IllustrationCONSUMER STATES: THE TRANSFER CASE INSIDE THE TRANMISSION LOCKED UP WITHOUT WARNING. *NM
1994 Mitsubishi Expo
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Expo years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 1 of 15 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
1 crash reports0 fire reports2 injury reports
What owners actually said
15 reportsTHE TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP WHILE REVERSING. THE VEHICLE NO LONGER SHIFTS INTO ANY GEAR. *TT
PASSING A TRUCK ON SMALL HILL AND LOST POWER. HAD NO GEARS AT ALL. NO FORWARD OR REVERSE. HAD TO TAKE ACTION TO GET OFF ROAD. DT
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATION VEHICLE WILL COMPLETELY SHUTDOWN, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED. NLM
ON JULY 6, 1999, AT APPROXIMATELY 7:00 P.M. WHILE DRIVING THE ABOVE MENTIONED VEHICLE I HEARD A THUMP AND NOTICED THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. I WAS GOING APROXIMATELY 45 MPH AND HAD TO SWERVE ONTO THE SHOULDER TO AVOID BEING REAR ENDED. IT IS NOTED, ON MARCH 12, 1999, I BROUGHT THIS VEHICLE TO A MITSUBISHI DEALER AFTER NOTIC…
Read full complaint
ON JULY 6, 1999, AT APPROXIMATELY 7:00 P.M. WHILE DRIVING THE ABOVE MENTIONED VEHICLE I HEARD A THUMP AND NOTICED THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. I WAS GOING APROXIMATELY 45 MPH AND HAD TO SWERVE ONTO THE SHOULDER TO AVOID BEING REAR ENDED. IT IS NOTED, ON MARCH 12, 1999, I BROUGHT THIS VEHICLE TO A MITSUBISHI DEALER AFTER NOTICING A JERK BETWEEN 1ST AND 2ND GEARS. I WAS CHARGED $95.00 FOR A TRANSMISSION DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND WAS TOLD THE TRANSMISSION WAS FINE.
WHILE DRIVING SHFTED TRANSMISSION GEAR IN REVERSE, HEARD A NOISE ,AND TRANSMISSION LOCKED. UP. DEALER CONTACTED, AND STATED THA TTRANSMISSION IS NOT REBUILDABLE. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
REPLACED SHATTERED TORQUE CONVERTER AND DRIVESHAFT.
TRANSMISSION ASSEMBLY (TORQUE CONVERTER, PLANETARY GEAR).
Official recalls
198V168000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission
Jul 22, 1998
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: ALL WHEEL DRIVE PASSENGER VEHICLES. LOCKUP OF THE TRANSFER CASE CAN OCCUR DUE TO INSUFFICIENT LUBRICATION.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION CAN CAUSE A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE VEHICLES FOR ADEQUACY OF THE TRANSFER CASE OIL VOLUME, TRANSFER CASE OIL LEAKAGE, AND OPERATIONAL DEGRADATION OF THE TRANSFER CASE MECHANISM. IF OIL VOLUME IS INSUFFICIENT, THE APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF OIL WILL BE ADDED. IF THERE IS TRANSFER CASE OIL LEAKAGE, AFFECTED COMPONENTS WILL BE REPLACED. IF THE TRANSFER CASE SHOWS OPERATIONAL DEGRADATION, THE TRANSFER CASE WILL BE REPLACED.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1EA98002 · Transfer Case Lockup
Opened Jan 30, 1998 · Closed Apr 30, 1998
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Wheels
No summary supplied.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Wheels
Wheels