Total Complaints
6 filings
Mitsubishi Spyder · model year
1998 Mitsubishi Spyder
6 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
- Complaints
- 6
- Recalls
- 0
The verdict
The 1998 Mitsubishi Spyder posts below-average complaint volume among its own model-year siblings.
- Top 40%
- fewest complaints, own model years
- 0
- recall campaigns
The 1998MitsubishiSpyder carries 6 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 1 fire, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1998 Spyder is structure:body:roof and pillars with 2 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (1) and visibility:power window devices and controls (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 14 investigation files overlapping the 1998 Spyder. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
6
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
F
PlainCars Safety Score
0/100
1998 Mitsubishi Spyder
PlainCars' own composite of NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings and rollover-risk assessment, each dimension normalized against the federal scale or the full national model-year corpus. Not an official NHTSA figure, and not a substitute for a specific vehicle's VIN-level recall check.
NHTSA Overall Rating N/A
Not rated
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program overall crash-test rating.
Front Crash N/A
Not rated
Frontal barrier crash-test rating.
Side Crash N/A
Not rated
Side barrier and pole crash-test rating.
Rollover Resistance N/A
Not rated
Static stability factor + dynamic rollover test rating.
Rollover Risk N/A
Not reported
NHTSA single-vehicle rollover probability, dynamic test.
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 |
|---|---|
| STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20040917FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. CONSUMER CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. VEHICLE TOWED, AND TOTALED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. *AK
20020814STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS
METAL BARS HAVE BENT AND CONVERTIBLE TOP WILL NOT GO DOWN. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
20010322ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
VEHICLE WILL STALL AND CUT OFF WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. WINDOW LOCKS SHUT DOWN, AND WIRING WAS REPLACED BY DEALERSHIP. REPLACEMRNT WAS COSTLY. DEALERSHIP MECHANIC TOLD CONSUMER THAT ELECTRICAL HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, CONVERTIBLE TOPS LEAKED. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK
20010322STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS
VEHICLE WILL STALL AND CUT OFF WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. WINDOW LOCKS SHUT DOWN, AND WIRING WAS REPLACED BY DEALERSHIP. REPLACEMRNT WAS COSTLY. DEALERSHIP MECHANIC TOLD CONSUMER THAT ELECTRICAL HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, CONVERTIBLE TOPS LEAKED. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK
20010322VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
VEHICLE WILL STALL AND CUT OFF WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. WINDOW LOCKS SHUT DOWN, AND WIRING WAS REPLACED BY DEALERSHIP. REPLACEMRNT WAS COSTLY. DEALERSHIP MECHANIC TOLD CONSUMER THAT ELECTRICAL HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, CONVERTIBLE TOPS LEAKED. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK
20010322ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
VEHICLE WILL STALL AND CUT OFF WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. WINDOW LOCKS SHUT DOWN, AND WIRING WAS REPLACED BY DEALERSHIP. REPLACEMRNT WAS COSTLY. DEALERSHIP MECHANIC TOLD CONSUMER THAT ELECTRICAL HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, CONVERTIBLE TOPS LEAKED. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK
Compare 1998MitsubishiSpyder to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Vehicle Safety Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1998 Mitsubishi Spyder have?▼
The 1998 Mitsubishi Spyder has 6 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Mitsubishi Spyder?▼
The most-complained component for the 1998 Mitsubishi Spyder is STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE and VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS.
Is the 1998 Mitsubishi Spyder 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.
Data vintage: August 2026. 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.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1998 Mitsubishi Spyder; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.