Your vehicle report
1998 Mitsubishi Mirage
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 43
- Received Jul 1998 to Apr 2018
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Airbags fail to deploy in crashes7 complaints · 16% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Rear door latch fails to open or close4 complaints · 9.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Engine suddenly shuts off while driving3 complaints · 7.0% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #00V311001Vehicle description: passenger vehicles: mirage model vehicles equipped with 1.5L engines; montero sport models equipped with 3.0L engines; and montero models equipped with 3.0L engines. The bolt securing the crankshaft pulley can become loose and the pulley could fall off the vehicle.
- Recall #97V179000Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. These vehicles may have a poorly manufactured vacuum check valve in the vacuum hose between the intake manifold and the brake vacuum booster. When the brake pedal is depressed, the vacuum booster check valve can stick to the valve body.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 12 crashes, 2 fires, 11 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 4 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 3 |
| 1999 | 8 |
| 2000 | 7 |
| 2001 | 7 |
| 2002 | 7 |
| 2003 | 3 |
| 2004 | 2 |
| 2005 | 4 |
| 2006 | 0 |
| 2007 | 0 |
| 2008 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 43 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 7 | 16% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 4 | 9.3% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 3 | 7.0% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 3 | 7.0% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #00V311001October 2, 2000210,000 vehicles affected
engine and engine cooling: engine
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles: Mirage model vehicles equipped with 1.5L engines; montero sport models equipped with 3.0L engines; and montero models equipped with 3.0L engines. The bolt securing the crankshaft pulley Can become loose and the pulley could fall off the vehicle.
The condition Can result in a loss of power steering assist, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
On the Mirage vehicles, the dealers will install a new, improved crankshaft pulley bolt on the older engines. On new engines which already have the improved bolt, the dealer will tighten the crankshaft pulley bolt to the correct torque specification. On the montero models, dealers will tighten the crankshaft pulley bolt to the correct torque specifications. If the bolt is damaged, it will be replaced.
NHTSA recall #97V179000October 14, 199731 vehicles affected
service brakes, hydraulic: power assist: vacuum: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. These vehicles may have a poorly manufactured vacuum check valve in the vacuum hose between the intake manifold and the brake vacuum booster. When the brake pedal is depressed, the vacuum booster check valve Can stick to the valve body.
This condition would result in reduction or loss of vacuum boost, reducing brake efficiency.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the brake vacuum hose.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1998 Mitsubishi Mirage.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN