Problems · NHTSA complaints

2002 Mitsubishi Diamante problems

Owners filed 133 complaints about the 2002 Mitsubishi Diamante with NHTSA between Oct 2002 and Aug 2017. The most-cited component is visibility (72).

Complaints
133
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
5
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
11
People reported injured
Deaths
2
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Visibility72
  2. Engine and engine cooling43
  3. Power train10
  4. Electrical system9
  5. Service brakes, hydraulic6
  6. Fuel system, gasoline4
  7. Structure4
  8. Tires4
  9. Air bags3
  10. Equipment2
  11. Suspension2
  12. Wheels2
  13. Service brakes1
  14. Engine1

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20022
20032
20049
200520
200627
200723
200826
200914
20104
20110
20121
20131
20140
20153
20160
20171

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Visibility

72 reports
“THE HEATER CORE IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS PROBLEM. THE WINDOWS IN THE CAR FOG UP SO BAD I COULDNT DRIVE THE CAR...HAD TO PULL OVER AND WIPE THE WINDOWS DOWN. BUT THE THING IS...I DIDNT KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEMS WAS...UNTIL I REALIZED THE WINDOWS WERENT JUST BEING FOGGED BY THE COLD, ECT IT WAS A TOXIC MIST FROM A HEATER CORE PROBLEM...I PULLED OVER 2 TIMES BECAUSE I GOT SICK...I NOTICED A MIST COMING OUT OF THE VENTS....SO ALL IN ALL I CALLED MITSUBISHI AND THEY REFUSE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS.THIS HEATER CORE PROBLEM CAN LEAD TO ACCIDENTS, SICKNESS, AND OTHE EXPENSIVE PROBLEMS IN THE CAR! THE FUMES ARE EXTREMELY TOXIC!!! THERE ARE 1000'S OF COMPLAINTS AND BLOGS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM...I'M SURE THERE ARE 100,000+ COMPLAINTS ABPOUT THIS PROBLEM. AND MITSUBISHI REFUSES TO HELP OR DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS. I TOLD THEM, IS THIS GONNA TAKE A FATAL ACCIDENT FOR THEM TO DO SOMETHING?" THEY REPLIED, "IM NOT ANSWERING THAT!" I TOLD THEM THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE RECALLED THIS PROBLEM. THEY REPLIED, "SORRY BUT YOUR WARRANTY IS UP WE CAN'T DO NOTHING ABOUT IT." THIS HEATER CORE PROBLEMS LEADS TO FAULTY TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, HAZERDOUS PROBLEMS, SICKNESS,…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 6, 2010Engine and engine cooling, VisibilityODI 10369327

Engine and engine cooling

43 reports1 crash
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MITSUBISHI DIAMANTE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 75 MPH, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE BUT THE BRAKES FAILED TO RESPOND WITHOUT ANY WARNINGS. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A PASSENGER VAN. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT TWO MONTHS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE MISFIRES, NEEDED SPARK PLUGS, A FUEL PUMP, A FUEL INJECTOR, AN EGR VALVE, AND THE ENGINE SURGED ERRATICALLY. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 140,000. UPDATED 12/06/12*LJ UPDATED 12/6/2012 *JS”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 1, 2012Engine and engine cooling, Fuel system, gasoline, Electrical system, Service brakes, EngineCrash reportedODI 10478125

Power train

10 reports
“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 PROBLEMS OR ISSUES.THEY LIED TO US AND BY DOING SO THEY PUT OUR LIVES IN DANGER.THE DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG WAS ALSO MISSING WHEN WE PURCHASED THE CAR.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 2, 2017Power train, Air bags, Unknown or otherODI 11012456

Electrical system

9 reports1 crash1 related recall
“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 SYSTEM.) THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,289.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 18, 2015Electrical systemODI 10684089

Service brakes, hydraulic

6 reports1 crash
“I HAVE A 2002 MITSUBISHI DIAMANTE. I HAVE KEPT REGULAR MAINTENANCE. I AM SUBMITTING THIS FORM BECAUSE OF A HEATER CORE ISSUE I AM HAVING. HOWEVER I HAVE HAD THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR. ALL THESE PROBLEMS SEEM TO BE RECURRING PROBLEMS THAT HAPPEN TO MANY PEOPLE WITH THIS MODEL. AT LEAST THAT IS WHAT I FIND WHEN I SEARCH THE ISSUES ON THE INTERNET 1- VIBRATION IN STEERING WHEEL --THIS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES AFTER TAKING CAR BACK TO DEALER-IT APPEARS THERE IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE ROTORS IN THIS CAR. AFTER HAVING THE ROTORS CUT TWICE BY THE DEALER WITH NO LONG LASTING SUCCESS. I HAD TO HAVE THE BRAKES AND ROTORS REPLACED BY A MECHANIC ( CAR HAD LESS THE 10,000 MILES WHEN ISSUE STARTED HAPPENING) 2- RUSTED MUFFLER--NOT SURE IF THIS ISSUE HAPPENS OFTEN BUT AFTER 23,000 MILES I HAD TO HAVE MY MUFFLER REPLACED BECAUSE THERE WAS A HOLE RUSTED THROUGH THE TOP OF IT-I WAS TOLD THIS COULD HAPPEN FOR NOT USING THE CAR VERY MUCH IN THE WINTER TIME( ROAD SALT CAN CAUSE THE RUST) 3- HEATER CORE- I KNOW HAVE A HEATER CORE PROBLEM IN THIS CAR. I HAVE ANTIFREEZE LEAKING IN PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. I HAVE AN ANTIFREEZE SMELL IN THE CABIN OF THE CAR. MY WINDOWS FOG AND…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 24, 2007Service brakes, hydraulic, Engine and engine cooling, Electrical system, Visibility, StructureODI 10209795

Fuel system, gasoline

4 reports1 crash
“OCPL.COM EPNET.COM AUTO REPAIR REFERENCE CENTER MISUBISHI MOTORS TECH INFORMATION UPDATE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN NO: TSB-03-13-007 ODI ID NUMBER: 10152897 DATE: OCTOBER/2003 MODEL: 1997-2003 DIAMANTE MODELS PRODUCED BEFORE 7/7/03 PART: MR908180 DESC: FUEL TANK PUMP AND GAUGE ASSEMBLY SUBJ:LOW FUEL WARNING LIGHT ON SOME AFFECTED VEHICLES, THE LOW FUEL WARNING LIGHT MAY NOT ILLUMINATE UNTIL AFTER THE FUEL GAUGE REACHES "E". THE WARNING LIGHT SHOULD ILLUMINATE WHEN THERE IS APPROXIMATELY 3.7 GALLONS OF FUEL REMAINING. THE FUEL GAUGE SENDING UNIT HAS BEEN IMPROVED TO ELIMINATE CONDITION. IMPROVED PARTS HAVE A WHITE MARK LOCATED ABOVE THE LOWER FUEL WARNING THERMISTOR. *NM”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 5, 2006Fuel system, gasolineODI 10154602
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.