1997 Mitsubishi Mirage: common problems

Owners of the 1997 Mitsubishi Mirage filed 74 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 74
involving a crash: 13

What fails most often

1 Engine and cooling 24% of all complaints
2 Air bags 20% of all complaints
3 Powertrain 20% of all complaints
4 Service brakes 9% of all complaints
5 Seat belts 8% of all complaints
6 Suspension 8% of all complaints
7 Vehicle speed control 7% of all complaints
8 Tires 5% of all complaints

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

Engine and cooling: 18 complaints (24% of all).
Air bags: 15 complaints (20% of all), 10 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Powertrain: 15 complaints (20% of all).
Service brakes: 7 complaints (9% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Seat belts: 6 complaints (8% of all), 1 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.

1.5 L · petrol · 4 cylnamed in 1 complaints
1.8 L · petrol · 4 cyl
automatic, 4-speed
manual, 5-speed

Drive: FWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 74 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

seat belts8 · 11%
stalls while driving8 · 11%
knocking, grinding or other noise6 · 8%
vibration4 · 5%
airbag warning light2 · 3%
airbags did not deploy2 · 3%
smoke, burning smell, fire2 · 3%
transmission slipping2 · 3%
brake failure1 · 1%
jerking, harsh shifts1 · 1%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Engine and cooling	18	0
Air bags	15	10
Powertrain	15	0
Service brakes	7	1
Seat belts	6	1
Suspension	6	0
Vehicle speed control	5	1
Tires	4	1
Visibility	3	0
Electrical system	2	0
Equipment	2	0
Fuel system	2	1
Child seat	1	0
Seats	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.

While driving at about 65 mph, had a very bad tire blowout. Front driver's side tires, and back driver's side tires blewout, car hit a concrete wall, and driver's side airbag deployed and inflated. However, passenger's side air bag deployed, but did not inflate.
Air bags · crash · 2000-06-26 · NHTSA complaint #864228
While driving 35-40 mph the vehicle hydroplaned and slid down into a embankment in which the driver's and passenger's air bags did not deploy, and did not protect the occupant.
Air bags · crash · 1999-03-23 · NHTSA complaint #835421
Driver had seat belt on but hit steering wheel. The frame of the vehicle's structure went out of alignment.
Seats · crash · 1999-02-23 · NHTSA complaint #835183
When the vehicle was involved in a front end crash the air bag deployed, but the seat belt did not restrain the occupant, causing the driver to hit head on windshield, air bag deployment resulted in scrapes and bruising. Reported by debbie barker at state farm insurance company.
Air bags · crash · 1998-12-07 · NHTSA complaint #831922
On two different occasions upon approaching to make a gradual stop, the vehicle lunged forward, resulting in the consumer having an accident on two different incidents. Consumer believes the problem was caused due to the fuel injections. Consumer has contacted the dealer, dealer has not replaced any parts.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 1998-01-16 · NHTSA complaint #819516
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 mitsubishi mirage. The clips that secures the floor-mats to the floorboard has fractured. This condition causes the floor-mat to shift under the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but a technician stated that there was not a remedy for the failure.
Vehicle speed control · 2009-11-25 · NHTSA complaint #10293522
The engine stalled and the vehicle was towed. A local mechanic stated that it would cost $2,200 to repair the vehicle, however the contact does not know what needs to be repaired. The # of cylinders, purchase date, and mileage information were unknown.
Engine and cooling · 2007-06-07 · NHTSA complaint #10192677
Tl* - the contact stated that when making a turn ithe safety seat will flip over. She has to hold the safety seat while turning the vehicle in order to reach the seat. While driving the contact must position the seat as far back as possible so that she may prevent the seat from flipping over.
Child seat · 2007-01-05 · NHTSA complaint #10177936

When owners complained

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

19975
199814
199912
200015
200114
20025
20034
20041
20051
20072
20081
20091

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 4,291 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 74, above average.

What to check before buying

Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1997 Mitsubishi Mirage?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, air bags, powertrain. Total complaints: 74. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (11%), stalls while driving (11%), knocking, grinding or other noise (8%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1997 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 1997 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 1997 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.