AI DamageMitsubishi Expo: problems, complaints, bulletins
Summary for the Mitsubishi Expo across 7 model years: 82 owner complaints and 0 NHTSA service bulletins, plus repair videos. Pick a year for details.
Model years
What fails most often
- 1 Seat belts 37% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 29% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 7% of all complaints
- 4 Structure 7% of all complaints
- 5 Air bags 6% of all complaints
- 6 Engine and cooling 5% of all complaints
- 7 Latches, locks, linkages 4% of all complaints
- 8 Seats 2% of all complaints
- Seat belts: 30 complaints (37% of all).
- Powertrain: 24 complaints (29% of all).
- Service brakes: 6 complaints (7% of all).
- Structure: 6 complaints (7% of all).
- Air bags: 5 complaints (6% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 1.8 L · petrol · 4 cyl 1992–1994
- 2.4 L · petrol · 4 cyl 1992–1996
- automatic, 4-speed 1992–1996
- manual, 5-speed 1992–1995
Drive: FWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 82 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seat belts | 30 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 24 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Parking brake | 1 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The air bags did not deploy neither on the driver's or passanger's sides. A police report was done and comsumer did not contact the manufacturer. Two people were injured in accident.
Vehicle was parked in a driveway on a very slight incline, with emergency brake on, and vehicle rolled backward on to driver. Tt
During front end collision, airbag deployed causing 2nd degree burns to driver. Tt
Transmission goes out in middle of highway had to push car to safety and was almost run over no warning this was gonna do this.
Tl contact owns a 2003 mitsubishi expo. While driving 35 mph, the contact heard a winding noise for approximately one month. While backing out of the driveway, he still heard the winding noise followed by a thunk. The reverse gear failed. The vehicle was placed into drive and parked.
This failure could cause a circuit to burn and lead to engine stalling. The dealer stated that there was nothing that they could do, but were aware of the failure. The contact stated that the failure could lead to severe injuries and/or death.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
What to check before buying
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
Other models of this make
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.