Problems · NHTSA complaints
1999 Mitsubishi Mirage problems
Owners filed 57 complaints about the 1999 Mitsubishi Mirage with NHTSA between Jul 1999 and Mar 2008. The most-cited component is service brakes, hydraulic (13).
Complaints
57
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
14
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
8
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Service brakes, hydraulic13
- Engine and engine cooling13
- Structure10
- Air bags9
- Vehicle speed control5
- Power train4
- Steering3
- Electrical system2
- Suspension2
- Equipment1
- Latches/locks/linkages1
- Visibility1
- Tires1
- Interior lighting1
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 Nov 5, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
6
17
9
4
9
9
2
0
0
1
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 6 |
| 2000 | 17 |
| 2001 | 9 |
| 2002 | 4 |
| 2003 | 9 |
| 2004 | 9 |
| 2005 | 2 |
| 2006 | 0 |
| 2007 | 0 |
| 2008 | 1 |
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.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Service brakes, hydraulic
13 reports4 crashes
“BRAKING PRODUCES SQUEAKING AND RUBBING SOUNDS EVEN AFTER ROTORS WERE TURNED & REPLACED. MULTIPLE PAD REPLACEMENTS OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST 3 YEARS. THE REPEATED RUBBING AND SQUEAKING SOUNDS OCCUR EVEN AFTER BRAKE SERVICE AFTER LESS THAN 1500 MILES. *AK TRANSMISSION: CAR IS "SLOW" TO ACCELERATE AND SOMETIMES STALES UPON ACCELERATION ATTEMPTS FROM 0 TO 40 MILES/HOUR. ENGINE CHECK LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON....O2 SENSOR(S) REPLACED.....CATALYTIC CONVERTER PROBLEM??????? THE CAR PASSED ITS EMMISSION CONTROL INSPECTION.”
Engine and engine cooling
13 reports1 crash2 related recalls
“PURCHASED 1999 MIRAGE FROM THOMPSON FORD AND WAS NOT NOTIFIED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ON A RECALL. AUTOMOBILE WAS PURCHASED IN NOVEMBER 2000. SUBSEQUENTLY , PULLEY BOLT COMPLETELY BROKE AND THE ENTIRE PULLEY AND BELT FELL OUT. THIS WAS THE FIRST INCIDENT, EXACT DAYS UNKNOWN, HOWEVER MONTH AND YEAR ARE ACCURATE. IN APRIL 2003, VEHICLE STOPPED. WAS INFORMED BY THOMPSON FORD THAT THE VEHICLE WSA NOT UNDER WARRANTY ONLY TO FIND OUT APPROXIMATELY 10 DAYS LATER THAT IT WAS. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THOMPSON FORD AFTER ANOTHER MECHANIC HAD SERVICED THE VEHICLE AND COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. THOMPSON FORD REPLACED THE PISTON AND THIS DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. VEHICLE WAS SENT TO A AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THEY REPLACED A VALVE AND SENSOR, HOWEVER THE VEHICLE STILL DOES NOT RUN. FAILURE OF THOMPSON FORD TO NOTIFY ME OF THE RECALL UPON PURCHASE COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT OR DEATH AS AT THE TIME I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE I WAS COMMUTING. I BECAME AWARE OF THE RECALL IN 2002 FOLLOWING THE PULLEY BOLT BREAKING AND COSTING CONSIDERABLE MONIES FOR REPAIRS.*AK”
Structure
10 reports1 crash
“I WAS GIVEN A 1999 MITSUBISHI MIRAGE BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY AFTER AN ACCIDENT IN MY 1997 MIRAGE. WHEN I RECEIVED THE CAR, THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR WAS DIFFICULT TO OPEN. OVER TIME, THE DOOR BECAME INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO CLOSE AND IT EVENTUALLY BECAME MISALIGNED, DROPPING WHEN IT WAS OPENED. IN JULY 2002, THE DOOR BECAME UNUSABLE BECAUSE IT COULD NOT BE OPENED FAR ENOUGH FOR A PASSENGER TO ENTER. I TOOK IT TO A DEALERSHIP, WHERE I WAS TOLD THAT THE HINGE HAD RUSTED SHUT DUE TO UNDERUSE AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO TAKE IT TO A BODY SHOP. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE BODY SHOP, I WAS TOLD THAT THE DEALER WAS NOT TELLING THE TRUTH BECAUSE THIS WAS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL OF CAR AND THAT THE HINGES WERE DEFECTIVE. THE BODY SHOP TOLD ME TO CONTACT MITSUBISHI DIRECTLY. I CALLED MITSUBISHI'S CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE AND WAS LITERALLY TOLD "IT IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY, THERE IS NO DEFECT AND IT'S YOUR PROBLEM NOW." I HAVE SINCE BEEN ABLE TO FIND ON YOUR WEBSITE THAT THIS IS IN FACT A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. *AK”
Air bags
9 reports8 crashes
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MITSUBISHI MIRAGE. WHILE STOPPED, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS STRUCK ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY AND THE FRONT END WAS DAMAGED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES. THE INSURANCE COMPANY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER, BUT IS GETTING THE RUN AROUND. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE POWERTRAIN AND FUEL TYPE WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 200,000.”
Vehicle speed control
5 reports3 crashes
“WHILE HOLDING BRAKE PEDAL ENIGINE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED INTO A POLE. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE. SECOND TIME A GARAGE DOOR WAS HIT. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY IN EITHER INCIDENT. *AK THERE WAS A RECALL ( 00V311001) FOR POSSIBLE LOOSE CRANK SHAFT PULLEY BOLT AND THE DEALER REINSTALLED IT. *YH”
Power train
4 reports
“I OWN A 1999 MITSUBISHI MIRAGE DE, WHICH I PURCHASED 3/8/02; IT HAS A 1.5 LITER ENGINE AND AN AUTOMATIC 4 SPEED TRANSMISSION. WITHIN DAYS, I NOTICED THAT THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED ABNORMALLY FROM THE 1ST TO THE 2ND GEARS WHEN THE ENGINE IS COLD. THIS ABNORMALITY CAN BE DESCRIBED AS A HESITATION OR SLIPPING AT SOME TIMES, OR A POPPING, LIKE GUNFIRE, AT OTHERS. AGAIN, THIS SHIFTING SENSATION IS MORE NOTICEABLE WHEN THE ENGINE IS COLD. I NOTIFIED THE DEALER FROM WHICH THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED OF THIS PROBLEM ON 3/19/02. THEY TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE AND INDICATED ON THE REPAIR SLIP THAT THEY WERE UNSURE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT A PROBLEM EXISTED. ON APRIL 5, 2002, I DISCUSSED THIS MATTER AGAIN WITH ROME FORD, WHERE THIS CAR WAS PURCHASED. IN AN ATTEMPT TO REMEDY THIS SITUATION, THEY SENT THE VEHICLE TO OUR LOCAL MITSUBISHI DEALER, PAOLOZZI MITSUBISHI IN MARCY, NY, FOR AN EVALUATION. THE EVALUATION RESULTED IN THE STATEMENT TO ROME FORD THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG. ON 2/27/03, I ENCOUNTERED YET ANOTHER UNRELATED PROBLEM WITH THE FAN BELT LOOSENING AND GETTING CHEWED UP BY THE PULLEYS, FOR WHICH I BROUGHT THE CAR DIRECTLY TO PAOLOZZI; FOR THIS, THEY CHARGED ME $119.48 FOR…”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 5, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.