The 1992 Mitsubishi Expo has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 48,508 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 45 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the seat belts. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
POWER TRAIN98V1680001998-07-229,560 affected
Defect
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: ALL WHEEL DRIVE PASSENGER VEHICLES. LOCKUP OF THE TRANSFER CASE CAN OCCUR DUE TO INSUFFICIENT LUBRICATION.
Consequence
THIS CONDITION CAN CAUSE A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy
DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE VEHICLES FOR ADEQUACY OF THE TRANSFER CASE OIL VOLUME, TRANSFER CASE OIL LEAKAGE, AND OPERATIONAL DEGRADATION OF THE TRANSFER CASE MECHANISM. IF OIL VOLUME IS INSUFFICIENT, THE APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF OIL WILL BE ADDED. IF THERE IS TRANSFER CASE OIL LEAKAGE, AFFECTED COMPONENTS WILL BE…
EXCESS LUBRICATION CAN CAUSE THE RUBBER DOOR LATCH SWITCH COVER TO DEFORM, AND THE DOOR LATCH SWITCH TO MALFUNCTION, SO THAT THE SHOULDER BELT ANCHORAGE WOULD REMAIN AT THE A-PILLAR WHEN THE DOOR WAS CLOSED.
Consequence
IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE SEAT OCCUPANT MAY NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED.
Remedy
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE DOOR LATCH SWITCH.
Complaints by component
SEAT BELTS
8
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
7
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
4
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
4
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
4
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
2
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING
2
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS
2
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
1
Total complaints45
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“Transmission goes out in middle of highway had to push car to safety and was almost run over no warning this was gonna do this.”
“Tl*the contact owns a 1992 mitsubishi expo. The contact stated that the computer that regulates the ignition and fuel handling is defective. He smelled burning plastic as he was driving and realized that the computer had burned. He stated that a square inch of the system has burned off and the…”
“This is the second time the transmission has had to be replaced since 1992 when the automobile was purchased. In both cases we were told the transmission was damaged due to insufficient lubrication. Neither were covered under warranty and due to this being a rear wheel drive vehicle we were not…”
“Consumer states the passenger side automatic seat belt disengages while driving. Also the same belt will intermittently not engage when vehicle is started. Ts”
“Front driver side passive restraint seatbelt will not work. The motor is out and the shoulder belt does not retract properly. The car has already been serviced for the "seat belt latch switch recall" which was issued in 1998 (serviced feb. 1999). After recall fix is when this system completely…”
“Driver's seat shoulder belt is stuck in forward position, there is a recall but this vehicle is not affected.*ak recall campaign 97v063000, dealer refused to replace recall component. *tt”
“When going over a bump seat belt releases and came forward. Sometimes when fastening seatbelt it does not retract on driver's side. *ak”
“Micro switch needs to be replaced. Automatic retractor unsecures itself when a bump is hit. Dealer says it just wears out.*ak”
Defect investigations
InvestigationEA98002 Opened 1998-01-30 · closed 1998-04-30
TRANSFER CASE LOCKUP
InvestigationEA98002 Opened 1998-01-30 · closed 1998-04-30
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1992 Mitsubishi Expo as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
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