Owners have filed 12 complaints on the Mitsubishi Precis, covering 1988–1993. The system named most often is Power Train (4 reports). Worst years by volume: 1989, 1993, 1991; cleanest: 1990, 1992, 1988. 1 reports describe a crash, 1 a fire. On average the car was 6.0 years old when the problem happened.
What breaks on Mitsubishi Precis
Grouped by the system owners named — percentages are shares of all 12 Precis complaints. Open any row for the full reports in owners' own words.
Power Train 4 Read
Vehicle is making a flapping noise underneath. It was taken to two transmission specialists and one garage and was advised that the transmission needs to be replaced or rebuilt. There is most likely parts wearing inside the transmission so I am having it worked on by atech transmission specialists, east aurora, new…
Replacement transmission slips gears, also transmission fluid burned
Transmission bearing failed, causing transmission to grind
Visibility 2 Read
Tried to get recall remedied and the dealership says it did not exist and they will not set up an appointment for him even though he has a letter
Heater core recall repairs refused due to unavailability of parts. (94V-103001)
Seats 1 Read
Consumer was driving approximately 5mph or less when rear ended by another vehicle at 45mph or more, upon impact, driver's seatback rest broke and driver was ejected from seat into rear of car. *ak
Engine And Engine Cooling 1 Read
Consumer was driving down highway car caught on fire it was reed switch . Tt
Wheels 1 Read
Gas tank door failed
Suspension 1 Read
Transmission system malfunctioned, causing the vehicle to hesitate and become noisy, which may have resulted in a crash. Dealer had replaced engine. But problem still exists. *ak vehicle makes a ticking noise while being driven, vehicle is sluggish. Steering wheel shimmies, 3 out of 4 tires have gone flat. Vehicle at…
Fuel System 1 Read
Wheel bearings failed
Electrical System 1 Read
Alternator failed, also vehicle continues to experience electrical problems, causing vehicle to stall or not start
Precis years to avoid — and the clean ones
Complaints per model year. More reports usually means more cars on the road as well as more trouble, so read the crash and fire columns alongside the count.
| Model year | Complaints | Top system | Crashes | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Suspension,engine And Engine Cooling,vehicle Speed Control,tires | — | — | |
| 1992 | Power Train | — | — | |
| 1991 | Fuel System, Gasoline | — | — | |
| 1990 | Power Train | — | — | |
| 1989 | Electrical System | 1 | 1 | |
| 1988 | Power Train | — | — |
The same model year, different builds
Every complaint carries the first 11 characters of the VIN — plant, year, body and engine. That is a production series, and complaints are spread across them very unevenly.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Distinct production series | 12 |
| Average complaints per series | 1 |
| Worst single series | 1 complaints |
| Average age at failure | 6.0 years |
A model average of 1 hides a worst series at 1. Enter a VIN above to see the numbers for that exact build instead of the model as a whole.
Owners reported these. Find out if yours is one of them.
- Complaints matched to the exact production run, not just the model
- What the car is worth given what tends to fail on it
- The original window sticker and factory options
- Full research report as a PDF for the pre-purchase inspection
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- No ads, no tracking — and much more
How we count
Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,100,006 of them, covering 1,982 models built between 1981 and 2026.
A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.
Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.
Frequently asked questions
What are the worst years for the Precis?
By complaint volume, 1989, 1993, 1991 drew the most owner reports. Bear in mind that popular years put more cars on the road, so check the crash and fire columns too.
Which Precis years are the cleanest?
1990, 1992, 1988 have the fewest complaints on file. For recent years that can simply mean the cars are young.
How many complaints does the Mitsubishi Precis have?
12 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, covering 1988–1993. Of those, 1 describe a crash and 1 a fire.
Are these complaints verified?
No. They are unverified reports from owners. NHTSA publishes them as filed and investigates only a fraction. The value is in the pattern, not in any single report.
Can I check complaints for one specific car?
Yes — enter its VIN above. We match the first 11 characters, which identify the plant, year, body and engine, so you get complaints on that exact production series rather than the whole model.