Mirage Issues? (I'm considering buying a used or leftover Mirage)

[2016 Versa]

I guess everyone can tell from my user name I'm not a Mirage owner but I'd like a little insight on issues everyone has had with their Mirage and approximate mileage. My wife is currently looking for a small daily driver and is considering a Mirage if one comes up at a price too good to pass up. We looked at 2019 with a rebuilt title Friday the only problem is the owner got a rebuilt title but forgot to rebuild it. Everything about the front end was misaligned. The a/c didn't work and when I questioned it he said he replaced the condenser and didn't recharge the a/c. So, here comes someone with 2 cans of freon and a charging hose to put in without pulling a vacuum on the system, adding oil or a way to check hi/lo pressure. The one we looked at only had 3,826 miles and if the owner had spent some time trying to repair it he could have made a decent car out of it. The rest of the body/interior were perfect.

I'd be thankful to anyone who can tell me about problems they've had or that are associated with the Mirage in case we find another nicer one we're interested in I'll have a better idea about how good of a car they are and what problems to look for or possibly expect with ownership.

[Dodge Aries K]

Don't buy a rebuilt one... I'd say that with any car, though.

The automatic transmissions can be good if they're maintained and not beaten to death. Rest of the car seems to be pretty decent as well from what I've seen here and my own personal experience.

[Top_Fuel]

...We looked at 2019 with a rebuilt title Friday...

The Mirage is the closest thing to a modern-day bullet-proof small car you're going to find. I'll let others comment on the few weak points to look out for.

Salvage Title Mirages

One downside of a Mirage is that OEM parts can be expensive. For the most part, this is not a big deal because the aftermarket is slowly stepping up. However, some OEM-only pieces (airbags, body parts, etc.) can drive up the cost of repairs quickly for a legitimate body-shop repair. This is why you will come across quite a few salvage/rebuilt title Mirages. I generally avoid these unless the seller has before/after photos of the repairs performed...and the car is priced appropriately. That rarely happens with a salvage title Mirage. The salvage title Mirages I have seen are priced at 85% of clean-title retail value. That's crazy.

If you do continue looking at salvage title Mirages, always Google the VIN number. You might be surprised to find pictures of it sitting in a salvage yard or insurance auction 6 months ago. Actually...you should do that on any used Mirage you're looking at.



New Mirage inventory is kind of low right now. 6 months ago you could have purchased a new Mirage 5-speed for around $10,000 at the right dealer. That car would come with a 10 year/100K mile powertrain warranty and no headaches.



I'm not sure if we'll see prices that low any time soon...but we'll probably know by spring or early summer.

[Mark]

I'd be thankful to anyone who can tell me about problems they've had or that are associated with the Mirage in case we find another nicer one we're interested in I'll have a better idea about how good of a car they are and what problems to look for or possibly expect with ownership.

Mirages are pretty durable. Otherwise, I wouldn't own one. This was a popular story just a few weeks ago - Several different sources have covered it.

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a3...irage-414-000/

[PityOnU]

I guess everyone can tell from my user name I'm not a Mirage owner but I'd like a little insight on issues everyone has had with their Mirage and approximate mileage. My wife is currently looking for a small daily driver and is considering a Mirage if one comes up at a price too good to pass up. We looked at 2019 with a rebuilt title Friday the only problem is the owner got a rebuilt title but forgot to rebuild it. Everything about the front end was misaligned. The a/c didn't work and when I questioned it he said he replaced the condenser and didn't recharge the a/c. So, here comes someone with 2 cans of freon and a charging hose to put in without pulling a vacuum on the system, adding oil or a way to check hi/lo pressure. The one we looked at only had 3,826 miles and if the owner had spent some time trying to repair it he could have made a decent car out of it. The rest of the body/interior were perfect.

I'd be thankful to anyone who can tell me about problems they've had or that are associated with the Mirage in case we find another nicer one we're interested in I'll have a better idea about how good of a car they are and what problems to look for or possibly expect with ownership.

To echo what many others are saying: don't buy a rebuilt Mirage. The good thing about these cars is that they are very simple and cut out all the fat that makes other modern vehicles so complicated/hard to work on. The bad thing about that if a Mirage is "rebuilt," then there was definitely SERIOUS damage to CRITICAL components of the vehicle, as there are no non-critical components. Lol.

I haven't owned mine long (<3000 miles), but from my own experience and that of others, these things are pretty bulletproof up until the (maybe) 120-150K mile range. Then, if you have a CVT, you should start making preparations so you don't get caught with your pants down if/when the Jatco transmission goes. Standard transmissions have yet to fail at any rate that could be considered a pattern. Disregarding the odd lemon, the engine seems to be able to go on for ages, as well.

If you can wait, I would personally wait until (end of) summer time. Mitsubishi has historically offered the lowest prices on these vehicles during that time period, to the point where buying a new one would cost the same (if not less than) buying used. My Mirage was listed at the end of August/beginning of September for $8K new.

----------EDIT------------

Oh, if we are nitpicking: the Mirage does not have an automatic belt tensioner, only a belt tensioner bolt. So if you live in a colder climate, you will get a brief squeak when first starting the car up. The coefficient of expansion of the metal in the engine block will cause the belt to tighten properly once everything is warm, though.

[Mark]

. New Mirage inventory is kind of low right now. 6 months ago you could have purchased a new Mirage 5-speed for around $10,000 at the right dealer. That car would come with a 10 year/100K mile powertrain warranty and no headaches.



I'm not sure if we'll see prices that low any time soon...but we'll probably know by spring or early summer.

I would vouch for White Bear Mitsubishi, and they are the same dealership in the article I just posted about the 414,000 mile Mirage. I dealt directly with Richard (manager of White Bear Mitsubishi). Now Richard owns the WB dealership. I paid under 66% window sticker for a new 2017 ES manual, & they delivered it to my home in Wisconsin (4-hours away). If I had qualified for the loyalty, military, & VIP rebates at the time, I would have paid under 55% window sticker for a brand new Mirage. I am not making this up either.

2017-2021 Mirages are basically the same cars. The 2021 has an updated front bumper & grill, but the powertrain remains unchanged. Buying new gives you a 5-year/60,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, 10-year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty, & 5-year/unlimited mile roadside assistance. I don't expect to have to use it, but it's assuring to have it. 2nd owner only gets the bumper-to-bumper warranty.

I think any low mileage 2017-2020 Mirage in that $8,000-10,000 price range is still a good deal. I would extend that another $1,000 for a CVT model. Obviously, $10,000 for brand new one was a great deal this past summer, but that was for a ES manual.

[Eggman]

The bad thing about that if a Mirage is "rebuilt," then there was definitely SERIOUS damage to CRITICAL components of the vehicle, as there are no non-critical components. Lol.

The Mirage is easily totaled because repair parts are expensive from the dealer and not easy to find in junkyards because not many were sold. It doesn't take much damage to be written off.

If you are comfortable driving a rebuilt car, you can save loads of cash on the purchase. Depends on your comfort level and if you are handy enough to deal with any problems that crop up.

[2016 Versa]

I appreciate all the comments, keep them coming. I'm pretty comfortable driving a rebuilt car. I've owned 3 or 4 of them over the past 25 or so years. I'm currently driving a 2002 Ford Escort on nearly a daily basis that I bought in 2008 with 79K miles on it with a rebuilt title. I bought it for $2000 USD. It now has 206K and I've had no problems other that usual wear items. My '16 Versa was bought in Feb. 2019 with a rebuilt title. It had 10K miles at time of purchase and now has 26K and has been problem free. I bought it for $5300 USD. If I recall correctly at the time of purchase a similar clean title vehicle booked for about $9800 USD. I've got over 40 years worth of automotive ownership under my belt and during those years done a huge amount of my own repairs/maintenance. Years ago I also helped a family member in a body shop so during that time I learned a lot about what to look for on previously damaged cars. The Mirage I looked at the other day had a sticker price of $17,400 USD when new and could have been bought with only 3800 miles for $5,000 USD which would have been a steal if they'd have just done a decent repair on it.

I'm aware of the problems with the JATCO CVT's since my Versa has the same transmission in it that the Mirage has but, it seems to be more reliable in the Mirage than in the Versa.

[Cobrajet]

I appreciate all the comments, keep them coming. I'm pretty comfortable driving a rebuilt car. I've owned 3 or 4 of them over the past 25 or so years. I'm currently driving a 2002 Ford Escort on nearly a daily basis that I bought in 2008 with 79K miles on it with a rebuilt title. I bought it for $2000 USD. It now has 206K and I've had no problems other that usual wear items. My '16 Versa was bought in Feb. 2019 with a rebuilt title. It had 10K miles at time of purchase and now has 26K and has been problem free. I bought it for $5300 USD. If I recall correctly at the time of purchase a similar clean title vehicle booked for about $9800 USD. I've got over 40 years worth of automotive ownership under my belt and during those years done a huge amount of my own repairs/maintenance. Years ago I also helped a family member in a body shop so during that time I learned a lot about what to look for on previously damaged cars. The Mirage I looked at the other day had a sticker price of $17,400 USD when new and could have been bought with only 3800 miles for $5,000 USD which would have been a steal if they'd have just done a decent repair on it.

I'm aware of the problems with the JATCO CVT's since my Versa has the same transmission in it that the Mirage has but, it seems to be more reliable in the Mirage than in the Versa.

I'd personally avoid a Mirage with a rebuilt title. These cars are lightly built and chances are excellent that the 'rebuild' was done cheaply rather than being done correctly. Plus, titling/insuring such cars can be tricky. How long are you planning to keep the car, assuming it meets your expectations for reliability? You may consider a new one.

The 2021 models have already started trickling onto the lots and you might be able to find a deal on a 2020 model. There is a dealership near me that just sold what must have been one of the last new 2018 models in the country.

They currently have a bunch of new 2019s for sale.

As far as reliability goes, I bought my 2015 manual Mirage new with 14 miles on the clock. It now has just under 165,000 and other than a broken clutch cable at 113,000 miles the car has needed nothing other than maintenance.

[Fummins]

I've maintained a fleet of Mirages with the scary cvt since late 2014....I've seen a bunch of failures. The fleet cars are beat to **** everyday though. If we had 5 speeds I'd be replacing clutches, transmissions and axles. The theory is the cvt lasts longer in the Mirage cause it's lighter and has far less power than other cars that use the same cvt. Seems legit.

I finally broke down and bought a low mileage 2014 cvt about a year ago cause I needed something cheap on gas that wouldn't break down on me, and was cheap and easy to maintain. My engine is pretty ticky sometimes but so are a few of the 2015 Mirages at work and they've been like that for years with no sign of stopping.If it gets too annoying I'll just buy a used one for $500 and replace it one weekend. I've actually never replaced a Mirage engine. None of them leak oil or coolant and never have except for the odd one that took a rock in the rad by fluke.

In the fleet we also have some 2015-2020 Nissan nv200's and 2012-2013 Sonics. I prefer the Mirages over the other. The Sonics do have a lot more power and handle better on the highway but suck in every other way. Timing belt, non serviceable transmission, constantly wearing out sway bar links, axles, oil leaks, coolant leaks, just ****ty cars. The Nv200's are holding together drivetrain wise but just suck to work on, the belt is a pita to replace and so are spark plugs. And there are lots of little things that fail like wiper transmissions, heater motors, windows don't work in the cold.

If you can find a good deal on a Mirage I'd go for it. They probably won't drive as nice as a Versa but the cost of ownership will likely be far less than most other vehicles on the road. Except for insurance, they aren't the cheapest to insure.
As already mentioned, these are written off cause they're cheap cars to begin with and it doesn't take much for the cost to repair to be more than the value of the car. But these are easy to repair, the entire rad support just unbolts from the frame rails.