Total Complaints
7 filings
MITSUBISHI MITSUBISHI · model year
2002 MITSUBISHI MITSUBISHI
7 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2002MITSUBISHIMITSUBISHI carries 7 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 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 2002 MITSUBISHI is tires with 1 filings, followed by structure (1) and engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (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 2002 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.
7
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
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 |
|---|---|
| TIRES | 1 |
| STRUCTURE | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 1 |
| AIR BAGS | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20080107ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
CRANSKHAFT BOLT SHEARED OFF WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS CAUSING LOSS OF POWER STEERING ON ICY ROADS. THE INCIDENT ALSO CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR, HARMONIC BALANCER, AND TIMING BELT. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT A LOCAL AUTOMOBILE REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE SHEARED BOLT WAS CLEARLY A DEFECTIVE PART. RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET IDENTIFIED SEVERAL VEHICLES WITH THE SAME ISSUE INCLUDING RECALLS ON DIFFERENT MITSUBISHI MODELS AND THE SAME MODEL BUT WITH DIFFERENT MANUFACTURING DATE. THE VEHICLE WAS A 2002 MITSUBISHI MONTERO SPORT ES. *TR
Mileage: 92,000
20051108CrashAIR BAGS
NO AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AFTER ACCIDENT EVEN AFTER VEHICLE FLIPPED OVER. *NM
20050606ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO I STARTED HEARING A NOISE WHEN THE AC WAS ON. I TOOK IT INTO A SERVICE DEALER AND HE STATED MY AC COMPRESSOR WAS GOING BAD. AND THAT AT 32,500 MILES THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING. I AM TAKING IT TO A MITSUBISHI DEALER SAT- TO DIAGNOS THIS AND TO MAKE SURE MITSUBISHI PAYS FOR IT. WARRANTY OUT 3/2005 - BUT CAR UNDER MILES AND VERY WELL KEPT. I WAS TOLD BY 3 SERVICE DEPT'S AN AC COMPRESSOR ON A CAR WITH 32,500 MILES SHOULD NOT BE GOING BAD AND MITSUBISHI SHOULD PAY FOR IT. (2 OF THE 3 WERE MITSUBISHI DEALERS) I WANT THIS PAID FOR AND TAKEN CARE OF BY MITSUBISHI... I WAS GOING TO TRADE IN ON A NEW ONE, BUT WE'LL SEE HOW THEY HANDLE THIS TO SEE IF THEY KEEP ME AS A CUSTOMER
Mileage: 32,465
20050414SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
AN UNUSUAL SCREECHING NOISE COMES FROM THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WHEN IT IS AT REST, IN MOTION AND WHEN THE BRAKES ARE PRESSED.*AK
Mileage: 55,000
20041202ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALER TO INSPECT A BOTTOM ENGINE NOISE, AFTER A QUICK INSPECTION THE MECHANIC INFORMED HIS MANAGER OF A SUPPOSED RAPID LEAK OF OIL, RESULTING IN DAMAGE OF PARTS. I EXPLIANED TO THE MANAGER THAT I'VE OWN THE CAR SINCE NEW AND THERE NEVER BEEN AN OIL LEAK BECAUSE IM THE ONE WHO HAVE DONE THE OIL CHANGE FOR THE PAST 2 YRS, THAT THE GREASE HE SUPPOSED IS OIL IS THE AMOROLE ACUMULATING UNDER THE CAR FROM RECENT DETAILING DONE BY MYSELF. THE MANAGER CONTACTED THE WARRANTY AND WITHOUT HEARING AN EXPLANATION OR CLOSELY INSPECTING THE CAR THE DECIDED THAT IS NOT GOING TO BE FIXED. *AK
Mileage: 28,450
20041125STRUCTURE
FACTORY DEFECTIVE PAINT SPOTS ON HOOD,DAMAGE TO HOOD DURING MAINTENCE BY DEALERSHIP. *AK
20021230TIRES
WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH AND WITHOUT WARNING FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE BLOWOUT. PLEASE PROVIDE THE SIZE AND DOT#. DEALER NOTIFIED. TX
Compare 2002MITSUBISHIMITSUBISHI to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2002 MITSUBISHI MITSUBISHI have?▼
The 2002 MITSUBISHI MITSUBISHI has 7 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2002 MITSUBISHI MITSUBISHI?▼
The most-complained component for the 2002 MITSUBISHI MITSUBISHI is TIRES with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STRUCTURE and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE.
Is the 2002 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.