The 1990 Mitsubishi Mirage has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 658,000 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 37 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the seat belts. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
SEAT BELTS95V1030041995-05-24658,000 affected
Defect
THE FRONT SAFETY BELT BUCKLE RELEASE BUTTONS CAN BREAK. THESE RED PLASTIC RELEASE BUTTONS ARE MARKED "PRESS." IF A BUTTON BREAKS, PIECES CAN FALL INTO THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY CAUSING THE BUCKLE TO OPERATE IMPROPERLY.
Consequence
THE SAFETY BELTS WOULD NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE PROTECTION TO AN OCCUPANT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy
OWNERS SHOULD PROMPTLY CHECK THE CONDITION AND OPERATION OF BOTH FRONT SAFETY BELT BUCKLES AND CAREFULLY INSPECT THE RED RELEASE BUTTON FOR ANY BREAKS OR CRACKS. THEY SHOULD ENSURE THAT BOTH BUCKLES ARE OPERATING PROPERLY BY INSERTING EACH LATCH PLATE INTO ITS BUCKLE, TUGGING ON THE BELT TO MAKE SURE THE LATCH IS…
Complaints by component
SEAT BELTS
9
1crashes3injuries
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
5
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
3
1fires
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING
3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
2
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
2
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
1
1fires
ENGINE
1
Total complaints37
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“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…”
“Ecu failure, then mpi control relay, then distributor cap, coil & rotor, then new distributor. *nl”
“While driving up a hill gear was on drive, then jumped into reverse, making vehicle roll backward, happened twice.*ak”
“Engine fire due to possible engine failure. (ohio traffic crash report) *mjs”
“Car also cuts off if the air is on”
“Electronic control module (ecm) replaced due to vehicle stalling. Consumer also complains of not having a warning indicator to notify driver of failure.”
“Electronic control module (ecm) replaced due to vehicle stalling. Consumer also complains of not having a warning indicator to notify driver of failure.”
“Experienced unpredictable complete loss of engine power while driving on the highway.”
Defect investigations
InvestigationEA95004 Opened 1995-03-10 · closed 1995-08-01
TAKATA SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE
There is no summary currently available
InvestigationEA96015 Opened 1996-06-28 · closed 1997-06-12
AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT FAILURE
THE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT ALLEGEDLY MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILS
InvestigationEA96015 Opened 1996-06-28 · closed 1997-06-12
AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT FAILURE
THE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT ALLEGEDLY MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILS
InvestigationPE96006 Opened 1996-01-19 · closed 1996-06-28
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1990 Mitsubishi Mirage as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
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