Overview & Reviews

Mitsubishi has built its brand in the United States with a selection of cars and SUVs that tend to offer above-average performance and style. The parent company has its roots in producing commercial vehicles for its home market of Japan.

A Japanese word meaning "three diamonds," Mitsubishi was founded in by Yataro Iwasaki, a descendant of samurais, in the early 1870s. The company's initial focus was on shipping, but it quickly diversified into areas such as mining and ship repair. In 1917, Mitsubishi unveiled the Model A, Japan's first series production passenger car.

It wasn't until 1960, with the launch of the compact Mitsubishi 500, that the company began producing passenger vehicles on a large scale. That decade also saw the launch of other Mitsubishi light passenger vehicles like the 360 Van and 360 Pickup. The company also distinguished itself on the racetrack during this decade, taking top honors in Japan's Grand Prix.

Mitsubishi's automobile production arm was officially spun off into a company of its own with the establishment of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation in 1970. The company's Colt made its way to American shores in 1971, the same year in which Chrysler purchased a 15 percent stake in the new company. However, the Colt wasn't sold under the Mitsubishi name, but rather under the Dodge brand, reflecting Chrysler's interest in the company. By the end of the decade, Mitsubishi was producing more than 1 million cars per year.

In 1982, Mitsubishi began selling cars in the U.S. under its own name. Through the '80s it offered a variety of cars for the states, including the subcompact Mirage, turbocharged Starion sports car and midsize Galant sedan. Mitsubishi hit its stride in the '90s, thanks to the popularity of the Eclipse sport coupe and 3000GT sports car in the U.S. and the turbocharged Lancer Evolution in other parts of the world.

Chrysler made the most of its partnership, as it used Mitsubishi platforms under many of its models. The Eclipse, in particular, was a key vehicle produced by the Diamond Star Motors partnership. In 1998, Chrysler merged with Daimler-Benz to become DaimlerChrysler. Mitsubishi's partnership continued with DaimlerChrysler for a few years but was financially terminated by 2003.

The new millennium has been a struggle for Mitsubishi. Its vehicles have grown stale with consumers and sales have wavered. At one point the company was forced to admit that it had systematically covered up vehicle defects in Japan. On the upside, though, the company's compact, high-performance sedan, the Lancer Evolution, has been a continuing success in the United States. Going forward, Mitsubishi plans to revitalize its brand by developing environmentally friendly vehicles (such as its all-electric "i" hatchback) that are still fun to drive.

User Reviews:

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  Why is it falling apart ? - 2000 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By GTRick - September 20 - 2:00 am

  My car was one of the first to be produced and I think they were still working out the bugs. Fit & finish is slightly below average. Generally the car was holding its own (just a transmission issue early on).Since the car reached 30,000 mi. & just after the 36 mo. warranty was up, its been really crumbling.Battery has been replaced, front struts are noisy, brakes are vibrating, hatch wont stay open anymore, alignment is off, rough shifting transmission, moonroof gremlins,paint oxidation,millions of rattles, whats next ?

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  Fun while it lasted, sort of - 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By dudeitstopher - September 14 - 10:14 am

  All sorts of electrical issues, coil packs blown, ECM, replaced water pump + timing belt + tensioner + radiator + thermostat to have a persistent overheating issue. The car itself was reliable for periods of time but when it would break, it was always expensive. Found a very low-price garage and had all of the work done there, reputable mechanic in my community but the car kept breaking down. Im going to part ways with it since the computer died and continues to blow fuses causing the car to stall and lose power WHILE driving. Very dangerous. Clean record on the car, unfortunately whoever owned it before me abused the car. Ill miss her, kind of.

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  Thinking of buying? I wished I hadnt - 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By Don - August 24 - 9:30 pm

  I should have read reviews first. Warranty was only good to the driveway out of the dealership. Mitsubishi says thats how its supposed to be because all the other new ones are the same. To me that means they are all broken. Blue tooth only comes out on the passenger speaker and at a very low volume. Making it impossible to use while driving. 2018 Outlander

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  Underrated Car - 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By kobo1d - August 16 - 8:26 pm

  Ive had my Eclipse GTS Automatic for a little over 4 years and it has been a very nice car. Bought used, still under factory bumper-to-bumper warranty, Ive driven it hard (currently at 67000 miles) and have had very little issues with it. The only problems with the car have been some electrical issues: The factory 6-CD player completely stopped working, refusing to play and making a horrible crunching sound constantly. Mitsubishi wanted $450 to fix it, so I just replaced it with an aftermarket setup. The switch for the passenger side window only rolls the window up, not down, so the passenger has to roll down their own window. Sunroof switch is touchy. And yes, the plastic scratches easy.

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  I will not buy another Mitsubishi - 2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By deb - July 14 - 8:13 am

  The 2007 eclipse has 2 problems: some of the models sunroofs do not open all the way (mine does not) and my air conditioner has not worked properly and the dealership does not resolve my issue, only makes excuses. I will not buy another Mitsubishi; their engineers do a poor job in my opinion and that of the service rep I spoke with. BEWARE!

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  Not quite sure yet - 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By wpederson - July 6 - 10:00 am

  I just bought my 2003 Eclipse GT, it definitely is fun to drive and ZOOM ZOOM (wait, this isnt a Mazda) ANYWAY, it has been a fun car so far, nothing to complain about as of yet... EXCEPT, what car does not come with ABS these days? SHEESH! My last 4 cars have had ABS standard, and I assumed this one did too, but when I got it home from the dealership I noticed NO ABS!

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  Dissapointed - 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
  By eyerun - June 16 - 5:12 pm

  After my first long road trip in this car I was dissapointed in the comfort of the seats. They are extremely hard. Also the black interior appears to get dusty quickly. Fule economy was not at all what was promised even though I drove it so that the eco light was on as much as possible and I got about 20/25hwy. My dealership experience was also very poor.

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  Hope you like spots!!! - 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By Lori Claar - April 17 - 4:16 pm

  My Lancer looks awesome with the body kit straight from the manufacturer and the exceptional look of the front end. But I live in central Pennsylvania and my car is not looking good after only three months of winter. I was told to purchase mud flaps to prevent chipping, and when I went to purchase the flaps after I bought the car, the dealership informed me they do not make them for the ES body type. Now not only is it chipping but there are 8inch strips of paint by the back doors that are gone. THIS IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE IT WAS BROUGHT ON BY AN OUTSIDE SOURCE. Do you think it may have something to do with the paint or the way the car was designed????????

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  Its Different - 2008 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By sshadel - March 30 - 5:17 pm

  Pros: looks nice, Fairly good Mileage Many cons: When excellerating from stop , can not do it smoothly. You have to push harder on the gas peddle and then the front wheel hop takes over and you are all over the road. Front wheels spin out all the time when starting from stop. Told this is normal with Outlander. I have gone thru 2 sets of tires now (Rotate every 6000 miles to try to save them), but 3rd set is needed and only have 70000 miles on Outlander. (Last SUV Santa Fe had 70000 miles on 1st set of tires). I can’t let my 17 year old drive it because of the wheel hop. Also radio is nuts. You turn on and 5 to 10 seconds later it comes on. You go from AM to FM or Vice versa, it takes 5 to 10 secondes to change over. (Was also told that is normal). As you ease into a turn and begin to accelerate the steering wheel will not begin to return by itself you have to pull it back and sometimes jerk it back . (Also told this is normal) . Will have to get rid of shortly to get soemthing My 17 yr old can drive. He has no problem with our other cars just this one. (told it was normal)= Dealer

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  NEVER AGain - 2004 Mitsubishi Galant
  By cydneyc - March 9 - 4:39 am

  I bought this car because it looked amazing on the outside & test drove it once & fell in love. two weeks into my loan my car was going down hill from there. tune ups, alignments, Y Pipe had a hole in it. car was shaking really bad when the AC is on, shakes while stepping on the brake, the only time it did not shake was when it was in park. the worst car ever its a true RIP OFF. My door got stuck & I couldnt get out. I had to kick it out, and the whole panel came off. The dealer said its unfixable I have to get a whole new door. I hate this car