1998 Mitsubishi Mirage Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Mirage years
- Far more complaints than other years 5th of 18 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 43 complaints with NHTSA about the 1998 Mitsubishi Mirage. That ranks 5th out of 18 Mirage model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (9 complaints, 21%). Complaints mention 12 crashes, 2 fires, 11 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 43owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 12complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1998 Mitsubishi Mirage problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 9 | 21% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 8 | 19% | 46,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 6 | 14% | — | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 12% | 30,562 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 3 | 7% | 185,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 3 | 7% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 3 | 7% | 49,168 | — | — |
| Visibility | 3 | 7% | 99,900 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 5% | 146,471 | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 2% | 71,250 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1998 Mitsubishi Mirage recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Engine and engine cooling:engine
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles: mirage model vehicles equipped with 1.5l engines; montero sport models equipped with 3.0l engines; and montero models equipped with 3.0l engines. The bolt securing the crankshaft pulley can become loose and the pulley could fall off the vehicle.
Risk: The condition can result in a loss of power steering assist, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: On the mirage vehicles, the dealers will install a new, improved crankshaft pulley bolt on the older engines. On new engines which already have the improved bolt, the dealer will tighten the crankshaft pulley bolt to the correct torque specification. On the montero models, dealers will tighten the crankshaft pulley bolt to the correct torque specifications. If the bolt is damaged, it will be replaced.
Service brakes, hydraulic:power assist:vacuum:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. These vehicles may have a poorly manufactured vacuum check valve in the vacuum hose between the intake manifold and the brake vacuum booster. When the brake pedal is depressed, the vacuum booster check valve can stick to the valve body.
Risk: This condition would result in reduction or loss of vacuum boost, reducing brake efficiency.
Fix: Dealers will replace the brake vacuum hose.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Driving on highway and defective tire blew out - not sure of cause (tread separation, sidewall cracks, etc.) incident tossed passengers violently about the car - car slight airborne damaged wires under hood of car; car totaled
My mirage has less than 72,000 miles on it. Without symptoms or warning, the car overheated and destroyed two head gaskets and possibly broke the plate. That's catasrophic damage! It's been well maintained and hardly driven. At less than 72,000 miles it will cost more to repair than it's worth…
Passenger side door hinge problem. Door was increasingly difficult to open or close for one month, the door wouldn't close enough to turn off the door ajar indicator. After taking it to a body shop, they determined that the hinge was the problem. *jb
I HAVE A 98 MISTSUBISHI MIRAGE I BEEN TRYING TO PASS EXPECTION SINSE APRIL 15TH MY CAR FAILED 17 TIMES I CONTACTED BAY RIDGE MISTSUBISHI 813-64TH STREET BROOKLYN NEW YORK [redacted] THEY HAD MY CAR FOR 2 WEEKS NOW FIRST THEY SAID I DONT DRIVE THE CAR ENOUGH THEN MAYBE THE COMPUTER IS BROKEN I HAD…
I was on my way to work on the june 5 around 6:25 in the morning driving about 65 mhp when all of the sudden the hood of my car (mitsubishi mirage 98') flew up into the windshield completly smashing it and blocking my view.as glass was shattering into my face i manage to pull off from the crowded…
Other Mitsubishi Mirage years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Mirage | 4 | 0 |
| 2022 Mirage | 2 | 0 |
| 2021 Mirage | 2 | 0 |
| 2020 Mirage | 1 | 0 |
| 2019 Mirage | 5 | 0 |
| 2018 Mirage | 10 | 1 |
| 2017 Mirage | 15 | 2 |
| 2016 Mirage | 1 | 1 |
| 2015 Mirage | 39 | 2 |
| 2014 Mirage | 44 | 3 |
| 2002 Mirage | 5 | 1 |
| 2001 Mirage | 31 | 2 |
| 2000 Mirage | 35 | 2 |
| 1999 Mirage | 57 | 3 |
| 1998 | 43 | 2 |
| 1997 Mirage | 74 | 1 |
| 1996 Mirage | 28 | 0 |
| 1995 Mirage | 70 | 0 |
See all Mitsubishi Mirage problems by year, every Mitsubishi model, or the Mitsubishi VIN decoder.
Similar Mitsubishi models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Mitsubishi Mirage?
Owners most often report air bags, service brakes, hydraulic, power train problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 9 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Mitsubishi Mirage?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1998 Mitsubishi Mirage a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Mirage model years, the 1998 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.