1991 Mitsubishi Mirage: common problems

Owners of the 1991 Mitsubishi Mirage filed 38 complaints with NHTSA, most often about seat belts and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 38
involving a crash: 5

What fails most often

1 Seat belts 37% of all complaints
2 Electrical system 26% of all complaints
3 Engine and cooling 11% of all complaints
4 Service brakes 11% of all complaints
5 Powertrain 8% of all complaints
6 Tires 5% of all complaints
7 Air bags 3% of all complaints
8 Engine 3% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Seat belts: 14 complaints (37% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 10 complaints (26% of all).
Engine and cooling: 4 complaints (11% of all).
Service brakes: 4 complaints (11% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Powertrain: 3 complaints (8% of all).

Engines and transmissions

US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.

1.5 L · petrol · 4 cyl
1.6 L · petrol · 4 cyl
automatic, 3-speed
automatic, 4-speed
manual, 4-speed
manual, 5-speed

Drive: FWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 38 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

seat belts6 · 16%
smoke, burning smell, fire3 · 8%
stalls while driving3 · 8%
airbags did not deploy1 · 3%
brake failure1 · 3%
hesitation when accelerating1 · 3%
unintended acceleration1 · 3%
transmission slipping1 · 3%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Seat belts	14	1
Electrical system	10	0
Engine and cooling	4	0
Service brakes	4	2
Powertrain	3	0
Tires	2	0
Air bags	1	1
Engine	1	0
Exterior lighting	1	0
Fuel system	1	0
Seats	1	1
Vehicle speed control	1	1

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

Consumer experienced 4 brake failures while driving. As a result, on time the vehicle went into a ditch. Brake pad separated from the caliper and fell off. This was due to the casting for the brake pad hardly going into the flat. Another time the problem was worse when the pads were new.
Service brakes · crash · 2004-01-22 · NHTSA complaint #10055627
Driver's side seat belt broke during the impact of a crash.
Seat belts · crash · 1997-02-18 · NHTSA complaint #809023
The vehicle came to a complete stop when attempting to switch from "drive" to "park" without warning, a sudden acceleration was experienced, causing the vehicle to hit a barrier.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 1996-12-12 · NHTSA complaint #806241
Failure on the brakes, having a very hard time with stopping the vehicle, causing the consumer to have an accident, due to warped brake rotor.
Service brakes · crash · 1996-04-10 · NHTSA complaint #982585
During rear end collison the air bag did not deploy. Passenger seat came unlocked and flew forward. Tt
Air bags · crash · 1995-02-09 · NHTSA complaint #959829
Cpsc#x11c0565a. Cylinder head. 1991 mitsubishi mirage. Consumer stated he purchased the part from d&s light truck and auto parts, inc. He stated the cylinder was bad and they have refused to refund his money or replace the part.
Engine · 2012-06-28 · NHTSA complaint #10463770
Cpsc#x11c0561a & xx11c0565a. 1991 mitsubishi mirage consumer stated after installing cylinder head, he noticed the vehicle ran rough. The consumer was informed the valves needed to be adjusted. The consumer has since learned the cylinder head was bad.
Engine and cooling · 2012-01-06 · NHTSA complaint #10443068
I had 4 brandnew goodyear tires put on my car 1month ago and the tires aren't a bit of good. One tire on the front started separating on the inner wall which we were unaware of until I was on the hwy one day and liked to got killed!!
Tires · 2008-09-18 · NHTSA complaint #10242765

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

19958
199613
19978
19992
20001
20011
20042
20081
20122

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 6,094 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 17% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Mirage has 24 complaints (29 years in the data). This year has 38, above average.

What to check before buying

Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1991 Mitsubishi Mirage?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: seat belts, electrical system, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 38. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (16%), smoke, burning smell, fire (8%), stalls while driving (8%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1991 Mitsubishi Mirage?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 1991 Mitsubishi Mirage from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 1991 models

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.