Half of all complaints arrive by 3 years of age, so 20% land after the 5-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Power Train, with 4 complaints, typically at 5 years.
Mitsubishi Precis years to avoid — and the best ones
| Model year | Per run | Complaints | Runs | Enough history? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 4 | 4 | yes |
When it starts to break
| Age at failure | Complaints | Running total | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 year | 20% | covered | |
| 2 years | 40% | covered | |
| 3 years | 80% | covered | |
| 7 years | 100% | you pay |
Basic warranty on this car is 5 years / 60,000 miles. Only 80% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 20% come out of the owner's pocket. Powertrain cover (10 years / 100,000 miles) reaches further, but it only covers the engine and transmission, which account for about 50% of the complaints here.
What actually fails — and at what age
On the Mitsubishi Precis, the early trouble is Engine And Engine Cooling and Fuel System — reported at around 1 year, so a car still under warranty is the one to check for it. What waits further out is Power Train at 5 years — past every basic warranty, and the bill lands on whoever owns the car then.
| System | Complaints | Typical age | Crash | Fire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 5 yrs | — | — | |
| Visibility | — | — | — | |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 yrs | — | 1 | |
| Electrical System | — | — | — | |
| Seats | — | 1 | — | |
| Fuel System | 3 yrs | — | — | |
| Gasoline | 3 yrs | — | — | |
| Wheels | 2 yrs | — | — |
What else in this class
6 models share the Precis's vehicle class.
| Same class as the Precis | Complaints on record | Recall campaigns | Years built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honda Civic | 413 | 1981–2026 | |
| Ford Mustang | 315 | 1981–2026 | |
| Nissan GT-R | 9 | 2009–2026 | |
| Chevrolet Camaro | 204 | 1981–2026 | |
| Toyota Supra | 35 | 1981–2026 | |
| Nissan Sentra | 158 | 1982–2026 |
The table shows totals on record; the rates per production run are in the sentence above.
Good year or bad year — the VIN settles it.
- Check any VIN against complaints for its exact build year and plant
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Frequently asked questions
Is the Mitsubishi Precis reliable?
By complaints per production run it is better than typical: 1 against 3.73 for the average car.
When do Precis problems usually start?
Half of all complaints arrive by 3 years of age. The most reported system is Power Train, typically at 5 years, followed by Visibility.
Will the warranty cover Precis problems?
Mostly yes: basic cover is 5 years / 60,000 miles, and 80% of reported failures fall inside it. Powertrain cover lasts longer, but engine and transmission make up about 50% of the complaints here.
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