Total Complaints
5 filings
MITSUBISHI MITSUBISHI · model year
1997 MITSUBISHI MITSUBISHI
5 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1997MITSUBISHIMITSUBISHI carries 5 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 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 1997 MITSUBISHI is engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline with 1 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine (1) and structure (1). 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 13 investigation files overlapping the 1997 MITSUBISHI. 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.
5
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 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 |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| STRUCTURE | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20070523SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT
MY 1997 MITSUBISHI HAS AN OPEN RECALL TO REMEDY SUSPENSION FRONT:CONTROL ARM: LOWER BALL JOINT DEFECT. I PURCHASED THE CAR USED IN 2006. ON 5/21/07, I WAS TOLD BY SEARS AUTO, A PROBLEM EXISTED WITH THE SUSPENSION:LOWER BALLJOINT. I FOUND OUT THERE WAS A RECALL, FOR THE EXACT PROBLEM THIS CAR HAS. I CONTACTED MITSUBISHI CUSTOER SERVICE ON 5/22/07. THEY WILL NOT TELL ME IF THE DEFECT WAS CORRECTED, THEY WILL ONLY SAY THE CAR WAS SERVICED, WHICH COULD MEAN ANYTHING. THEY WILL NOT OFFER ME ANY REMEDY. I WANT THE DEFECT CORRECT BY MITSUBISHI. *AK
20050719EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL
MY COLUMN SWITCH NO LONGER WORKS RESULTING IN TURN SIGNALS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. WEN INVESTIGATING THE REPLACEMENT PART FOR THIS ITEM, I DISCOVERED THAT IT IS THE SAME THAT WHICH MITSUBISHI INSTALLED ON ITS 1999 GALANT. THERE HAS BEEN A NHTSA RECALL FOR THIS UNIT. THUS, I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THERE SHOULD ALSO BE A RECALL OF THIS UNIT FOR 1997 YEAR MODELS OF THE MITSUBISHI GALANT AS WELL.
Mileage: 118,500
20041112ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
TIMING BELT BROKE WHICH CAUSED INTERFERENCE WITH MOTOR, RESULTING IN THE WHOLE TOP HALF OF THE ENGINE BEING REPLACED. *JB
20041112STRUCTURE
CONVERTIBLE TOP LEAKS, HINGES HAVE ALREADY BEEN REPLACED AND BENT ONCE AGAIN AFTER THE TOP WAS PUT DOWN ONCE. THE WATER POOLS UP TOP AND THEN POURS ALL OVER THE DRIVER. CAUSED EXTENSIVE WATER DAMAGE, CAR IS HORRIBLE. *JB
20010328ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
MULTIPLE OIL LEAKS /I CHECK THREE DIFFERENT VEHICLES NAD THEY WERE ALL LEAKING OIL AT THE SAME PLACES/BETWEEN TRANSMISSION/AND THE MOTOR. *AK
Compare 1997MITSUBISHIMITSUBISHI to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1997 MITSUBISHI MITSUBISHI have?▼
The 1997 MITSUBISHI MITSUBISHI has 5 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 MITSUBISHI MITSUBISHI?▼
The most-complained component for the 1997 MITSUBISHI MITSUBISHI is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE and STRUCTURE.
Is the 1997 MITSUBISHI MITSUBISHI 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.