1990 Mitsubishi Mirage problems & reliability
33 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1990 Mitsubishi Mirage. 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.
1 complaint report injuries (3 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Seat Belts → | 19 | 58% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 18% |
| Electrical System | 4 | 12% |
| Visibility | 2 | 6% |
| Engine | 1 | 3% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 3% |
| Power Train | 1 | 3% |
| Seats | 1 | 3% |
| Structure | 1 | 3% |
| Unknown OR Other | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl* the contact owns a 1990 mitsubishi mirage. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled sporadically at initial start-up or when driving various speeds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed for the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 20,000 and the…”
Engine · filed Nov 18, 2013
“The only door that will open normally is the drivers side door. Passenger side door will only open from inside, and both passenger rear doors won't open from inside or outside. Consumer feels this is very unsafe if you need to exit quickly in an emergency. Please provide any further infomation. Ts”
Structure · filed Nov 18, 2002
“While driving up a hill gear was on drive, then jumped into reverse, making vehicle roll backward, happened twice.*ak”
Power Train · filed Mar 13, 2001
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT FAILURE
Engineering Analysis EA96015 · opened Jun 28, 1996 · closed Jun 12, 1997 · led to recall 97V073001
- AUTO SHOULDER BELT FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE96006 · opened Jan 19, 1996 · closed Jun 28, 1996 · led to recall 97V063001
- TAKATA SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE
Engineering Analysis EA95004 · opened Mar 10, 1995 · closed Aug 1, 1995 · led to recall 95V103004
Technical service bulletins
5 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1990 Mitsubishi Mirage.
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 service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
TT237 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 26, 2018
This Technical Service Bulletin updates the door adjustment procedure in the Body Section of the applicable service manuals.
TSB-13-42A-002 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 29, 2013
New valve lash adjuster noise checking and troubleshooting procedures. *jd
TSB9711002 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 1997
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
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1990 Mitsubishi Mirage in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
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 1990 Mitsubishi Mirage?
- · 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.