Mitsubishi · NHTSA safety record

2018 Mitsubishi Mirage

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 10 safety complaints about the 2018 Mitsubishi Mirage with the US government. Of those, 3 describe a crash, 4 people were injured and no death is recorded. One recall campaign is open against it, covering the air bags.

The most complained-about system is the air bags, named in 4 complaints, 40% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 14,500 miles, the median across the 9 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers May 2018 to June 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

10 complaints on file

Complaints

Describe a crash

Mention fire

People injured

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system

AIR BAGS 4 · 40% 4 40%

STEERING 2 · 20% 2 20%

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 2 · 20% 2 20%

WHEELS 2 · 20% 2 20%

ENGINE 1 · 10% 1 10%

EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 · 10% 1 10%

POWER TRAIN 1 · 10% 1 10%

SERVICE BRAKES 1 · 10% 1 10%

SUSPENSION 1 · 10% 1 10%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 · 10% 1 10%

0 4 8

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 10.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2019 at 4.

8 6 4 2

18 2018 19 2019 20 2020 23 2023 26 2026

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2018 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2018 Mitsubishi MIRAGE, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.

Test	5 HB FWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover	16.4%

Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard

A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.

Recall campaigns

1 on file

AIR BAGS

17V686000 · October 30, 2017

The defect: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Mirage vehicles. The internal acceleration sensor in the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) can misinterpret vibrations such as those from poor road conditions or a flat tire to be a sensor error thereby disabling the air bags from deploying in a crash.
The risk: Air bags that do not deploy as designed in a crash increase the risk of injury.
The remedy: MMNA will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the SRS-ECU software, free of charge. The recall began on November 10, 2017. Owners may contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-17-006.

Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. · up to 83,555 vehicles across all model years covered

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

AIR BAGS Filed August 20, 2018

2 injured · crash · towed · 5,000 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2018 MITSUBISHI MIRAGE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND IT FLIPPED OVER THREE TIMES. THE FRONTAL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS PRESENT AND A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED. THE DRIVER AND A PASSENGER WERE INJURED, TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL BY AMBULANCE, TREATED, AND RELEASED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MOUNTAINEER AUTOMOTIVE (615 N EISENHOWER DRIVE, BUCKLEY, WV, 25801) TO BE REPAIRED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V686000 (AIR BAGS) THREE WEEKS PRIOR TO THE CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER AFTERWARDS FOR

NHTSA complaint 11121093, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS Filed October 24, 2019

2 injured · crash · towed · 14,500 miles

WHEN HAVING TO BRAKE WITH ANY SUDDENNESS AT ALL, I MET TWO EXTREMES. THEY EITHER ENGAGED SO ABRUPTLY EVERYTHING WAS THROWN FORWARD, OR THEY FAILED TO ENGAGE ENOUGH. SUDDEN- I DESCRIBE THIS TYPE OF BRAKING AS WHEN BEING CUT IN FRONT OF. THE NECESSITY TO BRAKE IN THIS MANNER WOULD THROW MY DOGS AND BELONGINGS INTO THE FLOOR. IT HAPPENED FREQUENTLY ENOUGH TO MAKE AN IMPRESSION. IT SEEMED IRREGULAR TO ME. EXTREME- #1: I ENCOUNTERED A PILE-UP OF TRAFFIC UNEXPECTEDLY AND OUTSIDE OF THE USUAL SLOWING AREAS FOR THE HIGHWAY. I HAD TO SLAM ON MY BRAKES. THE CAR DID NOT SLOW SUFFICIENTLY. THE DOGS WERE NOT THROWN TO THE FLOOR. I AVOIDED COLLISION BY MOVING TO ANOTHER LANE. A TERRIFYING MOMENT, BUT THE

NHTSA complaint 11270643, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

WHEELS:HUBCAP/COVER Filed June 17, 2026

110,000 miles

The contact owns a 2018 Mitsubishi Mirage. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the contact became aware from the side view mirror that the rear driver’s side hubcap had detached from the wheel of the vehicle. The contact stated that the front passenger’s side and rear passenger’s side hubcaps had also detached. An independent mechanic nor a dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 110,000.

NHTSA complaint 11744796. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL Filed December 22, 2023

19,036 miles

The contact owns a 2018 Mitsubishi Mirage. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 - 60 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that while making a left turn, the vehicle stalled. Additionally, after refueling, the vehicle stalled. The accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to respond or move forward. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the battery was not charging the computer. The battery was replaced, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the same local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The

NHTSA complaint 11561529, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING Filed November 18, 2020

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 MITSUBISHI MIRAGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE PASSENGER'S SIDE WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER REDUCING SPEED AND ABRUPTLY ADJUSTING THE STEERING WHEEL THE VEHICLE REGAINED NORMAL OPERATION. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA complaint 11375254. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS Filed March 27, 2020

30,000 miles

THE SRS SENSOR LIGHT CAME ON AND I HAVE NOTICED A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS SIMILAR ISSUE. I MAKE SURE THE VEHICLE IS MAINTAINED PROPERLY AND TAKEN TO THE SHOP WHEN NEED BE. WHEN THE SRS SENSOR LIGHT CAME ON, I HAD JUST STARTED MY CAR AND THE LIGHT REFUSED TO TURN OFF.

NHTSA complaint 11319442. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING Filed October 23, 2019

17,000 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 MITSUBISHI MIRAGE. WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE BRIGHTLY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS NO WAY TO ADJUST THE DISTANCE OF THE LIGHTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO EDD KIRBY'S ADVENTURE MITSUBISHI(400 W M. L. K. BLVD, CHATTANOOGA, TN 374402, (706) 278-1122) WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL; THEREFORE, THEY COULD NOT ASSIST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 17,000. *JB

NHTSA complaint 11270452. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Mitsubishi Mirage

Model year	Complaints	Recalls	Deaths
2017	15	2	—
2015	39	2	—
2014	44	3	2

Other 2018 Mitsubishi models

Outlander 57 Outlander Sport 21 Eclipse Cross 19 Outlander PHEV 15 Mirage G4 11

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every Mitsubishi on this site — 46 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

Complaints: NHTSA's ODI complaint file, published October 2, 2026. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
Recalls: NHTSA's recall campaign API, newest campaign on this vehicle filed October 30, 2017.
Investigations: NHTSA's ODI investigation file, published October 2, 2026.

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by guarledes
Independent developer and analyst