1993 Mitsubishi Mirage: common problems

Owners of the 1993 Mitsubishi Mirage filed 73 complaints with NHTSA, most often about seat belts and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 73
involving a crash: 2

What fails most often

1 Seat belts 77% of all complaints
2 Engine and cooling 10% of all complaints
3 Seats 5% of all complaints
4 Electrical system 4% of all complaints
5 Powertrain 4% of all complaints
6 Equipment 3% of all complaints
7 Service brakes 3% of all complaints
8 Structure 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: 56 complaints (77% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engine and cooling: 7 complaints (10% of all).
Seats: 4 complaints (5% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 3 complaints (4% of all).
Powertrain: 3 complaints (4% 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
1.8 L · petrol · 4 cyl
automatic, 3-speed
automatic, 4-speed
manual, 5-speed

Drive: FWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 73 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

seat belts39 · 53%
stalls while driving4 · 5%
fuel system, fuel smell2 · 3%
brake failure1 · 1%
door locks, latches, handles1 · 1%
won't start1 · 1%
transmission slipping1 · 1%
warning lights, check engine1 · 1%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Seat belts	56	1
Engine and cooling	7	0
Seats	4	1
Electrical system	3	0
Powertrain	3	0
Equipment	2	0
Service brakes	2	0
Structure	2	0
Exterior lighting	1	0
Fuel system	1	0
Latches, locks, linkages	1	0
Steering	1	0
Tires	1	0
Vehicle speed control	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.

While stopped at a stop sign vehicle was rear ended which caused driver's seat to release from the upright position, cause unknown. Please give any further details.
Seats · crash · 1999-05-17 · NHTSA complaint #838035
Moving seatbelt would stick in corner at back of door would not move completly to back of door. Could open door and close and seat belt would work properly, now seat belt is stuck in the corner of door and there is a gray cable sticking out and belt wont move at all forward or backward
Seat belts · 2005-05-31 · NHTSA complaint #10123702
The automatic seat belt cable came of it's track. This resulted in the seat belt failing to retract. Also, the plastic coating over the cable came off. This occurred after the driver's side guide rail recall 97v073001 was performed. The dealership has been contacted.
Seat belts · 2004-08-19 · NHTSA complaint #10089271
Automatic seat belt on driver's side came off the hinges, causing the driver not to be properly restrained. The seat belt motor was replaced last year for the same problem.
Seat belts · 2004-02-12 · NHTSA complaint #10057994
My 16 year old daughter was driving her car late on friday night and it stalled out in a rural area. We had it towed to our mechanical and thinking it was the fuel pump. He informed me that the cam shaft had split. He said that this is very unusual.
Engine and cooling · 2003-05-06 · NHTSA complaint #10017102
The first head gasket was replaced on 3-8-1999 @30,886 miles. The second head gasket was replaced on 1-24-2002 @ 55,691 miles. They would not help cover the cost because it was longer than one year even though there was only 24,000 miles on the head gasket.
Engine and cooling · 2002-02-12 · NHTSA complaint #758102
While driving 60 mph hood flew open and shattered windshield, latch broke.
Latches, locks, linkages · 2001-04-02 · NHTSA complaint #884786
Problem will start without prior warning. Vehicle just stalls out. Dealership stated that vehicle isn't on recall.
Electrical system · 2000-09-23 · NHTSA complaint #871331

When owners complained

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

19956
199612
19973
19984
199912
200016
200110
20022
20033
20043
20051
20061

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 4,331 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 12% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Mirage has 24 complaints (29 years in the data). This year has 73, above average.

What to check before buying

Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Seats. Occupant sensor, power adjustment, seat mounts.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1993 Mitsubishi Mirage?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: seat belts, engine and cooling, seats. Total complaints: 73. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (53%), stalls while driving (5%), fuel system, fuel smell (3%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1993 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 1993 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 1993 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.