The Mitsubishi Starion draws 1 complaints per production run against 3.73 for the average car — better than typical. Failures cluster at 0 years, so only 0% of them fall inside the 5-year basic warranty.
What actually fails — and at what age
Systems by number of complaints, with the age at which each typically goes. The age column is the useful one — it tells you what to expect next on a car you already own, and what to inspect on one you are about to buy.
| System | Complaints | Typical age | Crash | Fire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat Belts | — | — | — | |
| Fuel System | — | — | — | |
| Gasoline | — | — | — | |
| Seats | — | — | — |
What else in this class
Same vehicle class as the Mitsubishi Starion, so the comparison is fair — an estate against an estate, not against a coupé. These 6 share its class; open any of them to see its own build years and failure ages side by side with the Starion.
| Same class as the Starion | 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 | 36 | 1981–2026 | |
| Nissan Sentra | 158 | 1982–2026 |
These are totals, not rates: a model that sold in millions collects more of both. Open one to see its complaints per production run — the figure this site is built on.
Good year or bad year — the VIN settles it.
- Check any VIN against complaints for its exact build year and plant
- Exact value for that car, adjusted for its mileage
- Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
- Alerts if a recall lands on a car in your garage
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How we measure it
Reliability scores usually arrive as a number out of five with no working shown. The Mitsubishi Starion figure here comes out of 4 individual reports, and here is exactly how they were turned into a rate — two steps in it are arguable and you should be able to argue with them.
Rate, not total. Volume alone would decide the ranking, so we divide by the number of production runs — the distinct first-eleven-character VIN prefixes on record. The Mitsubishi Starion alone splits into 4 runs carrying 4 complaints — 1 per run against 3.73 for the market.
Age, not year. Incident date minus model year gives the age at failure, which is what the warranty question turns on. It is why our «worst year» rankings exclude anything built in the last 6 years — those cars simply have not had time to break yet.
What this is not. Filing with a federal regulator takes effort, so what you see are faults someone judged serious — not scratched paint, not running costs, not how nice the car is to live with. For the Mitsubishi Starion the file runs from 1986 to 1987, so the older years carry a full life of reports and the newest carry almost none.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Mitsubishi Starion reliable?
It draws 1 complaints per production run against 3.73 for the average car, so better than typical. Failures cluster around 0 years of age.
What are the best and worst years for the Starion?
Not enough model years with sufficient history to rank.
How long does a Starion last?
Complaints reach their halfway point at 0 years. That is when faults start being reported in volume, not when the car stops — but it is the point at which ownership starts costing money.
Will the warranty cover it?
Basic cover is 5 years / 60,000 miles, and 0% of reported failures fall inside it. The rest are yours.
What fails most often?
Seat Belts with 2 complaints.
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