Total Complaints
37 filings
MITSUBISHI MIRAGE · model year
1990 MITSUBISHI MIRAGE
37 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1990MITSUBISHIMIRAGE carries 37 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 2 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1990 MIRAGE is seat belts with 9 filings, followed by seat belts:front:buckle assembly (5) and seat belts:front:webbing (3). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 14 investigation files overlapping the 1990 MIRAGE. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
37
Complaints
1
Crashes
2
Fires
3
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| SEAT BELTS | 9 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 5 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING | 3 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 3 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP | 1 |
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20131118ENGINE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1990 MITSUBISHI MIRAGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED SPORADICALLY AT INITIAL START-UP OR WHEN DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED FOR THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 82,000. ## VIN PASSED ## MITSUBISHI MIRAGE 1990 ##
Mileage: 20,000
20030502ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
ECU FAILURE, THEN MPI CONTROL RELAY, THEN DISTRIBUTOR CAP, COIL & ROTOR, THEN NEW DISTRIBUTOR. *NL
20021118STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
THE ONLY DOOR THAT WILL OPEN NORMALLY IS THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR. PASSENGER SIDE DOOR WILL ONLY OPEN FROM INSIDE, AND BOTH PASSENGER REAR DOORS WON'T OPEN FROM INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. CONSUMER FEELS THIS IS VERY UNSAFE IF YOU NEED TO EXIT QUICKLY IN AN EMERGENCY. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFOMATION. TS
20010313POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
WHILE DRIVING UP A HILL GEAR WAS ON DRIVE, THEN JUMPED INTO REVERSE, MAKING VEHICLE ROLL BACKWARD, HAPPENED TWICE.*AK
20000731FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE FIRE DUE TO POSSIBLE ENGINE FAILURE. (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT) *MJS
19990810ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
CAR ALSO CUTS OFF IF THE AIR IS ON
19990402ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE (ECM) REPLACED DUE TO VEHICLE STALLING. CONSUMER ALSO COMPLAINS OF NOT HAVING A WARNING INDICATOR TO NOTIFY DRIVER OF FAILURE.
19990402UNKNOWN OR OTHER
ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE (ECM) REPLACED DUE TO VEHICLE STALLING. CONSUMER ALSO COMPLAINS OF NOT HAVING A WARNING INDICATOR TO NOTIFY DRIVER OF FAILURE.
19981109ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
THERE IS A STRUCTURAL DEFECT WITHIN THE SECOND ENGINE CYLINDER--LOST COMPRESSION LEADING TO FAILURE 3 TIMES, 3RD TIME CYLINDER CRACKED. DEALER CONTACTED. *AK *ML
19980421ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
EXPERIENCED UNPREDICTABLE COMPLETE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY.
19971028ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
WHEN DRIVING AT VARIES SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL/DIE OUT FOR NO REASON. WOULD RESTART VEHICLE & IT WOULD STALL AGAIN. TOOK TO DEALER. MECHANIC GAVE IT A TUNE UP. THE STALLING STILL EXISTS AFTER TUNE UP. *AK
19970812SEAT BELTS
BOTH DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE SHOULDER BELTS ARE INOPERATIVE DUE TO THE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT NOT RETRACTING. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER. *AK
19970627SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
THE DRIVER'S SEAT LEANS BACK WHILE LOCKED. MANUFACTURER WILL BE CONTACTED. *AK
19970324SEAT BELTS
THE AUTOMATIC PASSENGER'S RESTRAINT BELT NEVER RELEASES ITSELF FROM THE LOCK MODE, WHEN CONSUMER GETS INTO VEHICLE AND STARTS THE IGNITION THE BELT DOES NOT ADJUST. INSTEAD, THE BELT IS SQEEZING OCCUPANT ACROSS CHEST AREA SO TIGHT THAT IT'S HURTS. *AK
19961231SEAT BELTS
MOTORBELT AT TIMES FAILS TO RELEASE, ALSO FAILS TO LOCK AT TIMES AND IS TOO TIGHT.
19961231SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
DRIVERS SEAT BELT BUCKLE BROKE. *DH
19960916SEAT BELTS
EA96-015 ACTIVE, PASSIVE RESTRAINT FAILURE, SHOULDER BELT ON PASSENGER WILL OVERTIGHTEN AND WILL NOT RELEASE. *AK
19960909SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING
CONSUMER COMPLAINS THAT THE PASSENGER SHOULDER BELT MALFUNCTIONED. *AK
19960909SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING
CONSUMER COMPLAINS THAT PASSENGER SIDE SHOULDER BELT IS INOPERABLE. *AK
19960725ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT, MAKING STARTING THE VEHICLE IMPOSSIBLE.
Compare 1990MITSUBISHIMIRAGE to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1990 MITSUBISHI MIRAGE have?▼
The 1990 MITSUBISHI MIRAGE has 37 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 2 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 MITSUBISHI MIRAGE?▼
The most-complained component for the 1990 MITSUBISHI MIRAGE is SEAT BELTS with 9 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY and SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING.
Is the 1990 MITSUBISHI MIRAGE safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.