MITSUBISHI MIRAGE · model year

1991 MITSUBISHI MIRAGE

45 NHTSA complaints, 7 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1991MITSUBISHIMIRAGE carries 45 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 7 crashes, 3 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 1991 MIRAGE is seat belts with 10 filings, followed by electrical system:ignition:module (5) and engine and engine cooling:engine (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 1991 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.

45
Complaints
7
Crashes
3
Fires
3
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

45 filings

Crashes Reported

7 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
SEAT BELTS10
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE5
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE3
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS2
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL1
SEATS1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR1
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:CONSTANT VELOCITY JOINT1
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION1
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING1
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD1

Recent Complaints

20120628ENGINE

CPSC#X11C0565A. CYLINDER HEAD. 1991 MITSUBISHI MIRAGE. CONSUMER STATED HE PURCHASED THE PART FROM D&S LIGHT TRUCK AND AUTO PARTS, INC. HE STATED THE CYLINDER WAS BAD AND THEY HAVE REFUSED TO REFUND HIS MONEY OR REPLACE THE PART. *LN

20120106ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

CPSC#X11C0561A & XX11C0565A. 1991 MITSUBISHI MIRAGE CONSUMER STATED AFTER INSTALLING CYLINDER HEAD, HE NOTICED THE VEHICLE RAN ROUGH. *LN THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE VALVES NEEDED TO BE ADJUSTED. THE CONSUMER HAS SINCE LEARNED THE CYLINDER HEAD WAS BAD. *JB

20080918TIRES

I HAD 4 BRANDNEW GOODYEAR TIRES PUT ON MY CAR 1MONTH AGO AND THE TIRES AREN'T A BIT OF GOOD. ONE TIRE ON THE FRONT STARTED SEPARATING ON THE INNER WALL WHICH WE WERE UNAWARE OF UNTIL I WAS ON THE HWY ONE DAY AND LIKED TO GOT KILLED!! I NOTICED THE CAR WAS NOT RIDING AS IT SHOULD IT WAS LIKE DRIVING DOWN A REALLY BUMPY ROAD. MY CAR SWERVED INTO THE OTHER LANE WHERE A 18WHEELER WAS ABOUT 4 SEC OFF FROM HITTING ME. I PULLED OFF TO FIND A BIG HOLE THE SIZE OF MY PINKY WAS VISIBLE THEN IN THE INNER WALL. TOOK THE CAR TO THE SHOP THEY FIXED THE TIRE WITH A REPLACEMENT. THE VERY NEXT DAY I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND REALIZED THE CAR WAS NOT RIDING RIGHT AGAIN AND NOTICED BLACK CHUNKS OF TIRE COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE CAR AND PULLED OVER TO NOTICE CRACKS ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE OTHER FRONT TIRE. I ONLY GOT 1500 MILES ON THESE TIRES!!!!! TIRE BRAND P175/80R13. *TR

20040421FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

WHILE DRIVING, THE CONSUMER SMELLED PLASTIC/RUBBER BURNING AND SUDDENLY VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONSUMER PULLED OVER AND CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. *AK THE CONSUMER NOTICED A LEAKAGE. THE CONSUMERS DAUGHTER WAS USING THE VEHICLE WHEN THE IT CAUGHT FIRE. THE DEALER STATED THAT IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. THE BRAKE LIGHT WOULD COME ON INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER SUGGESTED THAT THE COMBO SWITCH ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *SC *JB

Mileage: 620,000

20040421FireEXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:SWITCH

WHILE DRIVING, THE CONSUMER SMELLED PLASTIC/RUBBER BURNING AND SUDDENLY VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONSUMER PULLED OVER AND CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. *AK THE CONSUMER NOTICED A LEAKAGE. THE CONSUMERS DAUGHTER WAS USING THE VEHICLE WHEN THE IT CAUGHT FIRE. THE DEALER STATED THAT IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. THE BRAKE LIGHT WOULD COME ON INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER SUGGESTED THAT THE COMBO SWITCH ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *SC *JB

Mileage: 620,000

20040122CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS

CONSUMER EXPERIENCED 4 BRAKE FAILURES WHILE DRIVING. AS A RESULT, ON TIME THE VEHICLE WENT INTO A DITCH. BRAKE PAD SEPARATED FROM THE CALIPER AND FELL OFF. THIS WAS DUE TO THE CASTING FOR THE BRAKE PAD HARDLY GOING INTO THE FLAT. ANOTHER TIME THE PROBLEM WAS WORSE WHEN THE PADS WERE NEW.*AK

Mileage: 6,500

20040122CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

CONSUMER EXPERIENCED 4 BRAKE FAILURES WHILE DRIVING. AS A RESULT, ON TIME THE VEHICLE WENT INTO A DITCH. BRAKE PAD SEPARATED FROM THE CALIPER AND FELL OFF. THIS WAS DUE TO THE CASTING FOR THE BRAKE PAD HARDLY GOING INTO THE FLAT. ANOTHER TIME THE PROBLEM WAS WORSE WHEN THE PADS WERE NEW.*AK

Mileage: 6,500

20010326TIRES:TREAD/BELT

TIRES HAD 30 THOUSAND MILES ON THEM. TIRE SIZE WAS 155R13. TIRES MOUNTED ON A MITSUBISHI, MIRAGE, 1991. WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR OVER THREE HOURS, THE LEFT FRONT TIRE BLEWOUT. ALSO, THERE WERE SOME CRACKS AROUND RIM. TIRES WERE REPLACED.*AK *SLC

20000905ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

I READ WITH INTEREST THE REPORTS OF PROBLEMS WITH MITSUBISHI AUTOMOBILES, AS ONE OF THE PROBLEMS REPORTED - A LOOSE CRANKSHAFT - IS EXACTLY THE PROBLEM WE HAD WITH OUR CAR. I AM REPORTING THIS TO YOU AS THE NEWS ACCOUNTS I'VE READ TALK ONLY ABOUT CARS IMPORTED IN THE LAST TWO YEARS AS POSSIBLY BE SUBJECT OF RECALL. I WONDER IF THE RECALL SHOULDN'T COVER CARS, LIKE OURS, A GOOD DEAL OLDER THAN THAT. OUR SPECIFIC PROBLEM OCCURRED IN 1996 WHEN THE CAR HAS ABOUT 70,000 MILES ON IT. THE CRANKSHAFT PROBLEM WAS REPAIRED BY PHIL LONG MITSUBISHI IN COLORADO SPRINGS. CO.

19991105ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH

THE ENGINE STOPS UNPREDICTABLY. I HEAR A CLICK THAT SEEMS TO COME FROM UNDER THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT, THEN THE ENGINE STARTS AND WILL NOT RESTART IMMEDIATELY. USUALLY, AFTER SOME MINUTES, IT WILL RESTART. IT WILL EVEN STOP AT HIGH SPEEDS, AS IT DID WHEN I WAS ON THE INTERSTATE ON A LONG BRIDGE, AND COULD NOT GET OUT OF THE WAY OF ON-COMING SEMI-TRUCKS. AS THE DEALER ADVISED, I REPLACED BOTH THE COMPUTER AND THE RELAYS, YET THE PROBLEM PERSISTS.

19990930ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

VEHICLE HAS STALLED ON 3 OCCASIONS WITHOUT WARNING OR HESITATION ,CAUSING POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD. *AK

19971205ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE

CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE THE COMPUTER IN THE VEHICLE. OWNER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT EXCEED 35MPH. THE DEALER REPLACED THE COMPUTER A SECOND TIME, AND INFORMED OWNER THAT THE CLUTCH HAD A LEAK, AND THAT WAS THE CAUSE OF THE VEHICLE'S LOW SPEEDS. *AK

19971205POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY

CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE THE COMPUTER IN THE VEHICLE. OWNER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT EXCEED 35MPH. THE DEALER REPLACED THE COMPUTER A SECOND TIME, AND INFORMED OWNER THAT THE CLUTCH HAD A LEAK, AND THAT WAS THE CAUSE OF THE VEHICLE'S LOW SPEEDS. *AK

19971016ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE

INTERMITTENT STALLING DUE TO COMPUTER FAILURE. *AK

19970826ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE

COMPUTER MALFUNCTIONED. *AK

19970819SEAT BELTS

WHEN DOOR CLOSES AUTOMATIC FRONT RIGHT SHOULDER BELT MAY NOT SLIDE BACK/FORWARD, LEAVING OCCUPANT UNPROTECTED. INTERMITTENT PROBLEM, NOT CHECKED BY DEALER. *AK

19970730POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED, STICKING IN THIRD GEAR. WHEN VEHICLE IS PUT INTO DRIVE THE ONLY FORWARD GEAR IS THIRD.

19970409ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE

WHILE DRIVING COMPUTER SHUT OFF, CAUSING VEHICLE TO LOSE TOTAL POWER. *AK

19970327SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

OWNER RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE (#95V103004); CALLED DEALER OFF AND ON SINCE RECEIVING IT. DEALER HAS NO PARTS SINCE 6/96, AND DOES NOT KNOW WHEN THEY WILL BE IN, BUT WILL CALL OWNER WHEN THEY DO COME IN. AS OF APRIL 16, 1997, DEALER HAS TAKEN CARE OF THE REPAIRS. *AK

19970218CrashSEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT BROKE DURING THE IMPACT OF A CRASH. *AK

Compare 1991MITSUBISHIMIRAGE to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1991 MITSUBISHI MIRAGE have?
The 1991 MITSUBISHI MIRAGE has 45 NHTSA complaints, 7 crashes, 3 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1991 MITSUBISHI MIRAGE?
The most-complained component for the 1991 MITSUBISHI MIRAGE is SEAT BELTS with 10 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE.
Is the 1991 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.