2002 Mitsubishi Diamante problems & reliability
123 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2002 Mitsubishi Diamante, alongside 3 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
8 complaints report injuries (11 injured, 2 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2002 Mitsubishi Diamante vehicles were involved in 1 fatal crash with 0 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility → | 71 | 58% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 38 | 31% |
| Power Train → | 10 | 8% |
| Electrical System | 9 | 7% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 4 | 3% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 3% |
| Structure | 3 | 2% |
| Tires | 3 | 2% |
| Air Bags | 2 | 2% |
| Equipment | 2 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 63,000 miles (middle 50% between 46,945 and 78,500 miles), based on 87 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I was driving my mitsubishi across the university bridge on 7-28-2017 and suddenly the transmission went out and I was stuck and had no power of movement,my wife and 3 y.o.child were passengers in the car,luckily the state patrol came and assisted us.the dealer told us that this car was mechanically sound and had no…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Aug 2, 2017
“My wife was driving on the interstate when the transmission failed and would no longer propel the vehicle. I have researched the problem and multiple people have had the same problem. I don't understand why no recall has been made. This is a very hazardous issue, especially if you are traveling on an interstate. She…”
Power Train · filed Apr 8, 2015
“Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mitsubishi diamante. While driving at 45 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The dealer was unable to diagnose the cause of the failure and stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 02v100001 (electrical…”
Electrical System · filed Feb 18, 2015
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
59 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2002 Mitsubishi Diamante. The 10 most recent:
This is a Dealer Letter sent to dealers informing that Mitsubishi Technical Training has launched the 3rd quarterly technician quiz for 2023.
DEALER LETTER · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 21, 2023
This Technical Service Bulletin provides instructions and material safety data sheets for removal of rap-film adhesive residue.
TSB-23-00-004 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 24, 2023
This Technical Service Bulletin reviews the regulations that require a label showing the reduction in load carrying capacity be affixed to vehicles when the total net weight of accessories is more than 1.5 percent of…
TSB-23-00-001 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 24, 2023
This is a Dealer Letter sent to dealers informing that Mitsubishi Technical Training has launched the 2nd quarterly technician quiz for 2023.
DEALER LETTER · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 21, 2023
This Technical Service Bulletin was sent to dealers to explain the difference between normal dew condensation, which is a natural phenomenon, and water penetration caused by improper sealing or a defective/broken part.
TSB-22-54-003 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 7, 2022
This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
TT253 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 26, 2019
This is a Technical Service Bulletin sent to dealers. This bulletin supersedes TSB-18-00-003, issued April, 2018, to add updated information for Carrying Capacity Reduced Label.
TSB-19-00-008 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 30, 2019
This is a message sent to dealers, to inform them that an update for MEDIC will be available.
MEDICUpdate517 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 27, 2018
This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
TT237 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 26, 2018
This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
TT218 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 28, 2015
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2002 Mitsubishi Diamante has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2002 Mitsubishi Diamante?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 63,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.