2001 Mitsubishi Mirage problems & reliability
31 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2001 Mitsubishi Mirage, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
4 complaints report injuries (7 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2001 Mitsubishi Mirage vehicles were involved in 7 fatal crashes with 3 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Speed Control | 7 | 23% |
| Structure | 6 | 19% |
| Air Bags | 4 | 13% |
| Electrical System | 4 | 13% |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 10% |
| Equipment | 2 | 6% |
| Power Train | 2 | 6% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 6% |
| Steering | 2 | 6% |
| Unknown OR Other | 2 | 6% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 16 reported components →Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2001 Mitsubishi Mirage. The contact stated that the front driver's side seat belt failed to retract, and the driver was unable to remove the seat belt from the buckle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the failure as a retraction failure and that the seat belt needed to…”
Seat Belts · filed Dec 13, 2022
“2001 mitsubishi mirage. Consumer writes in regards to reimburse for repairs related to steering, rattling and re-torque of wheels due to suspension work.*tgw”
Steering · filed Feb 9, 2012
“2001 mitsubishi mirage appx 105,000 miles. Purchased may 2007. Vehicle's fuse box caught fire and caused extensive damage totaling the car. No prior mechanical problems before the event occurred. After running errands I pulled into my apartment complex's parking lot and the car suddenly died. I tried to restart the…”
Electrical System · filed Dec 16, 2009
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
37 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2001 Mitsubishi Mirage. The 10 most recent:
This is a Dealer Letter sent to dealers informing that Mitsubishi Technical Training has launched the 3rd quarterly technician quiz for 2023.
DEALER LETTER · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 21, 2023
This Technical Service Bulletin provides instructions and material safety data sheets for removal of rap-film adhesive residue.
TSB-23-00-004 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 24, 2023
This Technical Service Bulletin reviews the regulations that require a label showing the reduction in load carrying capacity be affixed to vehicles when the total net weight of accessories is more than 1.5 percent of…
TSB-23-00-001 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 24, 2023
This is a Dealer Letter sent to dealers informing that Mitsubishi Technical Training has launched the 2nd quarterly technician quiz for 2023.
DEALER LETTER · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 21, 2023
This Technical Service Bulletin was sent to dealers to explain the difference between normal dew condensation, which is a natural phenomenon, and water penetration caused by improper sealing or a defective/broken part.
TSB-22-54-003 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 7, 2022
This Technical Service Bulletin was sent to dealers informing them a shock absorber oil leak may result in replacement of absorbers unnecessarily when trace amounts of oil are noted to have adhered to the shock absorber.
TSB-21-34-001 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 3, 2021
Technical Information Notice to dealerships. Due to the increased occurrence of Mirage/Mirage G4 vehicles exhibiting faulty air conditioning systems caused by low/high refrigerant levels; MMNA would like to remind all…
TIN-20-55B-001 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 22, 2020
This is a service newsletter (Tech Talk) that was sent out to dealers.
TT253 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 26, 2019
This is a Technical Service Bulletin sent to dealers. This bulletin supersedes TSB-18-00-003, issued April, 2018, to add updated information for Carrying Capacity Reduced Label.
TSB-19-00-008 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 30, 2019
This is a message sent to dealers, to inform them that an update for MEDIC will be available.
MEDICUpdate517 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 27, 2018
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2001 Mitsubishi Mirage has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2001 Mitsubishi Mirage?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.