NHTSA vehicle safety data

1998 Mitsubishi Diamante Recalls & Complaints

The 1998 Mitsubishi Diamante has 1 NHTSA recall campaign and 27 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Mitsubishi dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 1998 Mitsubishi Diamante. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

Pre-purchase inspection checklist → Reliability & 5-year cost forecast →

1998 Mitsubishi Diamante owner complaints

Owners have filed 27 complaints with NHTSA about the 1998 Mitsubishi Diamante, describing incidents dated October 5, 1998 to February 8, 2013.

Most-cited components

Visibility/Wiper 16 complaints
Service Brakes 3 complaints
Vehicle Speed Control 3 complaints
Electrical System 2 complaints
Engine 1 complaint
Equipment 1 complaint

Of the 27 complaints on file, 1 reports a crash; across all 27 complaints, owners report 4 injuries (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

ODI #10715681 · Filed May 11, 2015
THE HEATER CORE HAS FAILED (ONCE AGAIN) I AM NOT SURE OF ANY COMPANY THAT HAS REALEASED THEIR CARS WITH SUCH A MAJOR FAILURE WITHOUT TAKING SOME KIND OF RESPONSIBILITY TO RECALL THIS ITEM IN THE CAR. NEARLY ALL OF THE HEATER CORES FROM MITSUBISHI DIAMANTES THAT I HAVE SEEN ARE ALL BAD. LEAKS ONTO…
ODI #10243812 · Filed September 28, 2008
WE JUST CLEARED CANADIAN CUSTOMS AT BLAINE WA, PACIFIC CROSSING, AND WERE ACCELERATING TO SPEED LIMIT ON I 5 FREEWAY WHEN THE CAR ACCELERATED TO NEAR 100 MILES AN HOUR. THE TACH AT SOME POINT WAS 7500 AND INCREASING. THE ACCELERATOR WAS STUCK AND EVENTUALLY WE WERE ABLE TO GET TO THE EMERGENCY LANE…
ODI #10242656 · Filed September 17, 2008
THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THE HEATER CORE HAS STARTED TO LEAK. IT WAS REPLACED 40K MILES AGO AND I WAS CHARGED $ 1,000 FOR REPAIR COSTS. HAVING RESEARCHED THIS, IT IS DUE TO FAULTY HEATER CORE GASKETS WHICH MITSUBISHI REPLACED THE DEFECTIVE GASKETS WITH A REDESIGNED ONE. THE CAR IS UNDRIVABLE DUE TO…

Read all 27 complaints

MITSUBISHI CARIBBEAN/FMVSS 208/AIR BAG LABEL

NHTSA #04V428000 · Equipment — Other — Labels · NHTSA notice

Reported September 1, 2004 · MITSUBISHI CARIBBEAN

Potentially affected: 100,432 vehicles

Vehicles built July 1, 1997 – March 31, 2004 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 208, 'OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION.' THE BILINGUAL ENGLISH/SPANISH REMOVABLE AIR BAG WARNING LABELS AFFIXED TO THE DASH AND TO THE SUNVISOR DO NOT MEET THE SIZE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STANDARD.

Safety consequence

THIS DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STANDARD.

Manufacturer remedy

MITSUBISHI CARIBBEAN WILL MAIL A CUSTOMER NOTIFICATION LETTER CONTAINING A WRITTEN DESCRIPTION AND A GRAPHIC OF THE BI-LINGUAL DASHBOARD AIR BAG WARNING LABEL. IN ADDITION, ALL CURRENT 2000-2004 NATIVA OWNERS WILL ALSO RECEIVE REPLACEMENT AIR BAG ALERT LABELS FOR THE SUN VISORS. THIS RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING MARCH OR APRIL 2005. THE NOTIFICATION TO THE NATIVA OWNERS IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING APRIL OR MAY 2005. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT MITSUBISHI CARIBBEAN AT 1-787-251-8715.

Notes

THE MANUFACTURER'S PETITION WHICH REQUESTED THAT NHTSA DETERMINE THIS FMVSS NONCOMPLIANCE DOES NOT CREATE AN UNREASONABLE RISK TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY WAS PARTIALLY DENIED ON JANUARY 26, 2005. THEREFORE, THIS MANUFACTURER IS OBLIGATED TO CONDUCT AN OWNER NOTIFICATION AND REMEDY CAMPAIGN.CUSTOMERS CAN ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S AUTO SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236.

try.vin has no NCAP crash-test rating on file for the 1998 Mitsubishi Diamante. NHTSA rates some vehicles by body style — pickups by cab, vans by roof height — so check nhtsa.gov/ratings.

27 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 1998 Mitsubishi Diamante.

Visibility/Wiper

ODI #10715681

Incident: February 8, 2013 · Filed: May 11, 2015

THE HEATER CORE HAS FAILED (ONCE AGAIN) I AM NOT SURE OF ANY COMPANY THAT HAS REALEASED THEIR CARS WITH SUCH A MAJOR FAILURE WITHOUT TAKING SOME KIND OF RESPONSIBILITY TO RECALL THIS ITEM IN THE CAR. NEARLY ALL OF THE HEATER CORES FROM MITSUBISHI DIAMANTES THAT I HAVE SEEN ARE ALL BAD. LEAKS ONTO THE ECU AND CAUSES A WHOLE HECK LOAD OF PROBLEMS. PLEASE DOT HAVE MITSUBISHI RECALL THIS. AS TO THIS CAUSES IMMENSE DAMAGES AND PEOPLE LIKE ME DRIVING AROUND WITH THIS FAULTY PIECE ARE BREATHING IN THE FUMES AND DRIVING WITH NEARLY FULL FOGGED WINDSHIELDS CAUSING REALLY POOR VISIBILITY WHICH IS AN EXTREME HAZARD TO OUR ROADS AND FELLOW PEDESTRIANS PLEASE I URGE YOU TO TAKE THIS COMPLAINT SERIOUS AND USE YOUR DOT POWERS TO MAKE THIS MANUFACTURER DO WHAT IS RIGHT! THANKS FOR YOUR TIME

Vehicle Speed Control

ODI #10243812

Incident: September 16, 2008 · Filed: September 28, 2008

WE JUST CLEARED CANADIAN CUSTOMS AT BLAINE WA, PACIFIC CROSSING, AND WERE ACCELERATING TO SPEED LIMIT ON I 5 FREEWAY WHEN THE CAR ACCELERATED TO NEAR 100 MILES AN HOUR. THE TACH AT SOME POINT WAS 7500 AND INCREASING. THE ACCELERATOR WAS STUCK AND EVENTUALLY WE WERE ABLE TO GET TO THE EMERGENCY LANE AREA AND TURNED OF THE IGNITION KEY. FULL PRESSURE ON THE BRAKES WOULD NOT SLOW IT DOWN MUCH. *TR WE WERE TOWED 21 MILES TO DAVIS AUTOMOTIVE IN BELLINGHAM, WA, WHERE A REPLACEMENT THROTTLE CABLE AND ASSOCIATED STRUCTURE WAS SEVERELY BENT AND THE CABLE HAD CUT THRU IT AND STUCK. *MEC THE CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED WHERE A REPLACEMENT THROTTLE CABLE WAS INSTALLED. UPDATED 10/10/08. *JB

Visibility

ODI #10242656

Incident: August 21, 2008 · Filed: September 17, 2008

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THE HEATER CORE HAS STARTED TO LEAK. IT WAS REPLACED 40K MILES AGO AND I WAS CHARGED $ 1,000 FOR REPAIR COSTS. HAVING RESEARCHED THIS, IT IS DUE TO FAULTY HEATER CORE GASKETS WHICH MITSUBISHI REPLACED THE DEFECTIVE GASKETS WITH A REDESIGNED ONE. THE CAR IS UNDRIVABLE DUE TO THE TOXIC FUMES FROM THE ETHYLENE GLYCOL COMING OUT OF ALL THE VENTS AND I DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO GET IT REPAIRED. MITSUBISHI REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT, AND NEARLY EVERY DIAMANTE ON THE ROAD HAS HAD THIS HAPPEN. THE CARPET IS RUINED FROM THE COOLANT LEAK AS WELL, AND MANY HAVE HAD THE ECU FOR THE TRANSMISSION FAIL DUE TO COOLANT LEAKING ON IT. *TR

Electrical System

ODI #10225765

Incident: December 30, 2007 · Filed: April 26, 2008

WILL NOT PASS EMISSION THERE ARE NO READINESS CODES STORED IN COMPUTER. *TR

Visibility

ODI #10208520

Incident: November 7, 2007 · Filed: November 9, 2007

EVERYTIME THE HEATER IS SWITCHED ON, I CAN FEEL A WEIRD SMELL WHICH WILL LAST FOR ABOUT 10 MINS. THIS SMELL SEEMS LIKE SUFFOCATING AND HAVE TO OPEN THE WINDOWS FOR THE FRESH AIR TO ENTER. THERE IS SOME KIND OF LEAK IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, I AM NOT SURE WHERE THE LEAK IS FROM. I AM BIT WORRIED ABT THE SMELL. THANKS *TR

Visibility

ODI #10156551

Incident: January 2, 2006 · Filed: May 1, 2006

FAILURE OF HEATER CORE GASKETS RESULTING IN FUMES INSIDE THE CAR FROM ANTI-FREEZE; THIS IS THE 2ND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED WITH THIS VEHICLE IN THE LAST 35,000 MILES AND THE REPAIR LABOR IS ESTIMATED AT 6 HOURS, WHICH IS AROUND $1,000. *JB

Visibility

ODI #10147032

Incident: December 25, 2005 · Filed: January 5, 2006

1998 MITSUBISHI DIAMANTE HEATER CORE LEAKING FOGGING WINDSHIELD DURING FREEWAY TRAVEL. HAZARD TO HEALTH WITH WHILE OPERATION AUTO. *NM

Visibility

ODI #10112060

Incident: February 7, 2005 · Filed: February 23, 2005

WINDOWS FOG UP AND CANNOT BE CLEARED BY THE DEFROSTER. VERY STRONG SMELL OF ANTI-FREEZE INSIDE THE CAR. SMOKEY VAPORS COME OUT OF THE HEATING VENTS. I'M HAVING DIFFICULTY BREATHING WHILE DRIVING MY CAR, AND BELIEVE THE CAUSE OF MY NAUSEA AND HEADACHE IS DUE TO BREATHING ANTI-FREEZE VAPORS. STAIN ON PASSENGER SIDE OF CARPET. ALL THESE SYMPTOMS INDICATE A HEATER CORE PROBLEM.*AK

Visibility

ODI #10109306

Incident: September 27, 2004 · Filed: March 24, 2005

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER SMELLED A BAD ODOR COMING FROM THE HEATER CORE. HEATER SYSTEM WAS LEAKING COOLANT. THIS HAPPENED THREE TIMES. THE SEAL HAD TO BE REPLACED. *AK THE VEHICLE'S HEATER CORE AND REFRIGERANT WERE REPLACED. *NM

Engine and Engine Cooling; Visibility; Unknown or Other

ODI #10100757

Incident: November 30, 2004 · Filed: November 30, 2004

I OWN A PREOWNED 1998 MISTUBISHI DIAMANTE LS. WHEN THE CLIMATE CONTROL, PARTICULARLY THE HEATER IS ENGAGED, THE SMELL OF ANTI-FREEZE BECOMES QUITE APPARENT. DEALER CLAIMED 2 YEARS AGO WHEN I BOUGHT IT THAT IT WAS THE SMELL OF THE CHEMICALS USED TO CLEAN THE CAR DURING "MAKE-READY." ETHYLEN GLYCOL FUMES ARE TOXIC AND THIS IS A REOCCURING DEFECT IN THIS MODEL CAR FROM POSTS I HAVE SEEN ON VARIOUS WEBSITES. I WAS LATER TOLD THAT TO FIX THIS PROBLEM WILL COST CLOSE TO $1000 SINCE THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. MITSUBISH ISSUED A TSB ADDRESSING THIS PROBLEM, OBVIOUSLY THEY ARE AWARE OF IT. IN ADDITION, THE WINDSHIELD IS COVERED WITH A FILM THAT CANNOT BE WASHED OFF FROM THIS LEAK. A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED FOR THIS PROBLEM, I AM NOT THE FIRST PERSON TO FILE THIS COMPLAINT ON YOUR WEBSITE. THANK YOU.*AK

Other Mitsubishi Diamante model years

Check your 1998 Mitsubishi Diamante VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Mitsubishi Diamante at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

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