1994 Mitsubishi Mirage Problems: Airbags (59 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 1994 Mitsubishi Mirage is Airbags (47% of 59 owner reports). There are 1 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Airbags — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 59 complaints · 1 recalls

What problems show up on the 1994 Mitsubishi Mirage?

28 of 59 filings named Airbags (47% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Engine (6 reports).

This snapshot lists no safety recalls for this year. That is not a clean bill of health. Still check the VIN at nhtsa.gov.

The 1993 has 72 reports on file; this year has 59. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 1994 Mitsubishi Mirage

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 1 campaigns on file below.
  2. Airbags. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag recalls are closed.
  3. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  4. Seat belts. Check that every belt latches, retracts and that related recalls are closed.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Airbags. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Airbags 28 complaints · 47.5% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 21
  • Fires 2
  • Injuries 23
  • Deaths 3
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Airbags (AIR BAGS) appears in 28 of 59 owner complaints (47.5%) in this vehicle snapshot. Airbags (AIR BAGS): 28 complaints, 47.5% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 17 crash reports 2 fire reports 28 · 47.5% Engine (ENGINE): 6 complaints, 10.2% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 6 · 10.2% Seat belts (SEAT BELTS): 6 complaints, 10.2% of reports Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 2 crash reports 6 · 10.2% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 4 complaints, 6.8% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 4 · 6.8% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 4 complaints, 6.8% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 1 crash reports 4 · 6.8% Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING): 2 complaints, 3.4% of reports Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 2 · 3.4% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 2 complaints, 3.4% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 2 · 3.4% Steering (STEERING): 1 complaints, 1.7% of reports Steering (STEERING) 1 crash reports 1 · 1.7% Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 1 complaints, 1.7% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 1 · 1.7% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 45 complaints, 76.3% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 15 crash reports 45 · 76.3% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 28 47.5% 17 crashes · 2 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 6 10.2% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 6 10.2% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 4 6.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 4 6.8% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 2 3.4% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 2 3.4% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Steering (STEERING) 1 1.7% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 1 1.7% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 45 76.3% 15 crashes · 0 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jan 1995; the first recall shown was reported in Jul 2006. 1995-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 1995-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 1995-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 1996-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 1996-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 1997-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 1997-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 1997-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 1998-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 1998-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 1999-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 1999-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 1999-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2000-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2001-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2001-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2001-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2002-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2002-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2003-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2003-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2004-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2007-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jan 1995 Oct 2014 Recall campaign 06E065000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E065000 Investigation EA96015 ● Investigation EA96015 Investigation PE98033 ● Investigation PE98033 Investigation EA99007 ● Investigation EA99007
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
1995-Q1 Owner reports 7
1995-Q2 Owner reports 2
1995-Q4 Owner reports 3
1996-Q2 Owner reports 3
1996-Q4 Owner reports 2
1997-Q1 Owner reports 3
1997-Q3 Owner reports 5
1997-Q4 Owner reports 1
1998-Q3 Owner reports 4
1998-Q4 Owner reports 3
1999-Q1 Owner reports 2
1999-Q3 Owner reports 2
1999-Q4 Owner reports 1
2000-Q3 Owner reports 4
2001-Q1 Owner reports 3
2001-Q2 Owner reports 2
2001-Q3 Owner reports 2
2002-Q1 Owner reports 2
2002-Q3 Owner reports 1
2003-Q2 Owner reports 1
2003-Q4 Owner reports 1
2004-Q2 Owner reports 1
2007-Q3 Owner reports 1
2014-Q2 Owner reports 1
2014-Q3 Owner reports 1
2014-Q4 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 06E065000
Defect investigation 1 EA96015
Defect investigation 1 PE98033
Defect investigation 1 EA99007
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (1)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

  1. Recall campaign 06E065000

    Safety recall 06E065000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    LACK OF AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS IN THE LAMPS WILL DECREASE LIGHTING VISIBILITY TO OTHER DRIVERS AND MAY POSSIBLY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    AJ MOTORSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 31, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT AJ MOTORSPORT AT 626-618-2026.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 10 of 59 complaints · page 1 of 3
2014-10-16Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 10648143
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THE MITSUBISHI MIRAGE 1994 S 4 DOORS 1.5L THE VALVES GUIDES DAMAGE THE INTAKE AND EXHAUST VALVES. *TR
2014-07-14Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 10610507
CrashFireInjuryDeath
MY HUSBAND AND I WERE DRIVING HOME ONE NIGHT FROM A FRIENDS BIRTHDAY. AT APPROX. 1:20AM I WAS DRIVING NORTH IN NEWARK POMPTON TURNPIKE LOCATED IN WAYNE, NJ 07470. MY HUSBAND LIFTED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE (THE REASON IS UNKNOWN) AND THE CAR INSTANTLY STARTED SPINNING ON A STRAIGHT ROAD. WITHIN SECOND THE BRAKES RELEASED AND SENT THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE AIRBORNE HEAD ON INTO A UTILITY POLE RESULTING IN THE INSTANT DEATH OF MY HUSBAND BECAUSE THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY AND MY HUSBANDS CAUSE OF DEATH WAS MULTIPLE FORCE BLUNT TRAUMA TO UPPER TORSO I MYSELF WAS 17 WEEKS PREGNANT THIS ACCIDENT ALSO LED TO THE RESULT OF DEATH TO MY UNBORN CHILD. I ALSO WAS PINNED UNDER THE DASHBOARD AND RECEIVED MULTIPLE BILATERAL FRACTURES AND INTERNAL INJURIES. I WAS INDUCED TO A COMA FOR 1 MONTHS BEFORE I WORK UP NOW I DEAL WITH MANY LEG PROBLEMS AND TITANIUM RODS, SCREWS, AND PINS IN BOTH LEGS FOR REST OF MY LIFE. *TR
2014-04-02Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 10576586
CrashFireInjuryDeath
DRIVER LOST CONTROL AFTER THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS ENABLED, CAR FREEWHEELED AND CRASHED HEAD ON INTO UTILITY POLE. DRIVE CRUSHED UP DASHBOARD WITH SEVERE LIFE THREATENING INJURIES IN CRITICAL CONDITION. PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY AND SEATBELT DID NOT RETRACT IN RESULT MY HUSBAND WAS KILLED IMMEDIATELY. *TR
2007-08-05Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 10198559
CrashFireInjuryDeath
20 AMP FUSE BLOWS WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING AND CUTS OFF ENGINE CAUSING THE CAR TO DIE ON THE ROAD EVERY TIME. THIS HAPPENED FOUR (4) TIMES IN THE PAST THREE (3) MONTHS AND HAS BEEN REPORTED TO NHTSA TWICE ALREADY - SEE LIST OF COMPLAINTS FOR MITUSBISHI MIRAGE 1994, ALSO SEE VEHICLE OWNER QUESTIONNAIRE (VOQ) FORM ATTACHED TO EACH OF THE PREVIOUS REPORTS POSTED ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE. THE FIRST SIX (6) INCIDENT REPORTS ON THE SAME 20 AMP FUSE PROBLEM HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO NHTSA - SEE COMPLAINT PAGE. THE FIRST REPORTED INCIDENT WITH THE FUSE OCCURRED ON 04/28/97 WHICH WAS WITHIN THE EMISSIONS WARRANTY TERM, BUT MITSUBISHI IGNORED IT. OTHER FUSE BLOWING INCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED SINCE THE FIRST SIX INCIDENTS WERE REPORTED TO NHTSA. THE LATEST FUSE BLOWING INCIDENT WAS ON 08/03/2007 ON THE 101 FWY NEAR CAMARILLO, CA. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY WITH WESTLAKE MOTORS, THOUSAND OAKS, CA FOR THE NEVER-ENDING FUSE PROBLEM. THEY HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS PROBLEM SINCE 1997. ALL THEY DO IS CHANGE THE FUSE AND SAY IT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN AND IT HAPPENS AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN PRESENTING MORTAL DANGER TO DRIVER AND CAR OCCUPANTS AS WELL AS TO OTHER DRIVERS ON THE ROAD. OTHER REPORTS ON THE SAME FUSE PROBLEMS WITH MITSUBISHI WERE FOUND GOOGLING THE INTERNET. THIS IS A MAJOR DEFECT THAT HAS BEEN COVERED UP BY THE MANUFACTURERS AND ITS AGENTS FOR A VERY LONG TIME. PLEASE INVESTIGATE AND MAKE MITSUBISHI FIX THIS PROBLEM ONCE AND FOR ALL. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN REFUSING TO CHANGE COMPONENTS (ECU, SENSORS, ELECTRICAL HARNESS, FUSES, ETC.) SINCE 1996 OR TAKE CAR BACK UNDER CALIFORNIA LEMON LAW SINCE CAR OWNERS LACKED REPRESENTATION. PLEASE HELP!! *JB
2004-06-27Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 10078879
CrashFireInjuryDeath
(1)THE IGNITION SWITCH MALFUNCTIONED (2)A SPRING FROM THE SWITCH FROZE THE STEERING SO THAT ONLY 5 DEGREE OF STEERING IN EITHER DIRECTION WAS POSSIBLE ALMOST LEADING TO A CRASH (3)THE IGNITION SWITCH HAS TO BE REPLACED AND A NEW TUMBLER IS NEEDED. *JB
2003-11-30Airbags (AIR BAGS)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 10048856
CrashFireInjuryDeath
MY BOYFRIEND AND I WERE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, WHEN I HAD TO COME TO A QUICK STOP. I SLAMMED ON MY BRAKES AND MY AIRBAG ENABLED, WHEN I WAS ABLE TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED I WAS 5FT AWAY FROM THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I SUFFERED A BURN AND BRUISES UNDER MY CHIN ALONG WITH BRUISES ON MY ARM AND SORENESS ON MY CHEST. I DID NOT HIT ANYTHING AND THERE WAS NO IMPACT! I HAVE STOPPED WORSE THEN THAT BEFORE. IS THIS CONSIDERED A MANUFACTER DEFECT? *AK
2003-05-19SUSPENSIONUnclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 10020060
CrashFireInjuryDeath
WHEN THE CONSUMER BACKED OUT OF A DRIVEWAY THE REAR SWAY BAR BROKE. A MECHANIC LOOKED AT THE VEHICLE AND SUGGESTED THAT THE CONSUMER NOT DRIVE IT. *NLM
2002-07-05Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 8013331
CrashFireInjuryDeath
HEAD GASKET IS LEAKING AT 20,000 MILES. CONSUMER HAD GASKET REPLACED, AND IT IS LEAKING AGAIN AT 47000 MILES. VEHICLE IS CONSTANTLY LOSING OIL. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT THE ORIGINAL HEAD GASKET FAILED AT 40000 MILES, NOW THE REPLACEMENT IS FAILING AT 65000 MILES. *SLC
2002-02-21Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 8004356
CrashFireInjuryDeath
WHEN AT A STOP VEHICLE WILL STALL, AND CUT OFF. ENGINE CHECK LIGHT IS CONSTANTLY ON. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
2002-02-21VEHICLE SPEED CONTROLUnclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 8004347
CrashFireInjuryDeath
WHEN APPLYING ACCELERATOR VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE AND THEN JUMP FORWARD OUT OF GEAR. CURRENTLY TRANSMISSION IS INOPERATIVE. VEHICLE WILL ONLY GO INTO REVERSE GEAR. *AK

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 1994 Mitsubishi Mirage?

Owners named Airbags most often — 28 of 59 reports (47%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 1994 Mitsubishi Mirage?

NHTSA lists 1 safety recall campaigns. This snapshot lists none, which is not a clean bill of health. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 1994 Mitsubishi Mirage?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag recalls are closed. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources