEALER/MFR'S WAS NOT CONTACTED AT THIS TIME. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS:

NHTSA ODI #868872

Mileage unknown · Jun 26, 2000
Air BagsTiresCrash

WHILE DRIVING AT ABOUT 65 MPH, HAD A VERY BAD TIRE BLOWOUT. FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRES, AND BACK DRIVER'S SIDE TIRES BLEWOUT, CAR HIT A CONCRETE WALL, AND DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED AND INFLATED. HOWEVER, PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED, BUT DID NOT INFLATE. CONSUMER FELT SOMEONE COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED IN THIS…

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WHILE DRIVING AT ABOUT 65 MPH, HAD A VERY BAD TIRE BLOWOUT. FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRES, AND BACK DRIVER'S SIDE TIRES BLEWOUT, CAR HIT A CONCRETE WALL, AND DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED AND INFLATED. HOWEVER, PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED, BUT DID NOT INFLATE. CONSUMER FELT SOMEONE COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED IN THIS TYPE OF SITUATION. *AK

NHTSA ODI #864228

Mileage unknown · Jun 19, 2000
Power Train

5TH GEAR BROKE WHILE HIGHWAY CRUISING. HAD MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH TRANSMISSION FAILURE INCLUDING HARD SHIFT, RATTLING GEARS AND CLUTCH PROBLEMS. FOUND SHAFT WITHIN TRANSMISSION STRIPPED. GEAR WAS FREE SPINNING ON SHAFT. TRANSMISSION BEGINNING TO DISPLAY SAME SYMPTOMS AGAIN. FAILURE WITH TRANS HAS BEEN ABOUT EVERY 12,000 MILES. *…

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5TH GEAR BROKE WHILE HIGHWAY CRUISING. HAD MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH TRANSMISSION FAILURE INCLUDING HARD SHIFT, RATTLING GEARS AND CLUTCH PROBLEMS. FOUND SHAFT WITHIN TRANSMISSION STRIPPED. GEAR WAS FREE SPINNING ON SHAFT. TRANSMISSION BEGINNING TO DISPLAY SAME SYMPTOMS AGAIN. FAILURE WITH TRANS HAS BEEN ABOUT EVERY 12,000 MILES. *AK

NHTSA ODI #724224

Official recalls

1

00V311001 · 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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.